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Asian American Cultural Influences

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Cultural Influences on Asian American Body Image The serious issues pertaining to body image continue to affect the lives of many minorities living throughout the United States today. Asian Americans and their ancestors have endured great scrutiny when it comes to their physical appearance and unattainable standards of beauty. Traditional practices like neck stretching and foot binding have deeply influenced the way Asian Americans view themselves amongst other ethnic groups, as well as their interpretation of beauty. Cultural influences are one of the main factors that contribute to the way Asian Americans view and critique their body and physical appearance throughout their lives. The emphasis of one’s external beauty deeply impacts the …show more content…

Neck stretching, also known by many as having a long-necked look, is estimated to be a practice that dates back to the 11th Century, making it a form of body modification that has been around for nearly 1000 years. Neck stretching is still commonly practiced in Padaung villages located in Thailand, under the watchful eyes of government officials. The stages of neck stretching normally begin at an early age when a single brass coil is wound around a young girl’s neck by an elder tribal woman because their bones are still small and flexible. As the young girl grows, additional coils are added every few years which will one day add up to twenty-five coils that weigh about twenty-two pounds. According to an article in the New York Times written by Seth Mydans, “X-rays of the Padaung women have shown that the neck is not actually lengthened but that the weight of the rings pushes down on the rib cage, causing the shoulders to slope dramatically.” The brass coils that are widely known throughout the world not only are an illusion of an elongated neck, but they also represent their captivity to this lifestyle in hopes of finding social

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Ideas of what beauty should be are a simple influence by the media. These ideals can be a simple commercial that projects the image of beauty as thin, certain skin type, and hair length. A lasting impression is made on all who view these images. Fiji was once unbiased as to weight and outward appearance of others. The women would greet each other without remarks or negative tone toward one another.

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Marriage, the joining of two people for the rest of their lives. It marks a very special point in one's life, and it is a day that will forever be remembered by that person. Marriage happens all around the world millions of times a year. It is common in multiple cultures. Even though many cultures have similar events take place in their wedding, going from one culture’s wedding to another will show you that they also have very different traditions.

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America is one of the most diverse nations in the world. It is a melting pot of cultures, which has made it a great nation. This variety of cultures has helped impact and build America into the great nation we are today. One of the cultures that has influenced America is the Black Culture. This particular culture is known for their evolution of music and fashion and also their trendsetting skills in hair and dance.

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Social Realities and Race Project Fetishization of Asian Women Kaitlyn Toda SOC 20H: Intro to Race and Ethnicity Honors Professor Karla Hernandez June 7, 2024 Introduction A widespread problem that has an impact on the lives of many members of this racial/ethnic minority group is the fetishization of Asian women. The fetishization of Asian women is seen in the media and in real life, taking on many different forms such as everyday interactions that disrespect Asian women based on these damaging clichés as well as media portrayals that reduce them to exotic and submissive stereotypes. In addition to being a legacy of past colonization and cultural misinterpretations, the fetishization of Asian women is a reflection of the persistent, institutional,

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And in Thailand, women spend excessive amounts of time and money to always be seen as beautiful– a slim figure, white skin, a small head and nose, etc. Among these examples and many more, it is seen that Asian people are held to impossibly high standards in their home countries. And though America is seen as being a land of opportunity where people can break free of the shackles that other countries’ societal standards have put on them, Asian Americans receive the

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“In the past, eating disorders were generally considered to be confined to young white females from middle-to-upper class families living in Western societies” (Caradas 112). Both studies exploit the false stereotypes associated with eating disorders and culture. Both parties believe that non Western cultures are being influenced by the “slim is beautiful” idea. Each view points out the false misconception that non Western cultures traditional ideas of being thick is related to health is protecting them from eating disorders. Studies prove all ethnicities have shown concern towards body shape and eating attitudes in recent years around the

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Ho Chi Minh was the founder of the Communist Party of Vietnam, which is the ruling the country for now. Ho Chi Minh greatly impacted to our nation, especially in the war against the French colony, Japanese fascists, and with America. Most of people in my country called Ho Chi Minh their father. He was born in 1890 in Nam Dan,

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The “small island nation” Japanese have always had very strong values that they pass down to their generations (Kanagy,2013). They teach their children to place others before them, respect their elders, and to always be honest. The country of Japan remained mostly isolated until whale hunters wanted to hunt, and dock in the Japanese territory in 1825 (Japan: Memories). The culture of Japan before World War II, was one of a deep history of knowing one’s place, keeping traditions, and honor. That was something that America had to understand when it came to intergrading with Japan after the war.

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Jewelry is a universal form of adornment that has been around for thousands of years. Thanks to archeological evidence and ancient scholarly reports, jewelry and its purpose has been thoroughly studied. In North Africa, for example, prehistoric shells have been found with obviously man made perforations through the center, and it is estimated that they could date from as far back as 82,000 years ago. Throughout history, the act of wearing jewelry enables the wearer to express him or herself non-verbally, to showcase wealth, rank, political and religious affiliation or affections toward someone. Regardless of the gender of the wearer, these non-verbal expressions are easily understood.

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