Asian Culture
Throughout time, there have been many groups that come together because of shared interest in topics and ideas that are not considered normal in society. Eventually, when there is a large enough group sharing these interests and ideas, they become subcultures. Although subcultures are usually not associated with causing problems in society, they do have a problem, which is highlighted by Adrienne Lai, the author of “Towards a Critical Understanding of ‘Asian Cute Culture.” The problems that may arise in subcultures, according to Lai, is gender-specific subcultures that arise from patriarchal views in certain societies. In Lai’s case, she identifies with Asian Cute Culture, which is dominated by young, female Asians. However, Lai believes that there are patriarchal associations with Sanrio and other companies that create consumerism for Asian Cute Culture. The subculture, she believes, is guided towards making women feel powerless and controllable. Lai believes that the feminism movement should take away this notion of powerlessness and controllability from Asian Cute Culture. However, in reality, much of the connotation of powerlessness and controllability arises from the patriarchal society that is actually in Asia. It has traveled to America with the products, however, the ideals have stayed in Asia because consumers in America are not required to follow Asian cultural norms when purchasing these products in America. For this reason, Lai seems to be creating the notion of feminine inequality herself.
In all subcultures, it is the positive outlook on something that is not part of societal norms that allows for its credibility and existence. Adrienne Lai explained this idea quite well when she was explaining the particular subculture she identified with. “The embracing of cuteness as a positive and desirable quality is exemplified in a phenomenon that I will term ‘Asian cute culture.’” Lai (and those sharing the Asian cute culture) views the Asian cute culture as something positive, or perhaps something that sets the group apart from everybody else. This is similar to the way members of different subcultures would view themselves. Instead of allowing society to undermine their subculture, they embrace it and make it something that becomes part of their own identity. By reasoning through the psychoanalytical thought process when creating a subculture or identifying with one, it is clear to see why members of subcultures do not want the qualities that make them unique to become mainstream. It becomes understandable then why there is a notion of thievery when the unique qualities that composed the subculture are exploited for profits by the mainstream.
Whether a subculture is directed towards men or women should not be reason for concern or criticism. Subcultures in their essence are created out of disagreement or lack of identification with societal norms. Gender roles and diversification has become such a huge topic of discussion in recent decades, and has integrated it into society. Perhaps these subcultures are doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing. They allow for their group members to identify with whatever they would like to, and there is nothing wrong with that. In the case of Asian Cute Culture, it appeals more to women, and especially Asian American women. As Lai states, “Through the consumption of kung-fu films, Japanimation, or Sanrio products, young Asian Americans such as myself can express an affiliation to an Asian identity, one that is based in less fixed or conventional notions of culture and ‘Asianness.’” An individual or group of individuals identifying with a particular subculture because of their race, gender, or both, is not grounds for criticizing the subculture. Instead, race, gender, age, and other personal attributes are what allow individuals to identify with specific subcultures.
1 Lai, Adrienne. “Towards a Critical Understanding of ‘Asian Cute Culture.’” in Youth Subculture: Exploring Underground America, by Arielle Greenberg (New York: Pearson, 2007).
2 Lai, Adrienne. “Towards a Critical Understanding of ‘Asian Cute Culture.’” in Youth Subculture: Exploring Underground America, by Arielle Greenberg (New York: Pearson, 2007), 152.
3 Lai, Adrienne. “Towards a Critical Understanding of ‘Asian Cute Culture.’” in Youth Subculture: Exploring Underground America, by Arielle Greenberg (New York: Pearson, 2007), 150.
Works Cited
Lai, Adrienne. “Towards a Critical Understanding of ‘Asian Cute Culture.’” In Youth
Subculture: Exploring Underground America, by Arielle Greenberg, 148-159. New
York: Pearson, 2007.