He's So Pretty for a White Guy

Out of all the theorists we studied through the semester, my favorite is Bell Hooks. Reading Eating the Other was altogether a weird feeling—I, an Other, am reading an essay about how the dominant Others the rest. The manner that Hooks presents the idea of the Other as an exotica, a form of escapism almost for the norm, is especially fascinating to me. On page 312, Hooks states that it is "the ever present reality of racist domination, of white supremacy, that renders problematic the desire of white people to have contact with the Other." This reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend just recently; we discussed the notion, or rather the problem, of Asian fetishism. I have heard plenty of people claim that they are exempt from racism because they "like Asians and only Asians," or because they are currently dating one. My friend mentioned having been hit on multiple times by Caucasian men, stating that she is "cute and pretty for an Asian." Hearing this made me think of how I describe certain things in life — my neighbor's dog is tame for a Rottweiler, she is modest despite her affluence, the scarf is cheap for a brand name product. Does this mean that the typical Asian is the opposite of cute and pretty?

Society is full of binaries and stereotypes, some of which have become so ingrained that it has become instinctual. The dynamics between my non-Asian, non-CMC friend is interesting to me. While I am more aware of my race in public settings (such as when we are at the mall) and how Asians are represented in media ("Sure, of course the Asian is the first one to die!"), she rarely ever pays attention to this. In a previous class, standpoint epistemology was brought up and discussed. When we are marginal, our critical outlook is much sharper — while I am more conscious about issues regarding my race, the same friend is similarly conscious about issues regarding her gender. In both cases, we are part of the minority. A character devoid of any minority status—a white, educated, abled white male who is a part of the upper-middle class—would seemingly have a weak critical outlook, if at all. Then again, you never really hear someone say "Wow, he's really attractive for someone who's white," do you?