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Asian Women and Purity Culture - Coggle Diagram
Asian Women and Purity Culture
Purity Culture
Ties together Christian nationalism, racism, anti-Asian sentiment, and patriarchy
Purity culture also about the national body — way to smuggle in tropes of national purity, racial/ethnic purity
stay pure from sex before marriage
includes purity of body and purity of mind
teaches young women to hate their bodies
their bodies are seen as gateways to immorality
“In every uncomfortable situation, I figured that I was the common denominator—the great whore—and I absorbed the shame of feeling impure and far from God.”
“Not once did I consider whether exotification, misogyny, or Asian fetishization had anything to do with my shame. Not once did I consider that these dynamics play into layers of heteronormative patriarchy, male domination, and the subjugation of women. Not once did I consider that the men behaved inappropriately because they assumed that I would not say anything. Not once did I consider that they were wrong”
Asian is another layer added — two sources of immorality-- gender and race
teaches men to hate their minds
their minds are sources of lust
constantly fighting sexual thoughts
thought that porn is sex addiction-- if you watch porn, you are deviant
Gender disparity within the church
“I heard the whispers about other women around me who had had secret abortions. Some felt too ashamed or judged to return to church, even as their exes and violators continued to rise in leadership.”
Atlanta Massacre at Massage Parlors
6 Asian women murdered by a white man
Compounded gender and race
American church is segregated— shooter went to church with likely only white people — associated Asian women with sexuality/sin— women at massage parlors likely the only Asian people he knows
Bigots aren’t nuanced— don’t care what type of Asian people are
Murderer claims his motivation was sex addiction
Attributing this murderous rampage to sex addiction, not racism, is Christian nationalism in a nutshell
Media refuse to call this a hate crime
Sheriff dismisses severity of the horror by saying murderer was just having a "bad day"
When he says sex addiction, he is saying this through a purity culture lens
Thinking that any thoughts at all are sin/sex addiction, intense desire to rid himself of those urges and thoughts
Saying it’s about sexual purity and Christianity hides xenophobia and racism and patriarchy
Shooter heavily involved in his Evangelical church/youth group culture
Instagram bio was god, family, guns
History of discrimination
1882 Chinese exclusion act
1875 Page act barred Asian women who were suspected of prostitution
US was first gatekeeping nation, did so through immigration policy
1924 immigration law set tone for century
internment of Japanese Americans during WWII
All this done in the name of national security
Racism against Asians in US
Model minority myth has harmful effects
flip side is Asians are scapegoats or seen as hoards
either pet or threat
Gender
Asian women/Chinese women specifically deemed immoral because of their association with sex work
Asian women seen as llude, degenerate, sources of sexual sin
There is “a familiar binary for many evangelical women. We are either temptresses or radiant queens… Asian bodies are… ornamental because they’re oriental. Exotic and mysterious. Small and submissive. China dolls or dragon ladies. Lotus flowers or tiger moms”
Angie Hong
As a young person, joined Korean Christian church outside Atlanta
“A big part of forming a Christian identity when I was young was about waiting to have sex until marriage.”
“The rules didn’t seem to apply equally to everyone”
“For all this talk about transcending your body to be pure, I sure was being evaluated on mine. One woman stroked my hair without hesitation”