Blossom Cheng is a Sociology Honours student in her third year at UBC. Her Honours research focuses on the colonial and racist framework that has historically constructed Asianness as primitive objects of desire.
Currently, Cheng is working with Professor Craig Meadows to explore how the establishment of Asia as the Orient was a colonial epistemological process in defining differences and superiority. Using texts such as Edward Said’s Orientalism, Cheng’s research looks at how assigned meanings of objects and places are attributed by white men. Her project will investigate how hypersexualized construction of Asian women perpetuate a pattern of violence that can be considered the expressive arm of white supremacy and power.
Sociology Honours student Blossom Cheng
Sociology Honours student Blossom Cheng
What was your project about? What are the main take-aways from your work?
This project started off with a focus on the hypersexualization of Asian women in Western media and how those representations have culminated in violence against Asian women. Upon researching the origins of those representations, I found that the hypersexualization of so-called exotic women can be dated back to colonial and imperial European projects. In my research, I argue that the Orient was an epistemological process to construct the East as a romantic land of exotic beings. Citing artwork as well as literature created during that period, my research shows how Asia becomes homogenized as a singular place, and its cultures become appropriated to construct narratives of sexualized women.
My research uses histories of Orientalism and colonialization to consider how patterns of domination and fetishization have continued. My work also reveals how imperialism and military presence in East Asia since the Cold War have perpetuated the fetishization of Asian women, even until today.
“The most satisfying part of the journey has been identifying gaps in existing research and contributing to filling them.”
How did you get interested in this topic?
I got interested in researching this topic after the Atlanta Spa Shootings of March 2021. Six Asian women lost their lives and most of the news coverage seemed to heavily focus on the fact that the perpetrator was a mentally ill sex addict, who wanted to kill these women as he saw them as sexual temptations. Asian women have historically always been hypersexualized, especially through media, and these representations hold a certain power in influencing fetishizing and racial sentiments. I wanted to show that Asianness has a space in the racial discourse and that even while we may be regarded as ‘white adjacent’, these constructions and stereotypes of our supposed successes are racist and violent acts themselves.
What was the most difficult part of this learning journey? What was most satisfying?
The most difficult part of this journey was maintaining my motivation to write. But, I am learning that a finished project is the best one I can produce, that has been my main focus. The most satisfying part of the journey has been identifying gaps in existing research and contributing to filling them. In addition, it has been satisfying to learn more about the topics I am passionate about. I have always had an interest in history, but I have not been able to integrate history with my previous class assignments or projects. With this project, I have been able to learn more about the past as well as research and write about how the past directly impacts the present in many tangible ways.
“I got interested in researching this topic after the Atlanta Spa Shootings of March 2021. Six Asian women lost their lives and most of the news coverage seemed to heavily focus on the fact that the perpetrator was a mentally ill sex addict, who wanted to kill these women as he saw them as sexual temptations.”
What skills did you develop or strengthen as a result of this project?
Despite my initial struggles, I believe that I have strengthened my writing skills. Previously, my class assignments or projects are typically around 10 pages, so this research project will be the longest piece of writing I have done. Working with my supervisor, I am learning what writing styles work and which do not, as well as how to organize broader topics without losing detail.
What was your experience working with Sociology faculty on this project?
The Honours Chairs Dr. Oral Robinson, Dr. Kerry Greer and honours alumnus, Alec Wilson have been a huge help in guiding me through writing blocks and anxieties. They also provide mentorship as well as career and post-graduation advice. Most importantly, my supervisor, Dr. Meadows has been my biggest source of support throughout this entire process. He has helped me to narrow my research topic, structure my writing, generate ideas and develop confidence. I am grateful for all the support I have received throughout this process.
