Why Minorities Are Fetishized

The phrase “you are so exotic” has been said to most minority womxn. We are supposed to take such a phrase as a compliment. Smile, play with your hair. Feel like we are getting the validation that we are deemed as “exotic.” It is key to notice the difference. Minorities are not being called beautiful, but exotic. The difference here is that a white womxn would be called beautiful in the same instance that a minority womxn is called exotic. 

Exotic means from a foreign land, it means “ originating in or characteristic of a distant foreign country,” according to Google. Now let’s take a quick look at that. What is considered a foreign country? Since Europe was the colonizer, a foreign country means a non-western country. What is making this beautiful woman “exotic” is that they are attractive despite not being white. Being called “exotic” is a backhanded compliment that reminds minority women that they are different than the standard. It is standardizing beauty outside of whiteness.

It is also important to note that the media uses the western standard, and this will apply in terms of the beauty standard as well. Most of the time, minorities are considered beautiful is because they have certain westernized features. An example of this is colored eyes,  small nose, small lips, and big eyes. Alongside following a fair skin color palette. 

Every ethnicity is exoticized and hypersexualized in different contexts. Here is a brief overview on the ways minority womxn are sexualized. For more in-depth descriptions and information listen to the Manila Rose Podcast. 

 Latinx womxn are sexualized as sexy crazed sex kittens. Their sexuality is part of their personality. It is expected of them to be sexy, curvy, bold, and have their sex appeal on 24/7. They are expected to wear revealing clothing and be “caliente.”

The exotification started way before there is a record of it. However, it began to be exploded in 1945 when American troops invaded Okinawa, according to The Guardian. Asian womxn were forced into prostitution by American troops, hence the myth began that Asian womxn have a tighter vagina than any other ethnicity, according to Healthline. They are often represented as submissive in the media. Additionally, Anime has also contributed to the sexualization of Asian womxn. Womxn are depicted with a small waist and big boobs on these cartoons. Asian womxan are portrayed more as a sex symbol rather than cartoon characters, according to The Artifice. 

The sexualization of Black womxn comes from sexual aggression.  According to the Blackburn center, When slavery and segregation were more prominent (please note that slavery and segregation still happen today),  it was argued that Black womxan were more sexually advanced than the other ethnicities. Hence, it was a way to excuse the sexual violence that they were experiencing. When the European colonizers arrived to Africa, they sexualized the culture. They were taken away by the lack of clothing, due to the weather, and interpreted their cultural dances as sexual. When brought to the U.S. for enslavement, Black womxn were characterized as having a great sexual appetite. This was used as an excuse to sexually assault slaves. Additionally, they were raped for the production of more slaves. In modern society, Black womxn continue to be sexualized in the media by being depicted with large breasts and buttocks. 

The sexualization of indigenous womxn has been tied with the Canadian Indigenous genocide. Sexual assault was used as a war crime. According to Working it Out Together, the Indian Act of 1876 specifically targeted the removal of Indigenous women from their Nations. Womxn were forced to exchange sex for food rations. Indigenous womxan are 2.5x more likely to experience sexual assault than any other ethnicity. A big contributor to the sexualization of indigenous womxan was the way western fashion has appropriate and made “sexy” their traditional clothing. Such brands include Victoria’s Secret, Urban Outfitters, and Halloween costumes. 

To better understand how minority womxn are exotified, one needs to understand the history and the long-lasting years of white oppression minority womxn are facing. Remember minority womxn are like any other. They should be treated with the same dignity and respect. They should not be called “exotic” but rather beautiful. 

It is not sexy, it is racist!