As someone who studies japanese language and history, I sometimes feel awkward and worry that I may have crossed that line. But that’s a personal issue, and not really relevent. In several years, I plan to relocate to Hokkaido and study the northern folklore of Japan. Japan is all around a pretty central issue in my life. Though I know little about modern japanese society.

Oh, and I happened accross this post via google, searching Japanese-American. I think you were 1st.

That wannabe part is the tricky one, because it’s a thin line between appreciation and obsession. However, I think it’s good for people to show an interest in and learn about Asian cultures. But only if he interest is sincere, and authentic — it bugs me to see anime fans wearing bathrobes as kimonos as part of their cosplay.

As for your question: I can’t answer on behalf of Asian women who are fetishized, but I have written about the “Hot Asian Babe” syndrome, in the pre-blog Nikkei View website: http://nikkeiview.com/nv/archives03/022403.htm

The sad bit, on both ends, is that the first thing many of these people will feel when they realize that you’re American, is disappointment. Their presumption that your ancestry is your culture, character, or their fantasy, is unfortunate. I imagine that this is extremely common. I imagine if I was a disappointment to a long string of strangers because of their expectations based on my race, or based on much of anything really, I’d take it quite hard. I don’t know if I’d get depressed or annoyed, angry or disdainful. I’m sure it would affect me deeply.

I’m sure Gil-San is an object of malice for Gil. How can you possibly stand being compaired to a version of yourself that never even existed, and measured by that illusion as a standard?

I am a sinophile. If I met you randomly, I would make the same mistake inside my head. Especially here in colorado, with such a small asian community. I hope I would keep my mistake to myself though, long enough to figure out the truth. I’m quiet in front of new people, so that’s likely. But it doesn’t make me much better than any of the other people I’ve been speaking about in generality.

I don’t really know what else to say. Your perspective must be quite something.

I wonder how many more decades it will take before people stop presuming asians are not first generation immigrants? We do not presume this of black americans. We reserve judgement on hispanics depending on their conduct. We do not presume this of caucasions or native americans or the many aboriginal peoples that resemble them.

Asians, and poor hispanics, I suppose, are most judged to be a part of a particular culture because of their race.

A Question: You probably talk about this elsewhere on your blog, so I apologize if it is rude to ask it here instead of searching; what does it feel like when someone is attracted to you because they have a fetish for japanese or asian girls?

very nice, especially in a foreign country they tend to treat you like a long lost cousin.