“Quintessentially Chinese”?: “China Doll” Edition
by Guest Contributor Jha, originally published at Rebellious Jezebel Blogging
So my dad said the other day, “you could do better than the stereotypical China Doll makeup, but I know that’s not your usual style.”
This was in reference to a shoot I did a while back. (Yes, I model, but that’s neither here nor there.) The theme of the shoot was “light fetish / pinup” and I was made up according to a reference picture of a retro pinup – plenty of blush, fake lashes, dark eyebrows, and red lipstick.
So, think about that combination for a moment. They’re not exactly typical “China doll” makeup things, not in my mind. When I hear “China doll”, I personally think “porcelain skin, large eyes”.
So I had a look at the pictures, and I went, “huh. I guess I kinda do look China doll-like, especially from certain people’s perspective.”
It’s the red lips, I figured. The red lips and red cheeks are reminiscent of Chinese opera.
My friend, the excellent Katherine o’Kelly, said that it had to do with my pose and expressions – the first set I posted were demure, avoiding the camera, shy. (And here, again, I differ in opinion – looking away from the camera does not necessarily mean demure and shy.) But she noted, with the next set of pictures, that with more spunkily-posed shots, despite the makeup I was wearing, the “China doll” look and feel was gone.
The term “China doll” unsettles me. It unsettles me because I’ve met people who coo and squee over Asian girls because “they are so cute”. I have trouble with the term because it ties into the whole “submissive Asian” trope. It bothers me because I am Chinese, and the term “China doll”, which could characterize all Chinese women who fit a certain physical look, effectively strips us of our agency in the eyes of others, rendering us, well, dolls.
I took a hard look at that set of pictures. I also thought back to other times I wore similar makeup. I generally avoid heavy makeup for this reason: looking like a China doll. But even as I was avoiding the “China Doll” look, I neglected to ask what the hell, exactly, a “China doll” looks like.
Then I realized, no matter what makeup I wear, I will always look like a “China doll” to someone. I can’t help that – I’m Chinese! I can’t dictate that everyone think of me as a normal human being – there’s no way I can police that. I can’t help it that some people don’t think women should be wearing such striking makeup to begin with. I can’t help it that people stereotype Asians.
Like many other things, the term “China doll” refers to a construct, an idea of what something should be like. A China doll will look like what the viewer wants her to look like. She can range from simply being an Asian woman, to being a fetishly hyper-sexualized submissive. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that this is a stereotype, and one damaging to Asian women.
When my dad said that, it sounded like an accusation, “you could do better” (because, yanno, we Asians are all about being the best and all). Do better than what? Looking like a stereotype? It unsettled me because all I did was apply makeup. Sure, more makeup than normal, but still, it’s just makeup. Similar to the “Western tart” stereotype of heavily madeup women, the “China doll” look is not bad because of the makeup itself, but because of the assumptions that accompany stylized makeup.
And once more, with feeling, do better? It is as if somehow, looking Chinese (quintessentially Chinese?!) is not ideal. That I shouldn’t play up my Chinese-ness. Was I supposed to look… non-Chinese? Doesn’t that play into old colonial stereotypes that non-white = inferior? If not, then what default should I have fallen into so as not to look all China doll-like?
Was it my female-ness he objected to? If we keep in mind that some people still buy into the female = passive/male = active binary, then the “doll” claim makes some sense.
I have naturally nice cheekbones which I like to highlight, and my eyes are so small they require liner to get attention. If I put on makeup and people assume I look like a “China doll”, the problem is not with me and my makeup. The solution is not to tell me not to “wear ‘China doll’ makeup”. The problem is with old stereotypes ingrained into our modes of thought when we are an audience looking at an Asian woman. My solution is to challenge why we hold on to these ways of thinking.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
TN wrote:
(because, yanno, we Asians are all about being the best and all)
egads! total hearts! ROFL
I rarely wear make-up but when I do, it’s either in a punk-gothic style or retro red/black style… and I also get “china doll” even though I’m not Chinese, the fact that I’m wearing make up that’s not in neutral shades and I’m Asian automatically makes me a “china doll” in Westernised eyes. Yes… even when I’m thrashing it out at a heavy metal concert… I’m still a china doll !?!?!
Posted 31 Aug 2009 at 10:25 am ¶
CVT wrote:
That’s the beauty of stereotypes, right? You pretty much can’t win, no matter what you do about it . . .
I wrote a post all about this a while back (about folks assuming I’m going to get a “Chinese bride” when I head out to China in the fall: http://choptensils.wordpress.com/2009/07/09/on-a-chinese-bride/). It’s enough to drive you crazy.
The only thing I’ve come up with is to just do what you do, being fully aware of and examining your own intentions. If it still feels okay, then no worries. The rest will do what they do with it, but we can’t control “the rest.”
Posted 31 Aug 2009 at 12:01 pm ¶
Khinky wrote:
But how does one go about challenging the stereotypes? I guess the first step (for me as a female asian person) is to stop playing them up on purpose? It’s so difficult to think about the meaning behind everything, that I find it easier to go with the flow… does that mean “They” win?
Posted 31 Aug 2009 at 1:06 pm ¶
Nadra wrote:
I’m black and when I was in college I sometimes wore my hair straight back in a perfectly shaped bun, you know the kind one would use chopsticks to keep in place. Although I never put chopsticks in my hair, when I wore it in that style, people said that I looked like a China Doll.
Posted 31 Aug 2009 at 1:56 pm ¶
Renee wrote:
The fact that you mention that you are a model is quite relevant. I notice that there is a lack of inclusion when it comes to when of color in the fashion industry and when they are included it is often to repeat what we know to be racist stereotypes. I think that if racism were not so much of an issue there were would be more room to explore a myriad of issues.
Posted 31 Aug 2009 at 2:53 pm ¶
Cindy wrote:
I think we all experience the pressure to portray ourselves in a particular way because of external views whether that means going down the opposite road or not. Somewhere we have to find the confidence as individuals to be the person we want to see. What others see is their own baggage and in the end it doesn’t have anything to do with our own image and identity. …easier said than done.
Posted 31 Aug 2009 at 4:35 pm ¶
ACW wrote:
Hmm. I debated whether to put my two cents in, but here goes. I’m not of Asian descent; I’ve got blonde hair and green eyes. However, when I was living in a very northern climate and completely devoid of a tan, my father would flip out whenever I wore makeup. Something about the pale skin and red lips made him say I looked like a China doll, and the tone of voice was not very flattering. Fifteen years later, I personally think it was because he was aware of the ‘whole “submissive Asian” trope’ and wanted his daughters to be perceived as strong and intelligent as opposed to sexualized in this manner.
Posted 31 Aug 2009 at 4:42 pm ¶
urbia wrote:
Stereotyping is annoying, that’s for sure. I’ve made up my mind a long time ago to just be myself and see myself as default. And if someone tries to stereotype me (which, by definition, causes damage in some way), I rightly interpret it as an attack.
Ironically, because I just happen to be the opposite of the submissive and sexualized Asian woman stereotype (I am a competitive person and a self-identified asexual), there is a lot of opportunity for a racist to accuse me of being an ‘inauthentic’ Asian, as though I purposely went out of my way to be fraudulant (another stereotype of Asians being shady and manipulative foreigners).
On a third note, sometimes I’m tired or simply not feeling like being chatty, whether or not I can’t think of a topic to talk about or I’m just daydreaming, I’m accidentally ‘be quiet and reserved,’ and then that labeled is applied.
Oh – just thought of another one.
As a racialized individual, has anybody else had their jokes be misinterpreted in such a way that a white male telling the same joke wouldn’t be? It’s like you tell a joke, and they reframe it in a racist way as though you’re the object of your own joke, when your joke’s about society itself. Or maybe they secretly know you meant it as satire but decided to silence you by derailing it and feigning ignorance of the joke.
Ignorance seems to be a protective shield wielded by the privileged class. We’re in the 21st century now, and people living in modern multicultural society should know about stereotypes by now.
For how long do you think the excuse, ‘Oh, I didn’t know,’ or ‘I’m just ignorant, not racist,’ hold up?
Posted 31 Aug 2009 at 6:53 pm ¶
Renee wrote:
@cindy
Way easier said than done. I think whether or not we like it, to some degree we all end up performing a racialized version of how we are. This can manifest in safety, like we are in a group of people all of the same race as us, or the different types of pop culture we choose to consume. I think they key is to recognize the performance when it is happening.
Posted 31 Aug 2009 at 7:52 pm ¶
GueraLola wrote:
wow! I heard a woman use the china foll reference and I didn’t fully understand till now. I don’t be to belittle anyone here but sometimes I used the term china Doll, but I don’t mean the “sexist submissive woman” but the actual porcelain dolls. http://www.catnco.com/images/porcelain_doll_claudette_full.jpg or https://ssl104.webhosting.optonline.net/kaitygift.com/merchantmanager/images/uploads/30675.jpg. After reading this post I’m just using porcelain dolls. But i totally agree it the people mentality that should change. Women are not your little sex dolls
Posted 31 Aug 2009 at 9:15 pm ¶
ashlynn wrote:
I think urbia hit on something. A lot of American- born Asian women who obviously, tend to adopt mainstream American beauty practices catch just much shade as well. Dyeing your hair blonde, applying pink lipstick(as opposed to “Geisha Girl Red”), highlighting the eyes in different ways gets toy labeled as a traitor of sorts, or trying to be white. It’s funny how white people can change their hair color every other day, but let an Asian woman or Hispanic woman do it, people ask, “Are you trying to be something you’re not?” “Why don’t you like your original hair color?” “You don’t even look(insert race here) anymore…are you ashamed of your ethnicity?”
But mind you, it’s either that or be a “China Doll,” or a cute, but plain, Asian chick.
Not to mention how red lips on a white woman are powerful, alluring but dominant, sexy; put ‘em on a Latina and now they’re spicy, hot tamales who simper and pout and will always be “good,” ; put them on an Asian woman and now they are completely voiceless, only there to service you and be put out of sight.
I didn’t even bother with Black women because Black women can’t be sexy(unless they’re long haired thick redbones), only mammies.
Posted 31 Aug 2009 at 9:44 pm ¶
urbia wrote:
@ashlynn
It’s even more ironic when you ask just what Asian-American women CAN do with their hair, aside from lightening it. I mean, you can’t really go darker than the natural black. So any change from that starting point will be ‘acting white.’
Posted 31 Aug 2009 at 10:52 pm ¶
Jha wrote:
TN @ 1: Yes, yes you ARE still a China doll if you appear in any way, shape or form Asian! After all, China dolls come in all shapes and colours, so you’d still look like a form of one anyway!
CVT @ 2: It’s truly bizarre how people come blurting out these stereotypes and never realize that they’re playing right into it. This is going to sound strange, but once I had a friend tell me, “you know, when I talk to you, I just don’t connect the fact that you’re Asian at all.” It was uplifting yet discomfirting at the same time. There truly is a double-bind in just being.
Khinky @ 3: I don’t know, but I would think being aware of the stereotypes would definitely be the first stop. I don’t know if it’s possible to stop playing them up in the first place… the goal-posts shift a lot, as evidenced by other comments here! Besides which, if it seems natural to do something that plays into the stereotypes, it can’t at all be bad, since you’re just being yourself.
Nadra @ 4: That’s very interesting! I had a black friend who was once asked if she was Chinese, and it was a very strange moment. I wonder about that, what elicits that sort of response.
Renee @ 5: It’s not all that relevant, really, since I model as a hobby, and this was more of an alt shoot, instead of high fashion. I’ve definitely noted that trend though. Fortunately, I was with a very conscious group of photographers who asked me if I wanted to subvert a picture in which I was posing with a giant fan. It was sprung on me rather last minute, but I appreciated that they asked.
ACW @ 7: Those two cents are interesting. Definitely the whole “available for sex” could have played into my father’s response.
urbia @ 8: You know, I’ve actually had the whole, “what is it with Asian girls [doing this oversexed thing]?” trope thrown at me before. Not as often as the gleeful “omg Asian girls are so cute” but there is another stereotype of the loud Asian fishwife, of sorts. And yes, the shady fraudulent stereotype too.
GueraLola @ 10: Please do. If the term “China doll” clearly referred to porcelain dolls, I wouldn’t mind as much – context matters, after all. But there are just some people… Anyways, you didn’t know, and now you do, learn something new everyday!
ashlynn @ 11: It’s very bizarre to hear “traitor to your race” expressed. When I went home to Malaysia with red hair, I was asked, “Why so red??” because typically, in Asia, we go brown or blonde. They made fun of me for “being Westernized”, but it’s only in North America that I get the anxiety of treason.
Posted 01 Sep 2009 at 6:14 pm ¶
urbia wrote:
@Jha
I actually hadn’t heard of the fishwife one before – I looked it up.
Hmm, it’s starting to appear as though there’s a negative connotation attached to every single personality trait that an Asian woman could possibly have, as long as it deviates from what is ‘acceptable’ to white people.
How is that different from a smoke-and-mirrors, convoluted way of saying, “You’d better submit or bring criticism to yourself for being anything other than what I expect you to be”? It’s as though Asian women have no right to be individuals at any point in the personality spectrum.
Posted 01 Sep 2009 at 6:33 pm ¶
Courtney wrote:
This is a very interesting post. Thank you!
Renee’s point, at #5, strikes me as particularly salient.
Posted 01 Sep 2009 at 7:55 pm ¶
ashlynn wrote:
@urbia:
Exactly! The box of dye on the shelf called “Blackest Black” might as well be “Asian 101″. You can’t go any darker than that! Gaah- they say, damned if you do…
Posted 01 Sep 2009 at 8:05 pm ¶
TN wrote:
@ashlynn:
actually, I still dye my hair “blackest black” and sometimes “blue black” (you know, as goths say nothing is ever black enough)… according to the hair dyes, my natural shade is more like “brown black” and slightly lighter than “natural black” and genetic-wise, my family has hair that tends to fade to highlights of reddish-brown albeit still pretty dark colour. No European ancestry either… maybe me and my rellos are just freaks haha
Posted 01 Sep 2009 at 11:36 pm ¶
urbia wrote:
@ashlynn
What also comes to mind, actually, in relation to hair colour and the race issue, is when white otaku try to ‘claim’ certain Anime characters as white just because they’ve got blonde or red hair. There was an old essay I ran into a long time ago (I don’t have the link, unfortunately), that pointed out the hair colour was meant to denote personality traits and not race. Even when it’s as obvious as the character having a Japanese first and last name.
Of course, there will be Caucasian Anime characters from time to time, and this would be made obvious by the series theme or the character’s background info. But when they’re obviously Japanese? Sometimes I’ll see people trying to ‘insert’ themselves into a place where it was obviously not intended. It’s perplexing, to say the least.
The ‘Asian women are trying to be like us’ thing is just an extension of the trend. It’s not always like that. ‘Stop flattering yourself,’ I say.
Posted 01 Sep 2009 at 11:59 pm ¶
Jha wrote:
@ TN and ashlynn: When my hair was bleached out and I went back to my natural color, my hairdresser told me she was mixing the black dye with some brown, so the “black wouldn’t be as harsh”. So I guess “blackest black” isn’t Asian hair either! Mind-boggling!
@ urbia: Really? Hair colour reflecting personality traits in anime? Now that’s curious – isn’t that another form of stereotyping, in a sense?
Posted 02 Sep 2009 at 9:35 pm ¶
urbia wrote:
@Jha
I don’t know enough about Japanese culture in Japan to answer that question. However, when I was reading the essay, I saw personality traits tied to non-natural hair colours.
For example, a green-haired Anime character was more likely to be one to have some kind of supernatural power. White-haired characters were likely to be mystics. Interestingly, blonde Anime characters were said to be either one of the two — either very ditzy (a parallel to the blonde bimbo stereotype) or very cold and calculating (curiously, the exact opposite of stupid). Brown-haired characters were supposedly very down to earth. Black-haired were often traditional. That’s all I can remember.
I think there were personality traits attached to eye colour as well, but I can’t remember what they were.
Posted 03 Sep 2009 at 3:47 pm ¶
Mei-Ling wrote:
“Like many other things, the term “China doll” refers to a construct, an idea of what something should be like.”
This just sums it all up.
Brilliantly expressed.
Posted 06 Sep 2009 at 12:37 pm ¶