Reynoso, Linda
Professor Ruth Kwon AA S 201 Tu/Th 9:30AM December 10, 2016 Interracial Dating: Asian Americans Asian Americans are highly depicted and racialized when it comes to dating out of their own race. This can include many factors such as gender, social status, and race itself. These factors may take part when choosing a dating or marriage partner and can cause one to be highly negatively or positively influenced about a person. In relation to interracial dating between Asian Americans and non-Asian Americans, someone may be influenced by another person’s wealth, behaviors, or attitudes and this may cause their “willingness” to date someone become lower. The focus on gender, race, and social status will expand our knowledge on racialized dating. As Asian Americans are constantly being depicted and racialized in the U.S society, this has caused them to create individual preferences when it comes to choosing a partner (Tsunokai, McGrath, Kavanagh, 800). Tsunokai argues that Asian Americans distance themselves from Hispanics and Blacks, similar to Whites. Similar to whites, ninety-four percent of Asian Americans did not show the willingness to date African Americans. Some might wonder why this is, but the answer is easy. Similar to the stereotypes about Asians Americans, the negative and brutal stereotypes about black people also play a huge role towards other races. For example, one of the common stereotypes towards black people is that they are poor and do drugs, if this the idea about them, an Asian American is definitely going to exclude them from their potential partner. As far as Asian Americans, they too are also affected when it comes to dating preferences or interest in a different race. For example, Asian me are stereotyped as cruel men who treat their partner like property. According to McGrath, these types of racialized stereotypes is linked to masculine, superior representation of White males. These types of ideas influence Asians, which leads them to be more likely to date White people. Many of these examples and findings have helped me understand how Asian Americans are racialized when they date out of their race. This percentage is based on Asian Americans and their search for “better qualities” in a dating partner. The lower interest in African American and Hispanics is an example of dating based on race because it is clearly stating that blacks and Hispanics are incapable of withholding these sorts of traits. In many cases this may be true, but it not for all cases. Race may play a role in history and what one’s race has went through or either achieved. For example, based on my own experience, when I dated someone out of my race, I was treated different since the other person was not a person of color. I believe that sometimes people were nicer to me since I was with a white person who is seen to be higher in society and more acceptable. Before getting to know a certain person, they are automatically prejudged based on the color of their skin or simply how they look. This also goes for Asian Americans too, according to a study by Robnett and Feliciano in 2011, Whites are more likely to be interested or date an Asian American among any other race. The ideas that social media and stereotypes play a huge role in this the Whites who prefer Asian Americans are arguing they (AA’s) are more likely to have more education, desirable, and suitable partners. Another reason why an Asian American is likely to date a white person because they are physically “more attractive” and higher in status (Pyke, 2003). This comes to show that there is definitely a role in social status and wealth. Tsunokai shows us that an Asian American may view dating a white man as a “higher” status than another minority. Automatically, this raises a controversial idea about white people and how they’re represented in the larger community. Teresa A. Mok states that “Asian American women who had dated White Americans preferred to continue to date Whites rather than Asian Americans”. Since there is more experience with Asian Americans dating Whites, they are more likely to continue to date with the race they know or have a history with. However, many Asian Americans are also “cut-off” by their families for dating outside of their race. Even though they are likely to date out of their race, their moral and parental expectations are still a huge role when it comes to dating and marriage. Mok explains that when Asian Americans who perceive their parents having a role in partner choice are more likely to date from their own race. Even when social status and race are taking affect, there are still family values and expectations from a parental view or influence. For Example, in “The Style of Color-Blind Racism” a student from MU was interviewed and asked if he had ever been involved with a minority student and he was very hesitant. He stated that yes he had been, but he would never thing about actually dating them or marrying them and stated “I don’t know how my parents would feel about anything like that.”. It is also in the American culture so incorporate your family values and expectation, just as it is in some of the Asian American family household. As race and social status play a factor in choosing a partner, gender is also an important factor for Asian Americans. In a different study by Melissa Herman and Mary Campbell, they found that based on the community and type of school you go to, you are either more or less likely to have an interracial relationship. Based on one’s income and what kind of neighborhood they live in or schools they attend, this is highly an important factor when choosing your partner and the answer to why someone might be excluded from dating someone out of their race. For example, a very wealthy and stable family may not want their child to fate someone who has a lower social status because they believe it will affect their child. In some of Mok’s findings, she shows us that the parental influence on Asian American women is much higher than the parental influence on men by thirty-eight percent. These students who do have an interracial relationship are also more likely to have more friends and higher percentage of advancing through grade school based on their surroundings. In the same study, they found that White women are more likely to exclude Asian Americans, different than the study by Tsunokai. The reason for this is based on the ideas that White women have about Asian Americans through society. For example, it may be due to their ideals and values of their family, or simply that they do want to be seen with an Asian. Since our society has constructed negative stereotypes about Asians, that they are foreigners, women are prostitutes, and men treat their women like property, White people are more likely to not include them as a partner. As the race or color of your skin dictates who you are more and ls likely to date, someone’s gender might also play a high role in while dating. According to Herman and Campbell, White women are more liberal than White men on most racial attitude questions. For example, the focus here may be on white folks, but it also falls on Asian Americans since they are more likely to date a white person than a minority (non-Asian American). For example, in an article by Yen Ling Shek, he explains that Asian American men are often portrayed as effeminate and asexual, but also patriarchal and domineering. He also states that in certain environments may also have affect in gender roles or values. For example, someone on a college campus may be seen less patriarchal because they might be shaped to be more equal with their partner, but someone who has a family may be more patriarchic l because they are a different setting and environment. In my own experience, I seen this happen not only with Asian Americans, but with minorities as well. Looking at my past relationship, my partner and I had very different parents and they were either very dominating with each other or only the male figure had all of the power. This can be compared to college students who date because as they are dating in college, their views might change and one may try to “fit in” and act how society expects them to behave. Mok shows us that Asian American men are described as being dominant dictators who tend to treat women like property. This can also go back to why Asian American prefer to date or marry white men. Since white men are shown to be more romantic and better partners, it will overpower the gender role in these certain cases because there will be less masculinity than an Asian American man. When Asian Americans are choosing to date a partner, there are also small factors that take place like stereotypes that may cause someone to not date an Asian American. For example, the most common stereotype that is heard about Asian American is that they are not good in bed or cannot fulfill their position as a man in bed. This racialized stereotype has highly affected Asian American men and lowers their chance of being in an interracial relationship. During high school I used to hear these comments and remarks all the time, but I didn’t think much of it because I was unaware how negative these terms are towards Asian Americans. According to Mok, your friend group (which is likely to be of the same race) highly influences you to date within a comfortable and common group. Even though Asian American women are likely to date a white man, the may not always have the choice because of a stereotype or rumor that is made up about a certain race. Based on the articles and many of the findings by the sociologist and students, I have a better understanding of interracial dating and how it affects Asian Americans. A few of the findings by Mok, Vaquera, and Campbell have all demonstrated and shown us proof that race, gender, and social plays a high role in interracial dating. We can conclude that Asian Americans are racialized and also racialize other races when they choose a dating partner. Since the family values and one’s gender plays a role while dating out of your race, it may still even take place while intra-dating. Racializing one by their history, gender, or social status may prevent them or from being a part of an interracial relationship. Annotated bibliography Chua, Peter. "Asian American Sexual Politics: The Construction of Race, Gender, and Sexuality." Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews, 44.1 (2015): 42-44. Provides insights about sexual constructions femininity and masculinity. Focus on sexual politics, and intimate relationship changes between Asian Americans. Interpersonal coping for Asian Americans against dominant racial frames. Herman, Melissa R., and Mary E. Campbell. "I Wouldn't, But You Can: Attitudes Toward Interracial Relationships." Social Science Research 41.2 (2012): 343-358. PsycINFO. Web. 9 Nov. 2016. Importance of interracial dating between Whites, Asians, and Blacks. Provides statistics and data. Asians are likely to be in interracial relationships with Whites than Blacks. Explains why Whites will not date with another race. Mok, Teresa A. "Asian American Dating: Important Factors in Partner Choice." Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology 5.2 (1999): 103-117. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Nov. 2016. Provides information on interracial dating based on sex, age, and ethnicity. Percentages given for both men and women. Explains why Asians date out of their race and the significance. Studies are compared to marriage as well. Rudder Christian. "Race and Attraction, 2009 – 2014." OkTrends. N.p., 14 Sept. 2014. Web. 11 Nov. 2016. Allows us to analyze data from the past five years to compare and contrast. Provides data and statistics. Relation to gender, race, and preference from one person to another. Shek, Yen Ling, and Marylu K McEwen. "The Relationships of Racial Identity and Gender Role Conflict to Self-Esteem of Asian American Undergraduate Men." Journal of College Student Development, 53.5 (2012): 703-718 Studies Asian Americans form both East and West coast research institutions. Focus on attitude, gender, and self-esteem. Connections to college students, family values and norms. Gender roles thoroughly explained and relates to Asian Americans. Tsunokai, Glenn T, Allison R McGrath, and Jillian K Kavanagh. "Online Dating Preferences of Asian Americans." Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 31.6 (2014): 796-814. Studies dating preference between heterosexual and gay Asian American men and women. Compares and contrast. Explains why preference is important and what drives Asian American to a specific race when dating. Studies dating based on region, residence, and age. Vaquera, Elizabeth, and Grace Kao. "Private and Public Displays of Affection Among Interracial and Intra-Racial Adolescent Couples." Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell) 86.2 (2005): 484-508. Academic Search Premier. Web. 8 Nov. 2016. Explains the importance of interracial dating with a focus on public display, private display, and affection. Statistics are provided and compared to other age groups. Importance of different type of displays between intra-racial and interracial.
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