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Additionally, Lee’s study found that Korean American men and women are affected by the negative stereotypes of Asian men. As one explains

 

"I don’t think I’ve ever really been attracted to an Asian guy…I think this is definitely related to media representation of Asian men. And growing up, there was no example of what a sexual Asian man would be like. So I just…it’s a big question mark for me, and I go through phases where I’m like, “I should just try to date an Asian guy. It would be really good for me.” But it is weird. It’s very strange." (Lee, 295)

 

The stigma of Asian men in the media is no mystery. Many of Lee’s respondents made reference to the film Sixteen Candles and how they cringe at the image of Long Duk Dong, the goofy, nerdy foreign exchange student. Even Bruce Lee, who has managed to lead a new breed of ass-kicking, kung fu fighting Asian men, remains asexual in many of his movies. In his first (and only?) major Hollywood production, Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee mimics the cleverness and manliness of James Bond. Yet, unlike James Bond, he appears to have no allure to women, nor does he desire to be with any of them. From Bruce Lee to William Hung, Asian men have yet to grace the walls of the average American teenage girl’s bedroom.

 

 

The absence of sexually desirable Asian male celebrities is not trivial. The constantly negative portrayals of Asian males that are fed to Asian Americans in their youth send one undeniable message: Asian men are undesirable. But this topic is big enough for another discussion. I just think it is worthy to note that since a lot of the decisions people make are mutually influenced by the media, deciding who to date or marry is definitely no exception.

 

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image source: http://www.secretasianman.com

 

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