If you're the parent of a daughter with Asian ancestry - or if you're a woman of Asian descent, here's a good read for you. Asian-American and publisher of Hyphen magazine, Lisa Lee, dishes on NPR about the pressure Asian women feel to be thin. Check it out for yourselves, then read her article in Hyphen on her personal struggle with body image.
"Sure," some may say, "so many women feel the pressure to be a size 0. This is nothing revelatory." However, many of those people also think that all Asians are naturally skinny, that there is some genetic magic at work among the race that allows them to eat whatever they want and not pack on a pound (not true, I can attest). They see waifish Asian actresses like Ziyi Zhang from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and launch the part-for-whole fallacy, assuming all Asian women must be like that because frankly, they just don't know that many Asian women. Yes, it's true that so many women feel the unfortunate compulsion to be thin. However, for Asian women, I suspect the pressure might be harder simply because the assumption exists that they are race of petite, wispy women. Few people want to be the exception to that false perception.
When we traveled to Taiwan in 2008, it was a comfort to see firsthand that the myth was not true. Thanks in large part to a healthier diet and a less sedentary lifestyle, there isn't the high level of obesity that we see in America. However, Taiwan also isn't an island populated by women who are forced to shop in the girl's department because a women's size 0 would fall off of them. My wider thighs and squarish butt were in good company.
Bravo to Ms. Lee for addressing a topic that has long gone unspoken. Her dialogue is an eye-opener for parents of girls of Asian ancestry who need to be aware of the insidious pressure she addresses. Armed with that knowledge, they can then empower their daughters to know from a young age that they have worth because God loves them thoroughly, not because their skinny jeans are loose on them.
Now, as as an encore, may I suggest that Ms. Lee debunk the myth that all Asians are kung fu masters? Hi-ya! Wa-chee!
January 5, 2011
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6 comments:
Love this post. I'm off to read your link. Thanks!
Great post, thanks for sharing this one!!
"Thanks in large part to a healthier diet and a less sedentary lifestyle, there isn't the high level of obesity that we see in America."
Everyone always mentions Taiwan has less obesity because of their diets.
But what about Asians who grow up IN Canada/America and still end up skinny?
Could that be partially because of genetics?
Hi Mei Ling,
Good to hear from you again. It's funny b/c at first I thought you were my mom, who also shares your name. I marveled for a moment at the fact that 1) she would post on my blog (she doesn't), 2) her written English had dramatically improved. Then I realized it was probably you.
Anyhow, to your point, I'll be the first to admit that genetics can sometimes play a role in whether a 39 year-old Asian woman has the figure of a typical 9 year-old girl or whether someone in America (or Canada) struggles against obesity. However, to simplify things to simply genetics as people sometimes do would be erroeneous. I personally am tired of the back-handed compliments I occasionally get from people who tell me, "Oh, you're lucky to be Asian. You can just eat all you want" when the truth is I've had to put in my time in Weight Watchers and have to be very careful about what I eat. I know I'm not the only Asian out there who has to battle the bulge.
This is a really good post, and something I can definitely relate to. I especially agreed with: "Few people want to be the exception to that false perception.". As an adoptee, it can be really hard because we sometimes only have stereotypes to look to for role models. And like you said, we don't want to be the exception to that rule.
Thanks for this post. It's definitely something I can relate to.
Thanks for this post Judy! I can totally relate. . .and I ain't shopping in the girls' dept! (But I am Asian, and I know the pressure.) Kuddos for describing your butt as "squarish". . .I have no idea how I'd clASSify mine. . .
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