Asian American Beauty - Female Body Image (Part 2 of 2)

[Rootdmd1]

I think Asian American women have the same issues as all American women. Asian women of all nationalities should understand that they beautiful just the way they are. Their eyes are their most valuable asset. They are the most beautiful women in the world. PLEASE don't change.

[Snevilly]

This was fantastic, thanks for sharing.

[BOkchOybOy91]

She must wear ladylike clothing and have magnificent hygiene. The media seems to amplify the idea that all women must fit a certain criteria in order to be looked upon as attractive. Sadly, this is a marketing technique to keep women striving to attain an impossible body. Though growing old is part of life, aging is considered a bad thing, whereas numerous nations elsewhere accept these natural changes. In some cultures, growing old is a good thing because one becomes wiser with age.

[BOkchOybOy91]

The media influences women’s beliefs and attitudes about their bodies in many ways. Women are often portrayed as feminine, dainty and clean. In American society, a woman’s worth is largely dependent on one’s physical characteristics. An “attractive” woman by societal standards must fit a certain body type; she must have a slim body, flawless skin and generally a passive nature.

[tryandlike]

I love thin Asian women with double eyelids, a high nose, pretty face, plump lips, larger breasts, a firm round butt, in shape and tan.

[sarukage222]

I don't have a standard for beauty. when there is a 'standard for beauty' then the idea like body image comes in. Thin is nice, curvy is nice, everything in between is fine. I don't know how people can only limit themselves to a certain type. Beauty is something I see in someone, it's an overall thing. If I don't know someone they can still look beautiful, but who they are as a whole determines whether they're attractive or just good looking.

[FearlessResistance]

The proof is in front of your face everyday. Just read the ingredients lists of any processed food and then research them on wikipedia or something. It's no big secret, it's not a conspiracy. America is the only 1st world nation that uses genetically modified bovine growth hormone, It's banned everywhere else... for a reason.

[DavidL913]

The whole beauty , appearance industry is a multi-billion DOLLAR INDUSTRY. of course they are going to make these ads so they can easily profit and manipulate the masses into following a certain type of beauty appearance. MONEY MONEY MONEY. Combined /w the food industry, it is easy to to target young women (doesn't matter what ethnicity or race) , which pull in tons of profit. Those foods shown in the video that are "health foods" , are by far anything but healthy. 

[DavidL913]

Yes please , break that skinny Asian girl stereotype. As an Asian male , I'd like something to grab on to.  Some meat and curves is attractive, not an 85lbs. Holocaust survivor.

[peachjello1]

Having an ED is not just watching everything you eat! It's a very strong phobia of eating food because you are afraid of becoming fat (and "fat" can even be gaining 5 lbs to someone w/ anorexia). I should know.

[FearlessResistance]

the American diet is a toxic waste dump, that's why Asian Americans are frequently at least a bit bigger then their Chinese ect. origins. I stopped eating all processed foods and I never have a weight problem.

[CarringtonVilla]

@FearlessResistance "the American diet is a toxic waste dump," and you have proof of this where?

[xXCandyHolicXx]

There's a constant pressure in Asia to be LIKE EVERYONE else. My mother whom I live with has assimilated to American culture, so she doesn't hark on me being fat (that much anyway.) I am perfectly sized in America, if not just a little chubby (I have a lot of muscle mass due to being an athlete.) But I remember when I visited China at the age of 10 (when I was still skinny), my grandmother would keep reminding me that my butt was enormous.

[xXCandyHolicXx]

Now that I'm 16, whenever I go to junctions with my father's family, they will talk about my big butt out loud when I am 5 feet away. But I don't care.

A lot of loving yourself comes with accepting yourself. At age 11-12, I tried to diet, not understanding why I wasn't skinny like my family wanted. I came to realize that I was healthy and normal, as I should be. I knew I could be free and do whatever I wanted as long as I was still healthy about it. Hopefully, more girls can learn this.

[Crablec10]

Whats the deal with the white guy?

[geolyfe]

Common, what asian girl would watch this video without atleast one white guy in there? Smart guy to put a white boy. I'd get brat pitt to be in my video

[kaos248]

It's a constant mix message for Asian Americans. I'm at a weight that is perfectly normal in America and to some, even thin but as a Chinese girl, I'm huge, sadly, to which my family will discuss openly and frequently.

For example, I gained 10lbs since I began work and one of my coworkers, who's a pleasantly plump African American woman, happily told me, I looked like I put on some weight and was finally healthy. The same day, my mom gave me the "nod of shame" and a tsk-tsk. Confusing much.

[cutekittygirl]

It's tough for all races of women to meet the mainstream standards of beauty in America.

[rainbowdoom]

ALL these girls are very thin. What are they talking about?!

[thadc136]

they aren't thin when compared to other asian girls. these girls are average with the exception of one or two.

Go to asia, the girls there are stick thin

[rainbowdoom]

Well then let them kill themselves.

There are people out there who don't choose to starve that need more help than the dumb asses who choose to starve.

[DrCherryPie]

I'm not asian but I think asian people should not change their eyelid shape because its beautiful the way it is, asian eyes are unique and defining and if i were asian i wouldn't want to change them

imho, really thin bodies are unattractive and scary and i definitely see curvaceous fuller bodies like marilyn monroe as way more attractive

[Ackles4life]

I agree. but that's the exact problem that women who r born with naturally thin bodies have. They're often lumped in with girls who starve themselves down 2 their bones, simply because they fit the part. It's pretty sad that ppl today, all over the world, hold such a crippling inability to love themselves, no matter what they look like.

[klruland]

hey, just want you to know I thought the video was well done- I'm "Korean-AMerican" having been adopted by white parents and I've had to deal with this bullshit my entire 23 years...I'm sure it'll continue for awhile. Saddest story ever was I used to pinch my nose so that it would be pointier and I would walk around the house trying to make my nose thinner and more caucasion....this was when i was like 10 yrs old...

[aliceladylike]

When I was in middle school, everyone was like, "You're so thin, you're so thin. What's your weight?"

So I said, "50 kg (or about 100 lbs or so...)"

Then they gasped and said that I didn't look that fat and that Asians shouldn't be over 50 kg.

What's more sad is that my mom was surprised as well....

[oishitomoro]

oh my gosh really? In Japan, it is really bad.. I am a Japanese girl who is 22. When I used to live there, everyone was obsessed with being skinny and having white skin and big eyes. It was terrible, You were considered fat if you weighed over 50 kg its true :( It was terrible.

[funkmasteryellow]

I try to look beyond the shadow of the media but unconformity has left me cold.

[hspd]

Living in Singapore, where you see hordes of skinny chinese girls, I definitely feel like I don't belong here. I'm also sick and tired of having people telling me that I'm fat even though I'm of an acceptable BMI. I'm victimised just cos I don't weigh below 100 pounds. =(

[noodledoodle96]

I have double eyelids and I'm full asian.

I go to my family and,

I feel left out for not having single eyelids.

[xxxcr4zyb1tchxxx]

where are all those beautiful asian american? not all asian american have problem like this i should say.. some enjoy their looks and most of asian american people are cute, they are simply beautiful.. they didn't pick those anyways because the topic is just about the negative part of being a mix race...

[gutsgutslifelife]

I actually think that Asian American male body image would be a more interesting topic since Asian American men have more difficulty fitting into society. Seriously, a lot of Americans think that Asian American women are beautiful. Asian men, much less so. I bet that every woman in this video will get married. But a group of 10 Asian American men? They face much tougher odds.

[gotz2bk]

I'd chalk that up to a cultural thing as opposed to a physical thing. As a short, stocky asian male, I have no problem meeting or dating outside of my race but the stigma is presented through family views. Many asian men become timid around other cultures and they don't know what's expected of them or how to act. In addition, they are encouraged to marry within their culture to sustain the family lineage where as girls don't carry on the last name.

[Rinsuki]

its easy to tell people to man up and get over their problems. all these image problems, eating problems, can stop if you don't let them affect you, however, all of it is deeply ingrained into each and everyone of us no matter our race or background. these are universal problems and cannot be overcome until you get a thicker skin or we just stop as a whole. don't kid yourself and say that you don't judge people on how they look because we all do, but we have to ask ourself is it necessary.

[garamri]

sounds like the problems every other american girl has. Except for the bit about the eyes. Hell, asian americans probably have less problems with eating than any other ethnic group.

[darkopacity]

Garamri, you know so little. Obviously you haven't been made fun of because of your race. Most of the media protrays Caucasian woman as the ideal beauty. When you're a minority, you not only have to worry about how you look like as a whole, but also you are sublimitably told you aren't as good as Caucasian women. Every Asian American person I know has been made fun of just because they look different from everyone else.

[garamri]

Actually I'm a half asian guy and I have been made fun of because of it, but it really wasn't a big deal. The thing is, we also get a lot of immediate respect because of our ethnicity that far outweighs any shit you get from rednecks and bigots.

Anyway, you're about how the mass media portrays caucasian women, but most white girls can't live up to that ideal either. So like I said, It sucks for everyone, not just us Asians.

[adrifts]

What I found interesting in these videos was all these good looking people addressing standards of beauties. Kind of makes me ask why that is? Are beautiful people more plausible to address beauty standards? If ugly people did, would it seem like bitterness? Do beautiful people just produce more convincing media? Are beautiful people more opinionated about looks?

Anybody with an intelligent response would be appreciated. Thanks.

[UffeUrin]

i think that people who are considered beautiful are often told they are beautiful, and because of that they feel like beauty s something important, because if it wasn't important then people wouldn't tell them they were beautiful, they would compliment them on other things. i'm not sure i expressed myself so well but i hope you understand what i mean.

[adrifts]

UffeUrin: I understand your comment. It makes complete sense. Thanks for your response.

However, it doesn't cover when people who would not be considered attractive become concerned or over-concerned with how they look.

Like did the directors specifically picked out certain looking people? Were they all actors, and only actors look a certain way? Were they friends, and do they usually make friends with people who only appear a certain way? Such as people would in a sorority or fraternity.

[ArabellaStrobel]

this isn't a particularly informative video, most of these opinions i found were quite obvious and idealistic...i mean, i think i've heard all of this before

[snowbunnyx3]

Many American girls sometimes have poor eating habits. It's ok to be fat and it's ok to be skinny. But if you want to lose weight you should focus more on how you want yourself to appear and not what the norm is. You'll be more satisfied with that result.

[lotusblack80]

im a asian male and i love skinny women...whats wrong with that??? i cant stand FATASSES!! IF I HAVE TO BUST MY ASS IN THE GYM TO BE BUFF(WHICH I AM)...THEN YOUR FATASS COULD ATLEAST RETURN THE FAVOR AND BE SKINNY...thank you

[animeluver923]

ive always wished for bigger eyes. im korean american, and im a sophmore living in south korea. but im moving to america soon, and though i have lived there, now that im in high school im afraid its going to be different becuase im so different. but because of my small eyes i am who i am, so i guess i shouldnt want to change that. but in an american high school its hard not to conform to the images that u see.

[babycee303]

DO ASIAN GUYS ONLY DATE ASIAN GIRLS?

and if thats true, is it because they are skinny?

im black and i live around aloooot of asian ppl and asian guys dont look at me. im an attrative girl. i dont leave my house and not be approached by a man EVER but asian mens wont! why?

[gutsgutslifelife]

Draviina,

Comments like yours lower the confidence of Asian men, and raise the confidence of white men.

Basically, women with negative body image have low confidence, and it's treated as a social problem for all to deal with, hence this video.

Men with low confidence are just considered weak and few people care at all.

You are like a black man who says, "I like white women, cuz black women have too much attitude." Not good enough. You need to try harder. Open your mind.

[aliceladylike]

True, true!

[babycee303]

i had no idea im not along at this. i didnt kno asian womens have body image issues. i think yall are beautiful. being bisexual, i would necessarily date a skinny asian girl (because they r soo tiny and i like womens with flesh) but for some reason i find myself lookin at them as"thinspiration" crazy hot that works huh

[babycee303]

OHH WOW. IM A BLACK WOMAN AND SINCE MOVING TO A CITY THAT DOESNT HAVE MANY BLACK PEOPLE I HAVE BEEN FACED WITH WEIGHT ISSUES, IM ALWAYS TRYNA LOSE WEIGHT ETC. WHERE I LIVE I THINK ALOST 50% OF THE POPULATION IS ASIAN AND I SEE SKINNY ASIAN GIRLS ALL THE TIME.

i recently read a research that says that aisian ppl arent skiny because of genes. its the way they eat, they cook al their fod and they eat warm food. as most ppl kno warm food feels you up more and faster...thats why yall r skinny

[elleee111]

Very nicely done, bravo! Informative and intelligent.

[Kaimosae]

did i miss something? where did the white dude come from?

[leicamaster]

Asian people be asian and stop trying to be white. Problem solved. You are free to do what you want. Social pressures are harder to ignore if you have an interdependent personality. Be happy with who you are and stop worrying about what others think.

[tcha0918]

stop gorging junk food and anyone can be beautiful.

take good care of your skin, loading makeup on your face won't do for the long run.

from my observation, asian females who grow up in asia tend to know more about skin care and know that a tan means nothing but feckles and early winkles and possibly cancer.

[gummyworm81]

No way

[hicouture]

u know what? those stereotype not only happened in US. It's all over the Asia. It's already like a culture over hundreds years...

I'm, Chinese-Indonesian and now I'm struggling with my weight issue... and it's really make me lack of confidence, and some times I even throw my food out of my mouth, even my mom did those thing..

So sad, but it's so true

[Amera786]

well no wonder theyr fat..they live in America! what do u expect! lol..its FatCentral, and i think in japan/china etc they tend to eat really healthily like seafood n stuff and lots of water which naturally.. is y they r thinner

[freezingbeast]

not anymore... there is about 7 Mcd, and 10 KFC in my city now, don't forget 2 pizza hut, and now most chinese restaurants in china use a lot of greese. Even the capital Beijing, has a wopping 20% child obesity rate. it's so bad now in china... i'm quite worried.

[cult66623]

I live in Amercia, and its a bit weird i know alot of Asain Americans who are chubby and out of all of the white girls, i litterly have 2 at my schools that arn't thin.

[tcha0918]

may be i'm wrong but i think generally east asians(korean, japanese, chinese) who grow up in asia tend to be more refined and have better fashion sense then AAFs.. especially in skorea, i heard girls rarely go out without makeup and koreans girls often look into mirrors everywhere in public..i think that's a bit too much though.

[adhdgal]

I'm a japanese my weight 90 lbs,5'3.

My japanese -American friend came to tokyo she said japanese girl are so skinny.and she said Asian-american is FAT!! but I don't think so...asian-american people not fat!!

[murtato]

90 lbs and 5'3"...

pardon my asking, but isn't that a little under the healthy weight for your height?

[cult66623]

im a halk inch taller and thats my goal weight, i think its healthy. besides in japan isnt that the norm?

[tinaxxtastic]

i loved the ending.

[GazeIIe]

I really like the music. It's very powerful and moving.

[wowzers270]

I feel sorry for the white guy...what's the point of being half asian if you don't even look like it?

[darkopacity]

That's the problem with labeling people and their race. We all think that race has to do with what we look like and it's kind of simplistic view of looking at something complex and.

[elbowtko]

I think all of the things said in part two are typically applied to normal women as well not just Asian women... besides Asian men have much bigger problems we are the ones not getting the dates lol

[1moonlover]

But don't asian guys go more for asian girls that are slim! I mean would you date a chubby american girl? I don't see much of that!

[lesm32]

when i was at a normal weight before i dated an asian guy and his friend literally came up to the two of us and asked him why he was with someone so fat.

[savvy896]

i liked the vid but these issues arent just specific to asian american women. all women face these same problems, maybe in a different way from culture to culture but essentially its all the same.

[dancefever6am]

I just want to say that I was really touched by this video. As an Asian American girl, I often found myself conflicted between what was "beautiful" and found myself conforming more to western standards of beauty. I used to want (and still sometimes do want) a nose job really badly, so maybe that way I could be more "beautiful" in the eyes of others. The end was what especially got to me, that song by mark isham was really powerful and well placed. Nice work.

[Elk4758]

Trust me on this if you're Asian and a girl everyone thinks you look good. There aren't any guys out there that want Asian girls to look less Asian.

[chopaface]

im rather perverse by nature in society, i had a lover who wanted me to be more "Asian" and look more asian, well, asian or not, I just am who I am. There shouldn't be a person in the world to tell you who you should be, asian or not, but just be yourself.. really.. it doesn't hurt to try...

[ed61151]

This video is just great. As an older man I rarely find things on this site interesting with the exception of an occasional humor piece. It's nice to see some truly talented young people doing meaningful work that is beautifully done.

[rae629]

in my skool white girls are so jelous of asian girls bcuz of how skinny they are and not get fat no matter how much they eat.

[turkeydragon]

It's not just asian women , it ties to a larger issue that americans don't really ever wanna admit: the rationalization that TV has absolutely zero effect on american children's behavior toward themselves and each other - in other words our world would be exactly the same if MTV and hollywood never existed.

[boutroz]

why the need to be so conscious of the 'self'. most people aren't capable of successfully/deeply understanding themselves. why be vexed about the perceptions of other people. i've seen individuals who suffer from serious physical impairments that are visible to the public keep on truckin' in spite of the setbacks that are part and parcel of their reality. blame it on the media if you'd like. i prefer to blame it on a lack of self-esteem, a lack of perspective, indulgent self-pity.

[casbyhockeyballs]

all got the american disease. dont know how lucky they are to live in the richest country in the world and all they can do is analyse, pick faults and whine. thing is they are all horny. better than a white girl.

[darkopacity]

Ew, go to hell, casbyhockeyballs. You're insulting to make such a stereotypical assumption of Asian American women. We are all individuals with individual personalities.

[trickay444]

white women are beautiful. let's just admit it

[kenyam101]

Funny... wealthy and emerging Asian nations who want to be more "western" have to realize, its not just the money, the big buildings and the ability to purchase the latest products that make us Western.

The West is not just an economy, its an evolved culture. If these developed nations in Asia really want to be treated as equals to the West (IE: Japan\Korea\Taiwan\China), then they gotta change there attitude.

They may have an evolved economy, but Asians have the mindset of the 1950's

[chewchoo]

This is one of the more ignorant views that I've come across. Asian culture itself is just as rich and diverse, if not more so, then that of Western society. What people see today is a product of the Western world (IE; America- the wanna be world police) just having more influence on what is going on. Who is to say they are not on equal standing.

[lucisangels]

your comment is salient. but...anyway do you like Asian people? I hope you would. this is Acting!

[Aiwendillie]

I feel like I'm not asian 'enough'. I'm pure asian, but my mom remarried (so my sister's 1/2 asian). My parents aren't nearly as strict as the traditional asian household, so I feel like I'm a horrible underachiever (for not taking a lot of AP classes, scoring well, studying etc). What are my strengths? I don't fit either the asian or american image of beauty, but I'm not as ridiculously smart as other asians who aren't 'pretty' either.

[kenyam101]

ummm...how bout having strict asian parents that criticize all the time, even if you do well.

Umm... having supportive parents should ought to bring your confidence up...not down. Its when Asian parents bring there kids down that we create a mass murderer like at Virginia Tech

[darkopacity]

Don't sweat it. I have the same problems with myself, but I find an artistic outlet for everything. I think you should find something that you love doing and stick with it. Screw everyone who judge you and don't know how it's like for you. We might live in the middle of things, but that shouldn't prevent us from being ourselves in our own way.

[shav0nne]

Its just horrible how much of a influence celebs, mags, and hollywood have on our nation. For us to feel that we aren't good enough,and have to make such dramatic changes to fit into what society says is right....... I'm at a lost for words. Its really ashame that we feel this way. Hopefully things will start to change.

[eizan85]

You are Beautiful.

[sukijazz]

we dont need to stick with current vogue and even to be a roll model as if celebrities do.coz, we have personalities and also diverse backgrounds.

that video is awesome. i appreciate you making it.

im Asian by the way.

it doesnt matter how we look as long as being ourselves.

[LTan715]

As seeing the media its like we are suppose to be skinny to be accepted but im fat and sometimes i worrie but when you see people that are skinny it makes you wanna work hard to earn that body but do we really realize what were're doing were're not trying it stop it we make it live like a virus. im always hearing people saying "oo im fat i need to loose weight" but i thatnks you guy who made this video for telling people about what you think of body image.

[dorisching]

Thanks, being an asian suffering form bulimia.. i'm very uncomfortable about my body..

[bbchick]

wow

[deserthobo]

mm asian girls, me white boy, me like. come gib me number preeze.

[greenepeas]

I, i, i... Me, me, me...

Life is too short, Be "yourself"

It will be such "bore" if "everyone" LOOKS the "same"

*What matters is how you "treat" other people. No matter how beautiful you are... If your are a bitch- you are NOTHING.

"Peace"

[creamieberry]

And not only about looks, asians are just very demanding about perfection. I cried one time when I heard my bf's mother (which is caucasian) talking to him really nicely..

The main problem with asian girls is how they're raised and all the pressure they got since they're very young, its like a burden that haunted u no matter where u are

[jeeny25]

The obsession of being perfect ultimately lies with the person. But the choice to care is still our choice. We can let people influence us, but they can't reinforce all that we do. For instance, you have a Caucasian boyfriend when Asian girls are expected to date Asian guys. Girls like you whine and complaint, but you don't say anything to your parents. You can't let your parents control the rest of your life. Everyone is under pressure, not just "Asian girls". And I'm Asian, too.

[kaos248]

The difference is in Caucasian American culture individuality is encouraged. Any crosscultural psych study will show how most Asian cultures encourage conformity and authoritarian parenting. I know for me n most Asians I know were hit as children for not following everything your parents said, including not being thin. Hey, maybe you're a rebel or maybe your parents went easy on you. But its hard to repeatedly hear over n over youre fat and not begin to believe it, even in the tinniest sense

[creamieberry]

Now that I stay here, people always said: Noo u're skinny.. I gained weight! and its funny how I feel pretty when I'm here, but everytime I go home, everyone is freakin out and said; "OMG you're so big!" My parents would call me simply to ask: "Are you skinny or fat?"

[creamieberry]

I am an asian, and I came from Indonesia, my parents and people back home are more punishing toward fat girls, way worse than people in the States. I came here weighing 96 lbs and I still remember people call me chubby.

[creamieberry]

thanks for posting! well most of these are true, but sadly, asian parents tend to give too much pressure towards the children.

[gsvkck]

People just need to realize and stop comparing themselves to images they see on t.v. Right or wrong the standard of beauty is set by the media, which so happens to be owned by White folks. Of course they will always put fourth their best representative. Set your own standard of beauty, the next time someone says you have small eyes, stare them dead in their eyes and say, "my eyes are normal",you have usually large eyes much like those of aliens

[deserthobo]

people need to do this, people need to do that

well guess what genius?

NO ONE IS GOING TO DO ANYTHING.

[Elk4758]

While I agree there aren't many Asians in movies and TV I can't think of 1 case of an Asian woman being show as undesirable. If anything they are shown as more desirable then white women. The end of the movie Bride & Prejudice has the American guy leaving his white girlfriend for Indian girl.

The only Asians I see taking a beating in the media are men.

[seventhwifeofsatan]

Nicely made! I've always thought of myself as beautiful and it really frustrated me when people didn't think I was because I didn't fit into the "pretty Asian American stereotype," and from that, I wanted to be white, not because I was ashamed of my heritage, but because it would be so much easier if I could be seen as "normal" and not labelled as one thing and have prejudices stem from that one part of me. So thanks, because I really appreciated this video; it made me feel better about myself.

[mettm]

oh , i'm not implying your video is terrible, i think it's really great that you compiled peoples perspectives, and shared them with others. thanks for that. I've really learned alot from seeing and hearing other peoples perspectives.

[csohosun]

Otherwise, I'm glad you're making these comments (most of which I agree with!) and I appreciate everything you have just said.

C

[mettm]

I really do think once you've lived in america for a while, its really hard to be accepted in the asian culture. It's not just the weight thing, its your mannerisms. Maybe you say that the asian standard is meek and submissive. I say its polite and courteous. You can't compare those cultures at all, and i think you really missed the target on saying asian countries have meek and submissive ppl. Its just protocol and tradition. Maybe you see it in a negative aspect, but i dont think so.

[csohosun]

I pretty much agree with everything you've said. :-)

I don't necessarily view this "tradition" and "protocol" as a negative aspect actually...my job is to put out there what other people say. In this case, I just wanted to express on my interviewees' behalf that many find this "protocol" of Asian countries to be viewed by Americans as "submissive" in comparison.

This would understandably lead to their discomfort of juggling two contrasting body images when living in the US.

[mettm]

What i'm trying to say is, that asian americans can be proud of their background, but each individual is shaped by life itself, not just how you were born. You don't have to be both. Its pretty hard to try being accepted by both contrasting cultures. Just be whoever you are, as life has molded you. It doesn't mean that you are completely erasing away your culture, it just means your accepting a new one..

[mettm]

I mean, i've lived in a japan almost all of my life so far, and have lived in america not that long, but when i go back to japan ppl notice im different. Even when i only speak japanese. I dont wear blatantly obvious american clothes, i'm not fat by asian standards; its just the mannerisms are sooo unbelievably different in these to countries.

[mettm]

But when i think of asian american, to me it seems like you are american and you cant go back. Even just a slight little thing, like the way you walk, or wear something can make you so called americanized. So many ppl back in your home country dislike the americanized you, so its almost impossible to fit back in.

[mettm]

about the taboo comment, i did make the mistake of taking a comment someone else posted and assume that it was what your video covered. and i agree there is a lot of gray area concerning this topic; i agree asian families in general tend to give a blind eye to eating disorders.

[mettm]

its so sad, there is a facebook group that is titled "asians who are so pretty, ppl think they're half [white]. that just implies that any single lidded person looks ugly. but its not true, just look at rain. He doesnt speak any engish, but he's basically so popular aroud all asia that he was in TIME magazines most influential people list.

[mettm]

but one thing in this video that is VERY true not just about asian americans, but in asian countries as well is the double eyelid issue. its huge in asia. there's special eye tape you can buy in stores that makes your eyes double lided. rain (who is now one of the most famous actors and singer in korea), was rejected from about 12 different agents bcause he was single lidded. he was the first guy to star in an asian drama to have single lids.

[mangabunnie]

no way is that really true that he's the FIRST guy to star in an asian drama with single lids? does it matter taht much in korea?

[mettm]

the reason why in japan the stores carry smaller sizes only (usually up to L in america) is b/c, as aforementioned, most ppl eat healthier on a daily basis. do u think japanese drink frappucinos everyday? mac and cheese?! no the reason why ppl are overweight is because eating disorders such as anorexia, bullimia actually make ppl gain weight. why dont ppl just eat a healthy diet on a daily basis? seriously everyday ppl eat "guily pleasures" such as sweets. but that adds up.

[mettm]

and are u kidding me?! weight as taboo?! no not as an asian american. i was born in an asian country but weight is NOT a taboo thing. the only reason not many ppl in asia are fat (but the population as a whole is getting heavier) is because our daily food we eat is much healthier. and americans struggle WAY more with weight than in asia. HOW many diet programs do u see on tv a day? how many ads do u see in magazines. in stores there are so many pills here in america. all over.

[csohosun]

We never said "weight" was taboo, we said discussing weight ISSUES such as eating disorders, anorexia, and bulimia was taboo among Asian American families.

[csohosun]

I open VOGUE magazine or PEOPLE magazine and I see at least 3 articles (one of which is shown explicitly in the video) that have a headline that goes "My daughter had anorexia and here is how our family helped her!"

[csohosun]

Try opening a magazine from Asia and find a similar article with an ASIAN family...you just can't and won't. They don't have those issues there; imagining an Asian American female with these issues here and going back to her Asian family and confronting them about it...they will be less likely to understand or be less likely to talk about it compared to their western counterparts.

[csohosun]

However, I definitely agree with you that the big reason why so many people in Asia are generally skinnier is because of the different foods we eat (US is generally the fat-food capital of the world, I'll hand it to you)...

[csohosun]

However, you can't deny how these Asian American girls go back to their respective countries (as mentioned here such as China, Japan or Korea) in Asia and feel "fat" or "huge" compared to the girls in Asia (which they can't help compare themselves to partly because we all have our roots as people from Asia). And so they come back to the US feeling like they have to lose more weight to look "more" like the girls they saw in Asia. That's how it's such an issue for females.

C

[mettm]

this video seemed so contradictory and didn't really make sense. First you guys said that so many asians are so influenced by western culture and thats so bad. and then u said later that u wanted asians to break out of the "asian look." and also, weight is not just an issue with asians. Especially asian-americans. I do understand the internal strugge with identity in whether to conform to american standards of beauty or embrace the beauty that you are born with.

[csohosun]

I'm glad you made this observation. The whole POINT of is to REVEAL the existence of that very contradiction you had mentioned; that Asian American girls are pressured in this society to look BOTH "western" and "Asian," which in definition are very contradictory in terms of female body image.

[csohosun]

Furthermore, the girls here mentions a second contradiction on pressures of the Asian American body image: Everyday, many Asian American girls are supposed to play up this well-known image of looking innocent, weak, and petite as "attractive", but at the same time mainstream media depicts Asian American females as alluring, "exotic," and sexy. Although there may be overlaps, it's still a contrasting imagery of how Asian American "beauty" is viewed here.

[csohosun]

Basically, the whole point here is to show that this contradiction (which you had nicely noticed) exists for Asian American females, creating this pseudo-"identity crisis" pressure for how they should look. That's what documentary shorts in part are intended to do: reveal aspects of a society that seems, but isn't, black and white.

[asiandreamerviet]

tis was really inspring

[risachispa]

this is so insightful it's amazing. Yet, very sad because it's true and can be applied to many minority races in america

[ZoeRain]

really awsome! im making a documentary on girls portrayle in the media and this was very helpful-THANKS!

[spoonfighter03]

I think asian people are beautiful and unique. I don't think they really understand how the rest of us see them. Ever since elementary school I have had asian friends and even back then, they seemed to be concerned about their weight. But so was I because my older sister was and I wanted to be like her. So it pretty much goes across the board as far as weight goes. Although it seems women want to be small and thin even though men love curves. Go figure.

[kraftyay]

caucasians look no better than orientals no? decades ago it might have been the clothing and so on but nowadays everything's up to par.. there are those who have plastic surgery done but that's ok too. nowadays plastic surgery is like a day in a spa as long as you dont do it like mikey

[jhualexc]

Oh my my that Keely Faulkner girl is beautiful.

[isaglow]

Great job!Thank you.

[SilverTromboner]

Thank you SOOOO much for making this video. I didn't think anyone else understood.

[indiedezz]

Very nice video! I think a lot of non white Americans can relate to this and how the beauty standard of the "American girl/guy next door" affects ones culture and self. I can say this in certainty as a Hispanic American woman that I face a lot of these same issues in some form or another. It would be nice to see you, as a director, present a more diverse group of Americans to see what issues and struggles each ethnicity face in terms of identifying beauty.

[ricdeauh]

I dont think its just "an asian thing", its definitely an american thing too. Maybe ppl dont know the term double eyelid, but it doesnt mean they dont have that preference/bias.

[Elk4758]

Expect for the people that are straight-up racist I don't think you're going to find any non Asians in America that think Asian eyes are unattractive. The idea behind getting the eye surgery is to look more attractive in a white dominated culture right? To be what a white man would want right?

[Elk4758]

As a white guy I can tell you white men like Asian women that look Asian. I see the idea that Asian women need to change their eyes to be seen as attractive in America as a perception that only exists among Asian people.

[isaglow]

Correct. In Europe people love the  Asian look. Truly embraced...

[Elk4758]

I actually had to do a Google search to figure out what double eyelids meant. I've heard about the eye-widening surgery before, but never using that term.  The idea that it's more attractive seems to be a Asian phenomenon.

[darkxrevolt]

well said.

[csohosun]

Director's Note:

We do NOT intend to show that issues like anorexia and bulimia are specifically Asian American problems. We instead wanted people to see that Asian Americans teenagers struggle with eating disorders just like any other American.

It has been a phenomenon that issues such as eating disorders has been an extremely taboo subject among Asian Americans who come from more conservative backgrounds.

We wanted to show that some are finally speaking out on the issue.

C