I decided to do my ethnography project on the trending hashtag, #NotYourAsianSidekick. This hashtag was started by Suey Park, a freelance writer, to open discussion about Asian feminism and stereotypes. In one of her first tweets, Suey Park says the reason why she started this hashtag was because she was "tired of the patriarchy in Asian American spaces and sick of the racism in white feminism". In the first 3 days, #NotYourAsianSidekick has already appeared on over 95 million twitter feeds, generating a whirlwind of discussion and controversy, which was exactly Park wanted. Park has touched upon topics such as Asian stereotypes, confronting mental illnesses in Asian households such as bullemia and anorexia, how Asian Americans are represented in the media, and even Asian fetishes.
I could really relate to what Park was saying because I am an Asian American myself. The stereotypes she pointed out I experience on a daily basis. I’ve had people say to me “But you’re not really Asian”, or “You can be the token Asian. Isn’t that what you want?” or “But what are you really?” Especially since coming to college, I feel like what I look like has been increasingly influencing how others perceive me, as a person. And I’m guilty of doing the same to others. We’re all guilty of making judgments of complete strangers based on what they look like, however, it becomes a real issue when we treat them as if they automatically fall into the stereotype we think they are.
I think the Internet is a great medium for everyone to discuss and debate the holes that plague our society. Especially through social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, issues that people overlook everyday can be brought to light. For a good part of my life, I have felt ashamed of being Chinese, and I feel like most Asian Americans can sympathize with me. I mean, who would want to associate with Asians and all their crazy stereotypes? I’m choosing this topic not only to help myself become more proud of who I am and where I come from, but to help others realize that the negative stereotypes we either consciously or unconsciously reinforce only pushes the gaps between races even further. Hopefully, this ethnography will be an eye-opener for some.
I could really relate to what Park was saying because I am an Asian American myself. The stereotypes she pointed out I experience on a daily basis. I’ve had people say to me “But you’re not really Asian”, or “You can be the token Asian. Isn’t that what you want?” or “But what are you really?” Especially since coming to college, I feel like what I look like has been increasingly influencing how others perceive me, as a person. And I’m guilty of doing the same to others. We’re all guilty of making judgments of complete strangers based on what they look like, however, it becomes a real issue when we treat them as if they automatically fall into the stereotype we think they are.
I think the Internet is a great medium for everyone to discuss and debate the holes that plague our society. Especially through social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, issues that people overlook everyday can be brought to light. For a good part of my life, I have felt ashamed of being Chinese, and I feel like most Asian Americans can sympathize with me. I mean, who would want to associate with Asians and all their crazy stereotypes? I’m choosing this topic not only to help myself become more proud of who I am and where I come from, but to help others realize that the negative stereotypes we either consciously or unconsciously reinforce only pushes the gaps between races even further. Hopefully, this ethnography will be an eye-opener for some.