Intersectionality of Gender and Race in Asian Female Images

This study is a qualitative content analysis that examines Asian female images in fashion advertisements seen in Vogue from 2008 to 2010. The study employs theories from feminism, gender sociology and media to investigate how and why Asian women have been constructed in a gendered and racialized manner in U.S. advertising. Five categories of Asian female images are generated in this study and findings show that the historically dominant “lotus blossom” and “dragon lady” images of Asian women have cast considerable influence on contemporary fashion advertising. Asian women are not only gendered that legitimizes male dominance and gender hegemony, but also racialized to reinterpret the historical Orientalism embedded in American colonialism that perpetuates the racial hierarchy. This study has significance in exploring media ethics in terms of media impact on “victims” and society. It also calls for Asian women’s agency to break away from the stereotypes and bring about social change. Meanwhile, this study has implications for media literacy educators and media practitioners to sensitize themselves of the gender and racial relations in the United States.