Racist Love: Asian Abstraction and the Pleasures of Fantasy

Leslie Bow explores how Asian Americans become objects of anxiety and desire, conceptualizing these feelings as "racist love." She shows how anthropomorphic objects and images, such as cartoon animals, home décor, and cute tchotchkes, function as repositories of positive feelings and attachment to Asianness, while also revealing how fetishistic attraction and pleasure serve as a source of anti-Asian bias and violence.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 19 February 2022
Publisher: Duke University Press

In her groundbreaking book, "Racist Love," Leslie Bow delves into the intricate ways in which Asian Americans are subjected to both anxiety and desire, often resulting in what she terms "racist love." Through her conceptualization of these emotions, Bow explores how race is abstracted and subsequently projected onto Asianized objects, creating a complex web of stereotypes and biases.

One of the key aspects of Bow's work is her examination of anthropomorphic objects and images, such as cartoon animals in children's books, home décor, and cute tchotchkes. These objects serve as repositories of seemingly positive feelings and attachment to Asianness, providing a sense of familiarity and comfort to those who consume them. However, Bow also reveals that these Asianized proxies can perpetuate anti-Asian bias and violence. By highlighting how fetishistic attraction and pleasure can be intertwined with racial resentment and fears of globalization, Bow challenges the prevailing narratives surrounding Asians in the United States.

Through her detailed analysis, Bow provides a fresh perspective on the ambivalence surrounding Asians in contemporary America. She argues that attraction to popular representations of Asianness often masks underlying racial resentment and fears of globalization. By unpacking these complex emotions, Bow offers a theory of the psychological, affective, and symbolic dynamics of racist love in contemporary America.

"Racist Love" is a thought-provoking and essential read for anyone interested in understanding the complex interplay between race, culture, and sexuality in modern society. Bow's insights shed light on the ways in which stereotypes and biases are perpetuated, and provide a roadmap for challenging and dismantling them.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781478017851