The first 179 pages of Lee’s Orientals repeated some information for me and I found that there was a bit of repetition (like how there was an ENTIRE PARAGRAPH, word-for-word, repeated on page 66 from page 65…?). Some of the repeated information felt more like reiteration, especially when it came to Acts or laws and dates and I appreciated that, because I feel very confident in explaining a certain Act or situation but am not always as confident on the exact title or year. However, even with the repeat information (whether appreciated and less personally needed) I found myself wanting to highlight and add marginalia to basically half of every page. The idea of organizing all of my ideas for these six chapters is daunting and overwhelming but also exciting. I doubt I will be able to include everything (and some of it my be fragmented and frantic) but here it goes…
Immediately, Lee introduces the book with a modern example of yellowface and quickly explains the “six faces of the Oriental” (page 8) as well as begins to grab hold of the purposeful difference between Oriental and Asian. This was a difference that I have never encountered in depth. In fact, a lot of the ideas and history that was brought up in the reading was more in depth because it focused on the Asian American Representation history instead of the immigration, day-to-day history.
For example, I have most definitely heard of Barnum and Bailey’s circus but have never thought of the origin or how it could have been developed through discrimination, especially racism and ableism (nor was the term “Siamese Twins” ever analyzed in previous readings). The discussion about the history and development of minstrelsy in relation to multiple People of Color in America was also an in-depth first. This history of yellowface, blackface, redface, and brownface is so deeply apart of American culture that it continuously pops up in our modern media and entertainment. Here’s a video I found by searching “fake Asian accent [TW: yellowface, racism]. In the video a non-Japanese/ non-Asian man dresses as a geisha and uses a fake accent as a promotional vehicle. And while the book clearly gives evidence to how yellowface has had much acclaim and was widely accepted (illustrated through the song in the 1880s as seen on page 37 and into the 1900s, page 70; then into 1957′s Sayonara Cuban actor dons yellowface for character who dons “whiteface”; and finally into last week’s analysis on How I Met Your Mother.) The difference now, one may argue, is that people are more critical of this and don’t accept it nearly as readily. There is more push-back and more the dynamic of racism has definitely changed. However, people are still using yellowface to be comedic. People are still viewing it as an acceptable thing to do. Even if they know it will “get a rise out of people”
Part of this is explained in the racist excerpt from March 1867′s edition of the Springfield Republic, “Nature seemed to have furnished them [Chinese immigrants] with that particular appendage [braided queue] for the benefit of the Anglo-Saxon” (page 39). Another way to look at is the entitlement of white consumption (which is later illustrated through the changing of True Womenhood into New Womenhood and how the New Women was defined not by her Victorian motherly traits but by her desire and capitalist consumption as seen on page 177. This also touches on the male-centered homophobia and homoerotica that the Oriental eventually stood for). White consumption which not only is seen through the appropriation and aggressive stealing of culture but also in the entitlement to consume citizenship, land, jobs, and women.
We see examples of consuming citizenship and land in the history of not allowing immigrants to own land unless they become citizens but denying any Asian immigrant the right to naturalization through the Naturalization Act of 1790. Likewise, we see the consumption of land through the villainous depiction of created-space, such as Chinatowns. This is seen in Sax Rohmer’s Fu Manchu series (page 114).
We see the example of consuming jobs through the rivalry of Irish immigrants and Chinese immigrants. As two minorities (of the time) that were pitted against each other, there was high tension for Irish immigrants to prove themselves as white and reclaim the jobs they were not given based on discrimination. On page 65, Lee explains how white workers and Chinese workers worked together but there was still major steps taken to expel the Chinese workers.
And we see the consumption of women (both Asian and white) through the Page Act of 1870 which interrogated Chinese women who wished to immigrate yet there was an illegal trade happening which forced Chinese women into sex work (page 89). Media such as Poor Ah Toy or magazines (page 97) influenced white women to view their interactions with Chinese men (which- at the time- would still be mostly in house) as service workers as something to be weary and suspicious about. On page 129, Lee explains how the “dirty old man” trope was created with Asian men in mind and how the seemingly-innocent stranger became the one true fear for women (whereas domestic violence and abuse of all types were overlooked). Because white women who married men of color would lose their citizenship this effectively kept white women single for white men but also internalized the idea that there was something unnatural or wrong about marrying an Asian man.
Also noted: the TESC faculty Stephanie Coontz reference (page 86).
-
n
tl, 
r
