“This is one of the first images that got me attention when I was starting out in illustration.
A lot of people think it is just a fun sexy Asian girl picture, but there was a lot more behind why I made this.
As soon as I moved back to the USA as an adult (I previously lived here as a child), I realized the odd perception non-Asians have toward us. A lot of men prefer to date East Asian women based on stereotypes assuming Asians are submissive, thus easier to manage compared to non-Asians who are more opinionated. Which is, half true and half not true. Well, that’s what stereotype really is: generalize and categorize people on things that are half true but half not. I tried to tell my non-Asian friends about this discomfort. Many didn’t really get it. They often shrug off “everyone has types”. Yes, everyone does, but being fetishized for the stereotype really isn’t just a ‘type’.
I wanted to come up with fun image that include all my experiences and impressions and discomfort about how Asia and Asian women are perceived and to casually make fun of those who fetishize us and our culture.
That was what this image was.
There are so many people who love Asia but never bother to figure out the differences between Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan… etc. It is a lot better now, but there used to be lots of Korean/Japanese restaurants when I moved here. Our food are not similar in case you don’t know already.
This looks like Japanese art on the surface, but if you know East Asia enough, there are lots of things that are wrong. Even the tile is written in broken Cantonese (Not Mandarin, not simplified Chinese, not Japanese, but a broken Cantonese) by design, and the heroine is exactly the opposite of how East Asian women are perceived. She is strong, independent, and she will kick your ass.
Stop fetishize Asian women. Stop fetishize our cultures. Protect our sisters, and brothers. #stopasianhate”
Website: https://www.yukoart.com/
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/yukoart/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yuko.shimizu.1048
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/yukoart
baratheonpilled
germansingergirl
gracieabrams
