Key Terms

The unique challenges associated with interracial relationships may contribute to the marginalization of Asian Americans through a mechanism known as "othering." Historically, Asian women have been subjected to stereotypes portraying them as “exotic” and “oriental,” perpetuating the image of a submissive, obedient, and passive "oriental woman.”¹⁴

Presently, Asian American women face harassment and violence. The MRAsians movement¹⁵, an online Asian American men’s movement, glorifies this violence by viewing the objectification of women as something positive, associating the objectification with proximity to whiteness and a higher social position. However, this viewpoint overlooks the mistreatment Asian women may endure, contributing to their othering. Within interracial relationships, these stereotypes can be reinforced or objectified, reducing Asian partners to embodiments of these preconceived notions rather than individuals. This objectification fuels the process of othering, where Asian partners are diminished to their racial background. The possibility of objectification and “othering” is a concern that the narrator in the novel grapples with when she initially enters her relationship with J.

Such histories have heavily influenced popular culture, portraying Asian American women as submissive, hypersexualized, and lacking agency, thereby reinforcing their marginalization in the media. While there has been progress in the representation of Asian American women and interracial relationships in mainstream media, as seen in works like ‘'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' and 'The Summer I Turned Pretty,' criticisms arise regarding the quality and authenticity of these portrayals. Female characters in these romances are often one-dimensional, their storylines centered around resolving feelings for a white romantic lead¹⁶. This aligns Chang’s argument that normalization does not equate to overcoming race and racism and reflect the narrator's discomfort in becoming a trailing wife, someone who follows their partner to another location because of a work assignment.

Chang further explains in another interview with The Margins¹⁷ the narrator's fascination with researching early Chinese American women and the history of interracial relationships. The narrator seeks to construct a lineage, studying historical figures to understand her identity. In this quest, she grapples with a sense of loss, relating to the broader theme of interracial casting in Hollywood, where outside figures become a source of answers for the narrator's personal relationship and identity journey.

Moreover, the heightened awareness of one's racial identity can depend on the specific context or environment in which individuals find themselves. In more diverse and inclusive communities, individuals may feel less self-conscious about their racial identity. Conversely, in environments where they constitute the racial minority, individuals can become more acutely aware of their racial identity.

An example of heightened awareness can be seen during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when there was a surge in anti-Asian racism and the perception of Asians as “perpetual foreigners.”¹⁸ Similarly, Chou et al.¹⁹ found that in racialized environments, like predominantly white elite universities, Asian American students experienced a double consciousness. Beyond the individual level, a study²⁰ revealed that for many interracial couples, race only becomes relevant when they are reminded of it in public situations. Such experiences underscore the hyper awareness and anxiety endured by Asian Americans in their daily lives given a racialized space or time, contributing to a border understanding of othering in society.