Where on earth did the idea come from that Asians are sexual exotics?

Not real sure, but I believe it was from sailors returning to the states from tours of duty in the PI and other western Pacific stations.

Ya, when I had my first girlfriend, who was Japanese, everyone wanted to know if her vagina really goes sideways.

@filmfann: Seriously? That’s ridiculous. It seems to me that whenever a friend of mine usually male tells me about a new significant other who happens to be Asian, he uses her race as a synonym for “hot.” The conversation usually goes like this:

Me: Is your girlfriend hot?
Friend: She’s Asian.
Me: Is that a “yes”?
Friend: Of course.

@WestRiverrat: That makes a certain amount of sense. I wonder why it’s been so played up in the media.

Probably the lack of familiarity is exciting and different from the vanilla that people are accustomed to in the west.

It’s all relative. I have lots of guy friends that fawn over Hispanic girls, and being Mexican, I kinda don’t see the exoticness of it either, but that’s probably because it’s what i’m used to.

Possibly from some of this stuff, called Shunga. Do a google images search on the word Shunga and you will get real eyeful, an eyeful of 16th to 19th century Japanese erotica. Erotic block prints. It’s pretty interesting stuff. Quite graphic in it’s own way. A very long tradition of erotic art may have something to do with it, I don’t know.

@KatawaGrey what does sexual exotics mean?

I think it is just a USA thing.

@lillycoyote: Shee-it, you ain’t kidding!

@bkcunningham: I’m not really sure how to explain it. There’s what is considered normal and what is considered exotic. Asians are often placed in the latter category.

@markferg: Okay. Now, do you have any idea where that idea comes from?

@KatawaGrey like geichas?

I think the cultural mores also had something to do with it. The polynesians had a much more open society than did the western European/ US at the time.

Fijians for example were not hung up on monogamy like the Puritans were.

@KatawaGrey do you mean exotic in the sense of different anatomy or just more sexual and such like that?

@KatawaGrey – I don’t see any reference to the concept in Europe, so the observation that people in the USA have this perception leads me to think that it is localised to the USA. I don’t think that I have enough evidence to consider it as a statement of fact therefore I mentioned it as a personal belief borne out of my personal experiences. Did it really need that much explaining?

@uberbatman: I mean more sexual and the like.

@markferg: Then why did you answer?

Sexualization of an “exotic” culture is typically a byproduct of colonialism/imperialism. If you’re interested in an academic approach to this issue, Orientalism by Edward Said is a great book to start with.

[mod says] Let’s stick to answering the actual question, folks. Thanks!

I don’t think Asians are necessarily considered exotic, sexually—I think your friend’s response is based on the idea that some people consider Asian women are to be highly sexually desirable. And I think this comes from the fact that Asian cultures tend to encourage women to exaggerate stereotypically feminine traits—being slender, submissive, giggly, etc. So Asian—> hyperfeminine—> sexy.

The Kama Sutra may figure into the pic. but that’s just off the top of my head.

I realize its origins are in India, and India is considered part of the subcontinent of Asia, so I guess it depends upon how inclusively one defines the term “Asian.”

If I had to toss my hat in on that I would say in great part it was sailors after the war, with the geishas in Japan and such, then accentuated with easy prostitutes of Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Most Asian women I know outside the pros were quite shy.

Here’s a really good read.

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/undergrad/cgi-bin/drupal_ual/sites/default/files/common/docs/pwr_winter07_winner.pdf

Relevant old question here.

I’m an Asian female, and that’s also something I’ve never quite understood. I’ve met one too many guys who’ve had an Asian fetish. It’s just weird.

@filmfann What exactly is advantageous about a sideways vagina?

I agree with @nikipedia and @Hypocrisy_Central analysis, I remember a James Bond movie where something to that effect to mentioned. I think men nowadays are still hung-up on the idea of a wife cooking in the kitchen, who irons your clothes, and fixes you a drink when you come home. Pining for their own arcane view of their definition of masculinity.

@KatawaGrey well their culture is very very much more sexual. I mean look at hentai, bukkake, tentacles, and other fun stuff like that. I mean for fucks sake you used to be able to buy “used” panties in japan vending machines before.

Not to mention all the supposed sought after aphrodisiacs, like ground up rhino horn, to add a little “yin” to that “yang.”

It’s just different people finding different races attractive, it’s a matter of personal preference.

As far as some people commenting here regarding different cultures being more sexual than others, although true, I don’t think was what he/she meant by his/her question.

@windex I would say thats what she meant

Maybe (East) Asians put out more than people in the West (Christians) because they are primarily Buddhist… and practice makes perfect? The idea that one’s genetics and culture could make you better in the sack is a vague possibility…. But a stereotype for a pretty damn large continent is puzzling, and stains credulity.

Here in the Bay Area it is almost a fetish. There is an assumption about Asian women being subservient and compliant, yet being wild when having sex.

There is even a local meet-up group for men married to Japanese women who are disappointed the women are not what their fantasy is.

I think it started with the whole courtesan girl thing. It was very common for rulers in Japan to have a wife and a courtesan for their sexual pleasure. For the nobles some of these women were trained to be very good at their craft.

TL:DR

I think part of it has to do with the fact that Asians are considered exotic by many anyways; they have a vastly different culture from the average Westerner.

Another part of it is, well… have you ever seen Japaneses porn? Some of it is freaky!

Most of them “are” Asian exotics. :3