Asian American Feminism

Without a doubt, we live in a society that is Euro-centric. The struggle, is constantly based around pushed back against the hegemonic power of those who wield control. Ironically, within the American context, this control is often an invisible lining, insulating those who carry it. Thus, the white-dominated society is less than privy to the struggle of minorities, women and other disenfranchised groups.

If we focus particularly on the experience of the Asian American female, we witness a certain duality and conflict of identity that is rarely seen in such prominence. The Asian American female is often raised in a familial context encompassing "eastern" values; that is collectivism, emphasis on family, obligation and mutual respect. At the same time westernization, focused on individuality, importance of self-esteem and the belief in unlimited potential, championed by the American media pulls identity in a different direction.

So where does Asian American Feminism lie on this continuum between assimilated and rejection? As Karin Aguilar-San Juan notes in the foreword to Dragon Ladies, the Asian American Women's movement has often been criticized for being "two movements in one," with race coming first and gender always coming second. I will argue that, just as Asian Americans cannot be placed on a continuum between hegemonic, white values and traditional East Asian values, the intersectionality of race and gender cannot be extricated and must be viewed in context. Gender does not exist without the social structures of race and class, and the Asian American female should be with this lens. Asian American feminist activist should transcend these constructs. As Aguilar-San Juan puts it, "...as these women show, activism involves an opening up of possibilities, an acknowledgment of fragile bonds, and most important, an articulation of a commitment to justice."