Roots of Racial Fetishization: Colonialism, Imperialism, Racism
Jessica Chang, MHC-LP
What is (racial) fetishization?
Fetishization is the act or thought of making someone an object of desire based on some aspect of their identity. Racial fetishization is thus the act or thought of making a certain race or ethnicity the object of desire. People typically associate desire with sexual desire and fail to recognize that fetishization can expand past desiring someone sexually, such as desiring a person to do something or act in a certain way. This is especially important to grasp as these desires contribute to biases, and combined with the objectifying of humans involved in fetishization, often leads to race- and gender- based violence. Fetishization has been dismissed as inconsequential and affirmative at times, but the following article will describe how fetishization indeed perpetuates and is rooted in racism originating from settler colonialism and its serious negative impact on the health and wellbeing of those who are fetishized.
On racism, misogyny, and colonialism
The roots of fetishization can be traced back to colonizers treating BIPOC as “curiosities”. For example, Black bodies were eroticized by European colonizers upon entering the New World, and when Europeans invaded different African countries, the fascination and fetishization of African women was frequent. As Africans were put on display to attract tourists in Europe, this dehumanization was conducive in justifying the enslavement and abuse of Black people at the time (Asare, 2021). To this day, the hypersexualization of Black bodies continues as a pervasive trope through popular media and people’s unchecked biases, and the systemic violence against Black people continues.
The fetishization of East and Southeast Asian women has become popularly known as “yellow fever.” Since the 18th and 19th century, a time of imperialism and fantasizing Orientalism, as Western powers became increasingly intrigued with the East and Euro-Americans became obsessed with Chinoiserie, the imitation of Chinese motifs and techniques in Western art, Asian female bodies were seen as ornamental objects. Combined with being stereotyped as docile and submissive, and the “model minority” myth in which Asians are seen as more obedient and successful than others, as well as being seen as “perpetual foreigners,” Asian women continue to be seen as fantasized, exotic objects and to be subjects of harmful fetishization.
The US military occupation and wars in Asian countries have also played a large role in the fetishization of Asian women. Many local people turned to sex work during the war, and the Western perception of local Asian peoples as hypersexualized commodities has become normalized. Historically, Southeast Asian countries have particularly been subjected to colonization, violence, and imperialism from Western countries (e.g. the Vietnam War, Indochina Conflict, Philippine-American War, etc.) where women were raped, sexually assaulted, and impregnated by white soldiers (Hong, 2021). The colonization of female bodies in these countries has also added to the harmful fetishization of Southeast Asian women in the present day.
At the intersection of this historical racial, gendered violence committed by Western colonial forces is the deeply disturbed perpetuated concept of Asian women as disposable, replaceable, conquestable. As Sara Li writes for an article in Cosmopolitan after the Atlanta shooting, “When Asian women are eroticized on a mass scale and deprived of their humanity, it puts them at risk on a systemic level.” The dehumanization and objectification of BIPOC as seen throughout history has created so much violence, and this violence continues to exist every day.
Fetishization within racial and sexual minority spaces
Fetishization does not just occur towards women of color, and it also exists within nonwhite and queer spaces. Black and brown men and Asian men distinctively experience being fetishized in uniquely upsetting ways, as well as other folk within queer communities. Fetishization within ethnic and sexual minorities is still rooted in colonialism and is largely influenced by European beauty standards. This may look like colorism, texturism, and featurism, as minorities with certain physical traits are seen as more valuable than those with, for example, darker skin, more textured hair, and a flatter nose. Outside of dating scenes, this type of fetishization can also be seen in how people view their children. Within queer spaces, POC continue to be tokenized/exoticized, perhaps with “less problematic language.” In these scenarios, those subjected to fetishization from those they share community with may experience additional layers of experiences which contribute towards mental health struggles.
Consequences to health and wellbeing
A common theme of being subject of fetishization is feeling othered, by nature being seen as different and not belonging. It can contribute towards feelings of isolation and inhibit the development of one’s sense of self, at times feeling that it is easier and safer to act in ways which agree with biases in alignment with the fetishization. The constant questioning of how one is being perceived, having historical evidence to doubt that they are being valued for the person they are and instead being seen as certain traits or fulfilling a fantasy, can affect one’s sense of self-worth and self esteem. Unrecognition of fetishization may lead to the internalization of biases and racism by the perpetrators and also by those who are being fetishisized, leading towards self-hatred or negative self image. All of these internal conflicts and being the subject of discrimination is associated with greater levels of anxiety, depression, and sleep issues than those who do not have these experiences (Park, 2021).
Racial fetishization can also contribute towards physiological symptoms. Findings linking racial and sexual objectification with Asian American women’s health issues in areas related to trauma symptomatology, body image concerns, and disordered eating were reported by the American Psychological Association (APA). Further, racial trauma, unlike traditional forms of trauma and PTSD, is more likely to occur vicariously (see blog post on vicarious trauma) (Nguyen, 2022). It is further inseparable from the larger socio-political landscapes we live in, the resolution of racial trauma thus residing in systems of the world rather than within oneself or one’s more immediate environment. This lack of control and potentially lower sense of agency may further contribute towards distress and mental and physical health symptoms.
Conclusion
The fetishization of BIPOC communities is deeply rooted in colonialism, imperialism, and racism. It is important to recognize the history and the palpable harm that is involved in racial fetishization which has occurred in the past and continues to manifest as violence to this day. The impact on one’s mental health and wellbeing as well as the impact racial fetishization has on BIPOC communities at large is real, and that acknowledgment is essential in collective healing and moving away from violence and towards solidarity.
Sources
Asare, J.G. (2021). What is Fetishization and How Does it Contribute to Racism? Forbes.
Hong, B. (2021). Fetishization of East and Southeast Asian Women. NCAA Together.
Li, S. (2021). Violence Against Asian Women Won’t End Until You Stop Fetishizing Us. Cosmopolitan.
Nguyen, J. (2022). Why Fetishizing AAPI Women is an Act of Violence. Very Well Mind.
Pandika, M. (2021). 3 “compliments” that actually fetishize POC. MIC.
Park, R. (2021). How Fetishization and Violence Impact Asian Diaspora and Emotional Health. Supportiv.