Product Description
Racing Romance sheds light on the bonds between whites and Asian Americans, an important topic that has not garnered well-deserved attention until now. Using primary source narratives and interviews, Kumiko Nemoto addresses the contradictions and tensions-a result of race, class, and gender-that Asian Americans and whites experience. Racing Romance reveals how “progressive” interracial relationships remain shaped by the logic of patriarchy and gender inherent to the ideal of marriage, family, and nation in America, even as this ideal is juxtaposed with discourses of multiculturalism and color blindness…. More >>
Racing Romance: Love, Power, and Desire Among Asian American/ White Couples
I anticipated reading this book with pleasure. It covers an interesting and important topic.
Sadly, the author substitutes cliches and citations of other authors’ works for real analysis – e.g. I couldn’t keep track of the number of times she used the words “neocolonial, post colonial, hegemonic, hypersexual, submissive” or variations thereof.
Her thesis seems to be that Asian women, particularly those from overseas, marry white men as a strategy for improving their social and economic. The women are in an unfavorable dynamic whereunder their husbands are insensitive of indifferent to their needs. The husbands on the other hand view their wives as good wives because of their Asian values. The author is seemingly unaware that American born white women also tend to marry up in SES (socio-economic status) and complain about their spouse’s insensitivity.
She discusses how Asian women harbor unfavorable stereotypes of Asian males as effeminate and at the same time dominating and patriarchal towards their wives. This is not a problem limited to the Asian community. Many minority groups harbor in-group hostility and stereotypes. The author failed to analyze this issue.
The author does acknowledge some shift in the dynamics of Asian-white intermarrriage in the case of American born and educated Asian women. Seemingly there is a more equal relationship with their spouses. Also, in at least some cases, the white spouses are more sensitive to their wives Asian cultural heritage.
The author fails to address how much racial stereotypes and relationships have changed in the last twenty years among young people. The author didn’t discuss dating patterns in high schools and colleges and the effect on marriage patterns. She didn’t cite recent studies on these matters – possibly either because of unawareness or because they didn’t mesh with her thesis. In either case a serious omission.
The author is seemingly unaware that Asian-white relationships and stereotypes might operate differently in different parts of the country. For example Asian-white dating and marriage is so common in California and Hawaii as to pass unnoticed. Is the same true throughout the country? How does this affect the dynamics of intermarriage? Who knows? Seemingly not this author.
Most importantly the author failed to consider cross cultural studies with other ethnic groups such as Jews or Irish Catholics. For example Asians are often compared to Jews in terms of family, social and educational values. How did Jews move from being hated outsiders to being accepted members of the establishment? For what its worth, Al Gore, Donald Trump and Bill Clinton have or will soon have children married to Jews. Asians are seemingly following the same trajectory toward economic success and social acceptance as Jews or Irish Catholics before them. How will this affect Asian-white marriages? This issue is not considered.
I can accept the author’s feminist and left wing viewpoints- particularly if well articulated. I can’t accept the quality of her research and writing.
If you buy this book be aware of its limitations.
Rating: 1 / 5