Asian Women Are Sick of Seeing Themselves With Hair Streaks in Media

Updated Nov. 18 2019, 2:39 p.m. ET Even when Hollywood is trying to be "neutral" it quickly veers toward bad. This generally means leaning into stereotypes, across age, race, gender, sexual identity, and creating shallow characters based on some pretty messed up ideas. Heck, sometimes they create entirely new stereotypes, like this one about Asian

Asian Women Are Sick Of Seeing Themselves Represented This Way In Media

By

Updated Nov. 18 2019, 2:39 p.m. ET

Source: Marvel

Even when Hollywood is trying to be "neutral" it quickly veers toward bad. This generally means leaning into stereotypes, across age, race, gender, sexual identity, and creating shallow characters based on some pretty messed up ideas. Heck, sometimes they create entirely new stereotypes, like this one about Asian women having to color their hair to be interesting.

The Twitter account @nerdyasians, which purports to cover "everything artful, wonderful & sometimes miserable about asian news & culture" is currently going viral for pointing out a longstanding trope in movies and on TV. Basically, every time a show or film wants to indicate a female Asian character is "edgy" they give her colorful hair streaks:

it’s time for western media to drop the idea that asian girls need neon streaks of color in their hair to stand out. pic.twitter.com/r2YRNdENbG

β€” nerdy (@nerdyasians) May 22, 2018

It happens a lot:

Source: Twitter
Source: Twitter

As you can see above, the stereotype is well-documented, but it's being talked about again in relation to the Deadpool 2 character, Yukio, played by the Japanese-Australian actress Shiori Kutsuna. Yep, she's got the streak.

Source: Twitter

But the whole thing also went viral in 2017, when writer Anne Shi went off about it on Twitter, explaining why it's so offensive. Basically, if you need to color your hair to be cool, what is that saying about all the women with their natural color? And who are these colorful-hair women supposed to be in contrast to?

the fact that asian girls in media can't be rebellious/different without a streak of (purple) color in their hair pisses me off to no end. pic.twitter.com/tLDYekJzs1

β€” πŸ’•ζ΄‹ζ΄‹ (@heartmush) August 15, 2017

Shi points out that it is a well-known thing that Hollywood should be hip to by now.

hell. it has a tv tropes page (https://t.co/r3sl3YnL1l) which shows how prevalent the trope is.

β€” πŸ’•ζ΄‹ζ΄‹ (@heartmush) August 15, 2017

there's this stereotype that asian woman are usually demure, have "natural beauty"(dark hair/eyes), which is damaging on its own.

β€” πŸ’•ζ΄‹ζ΄‹ (@heartmush) August 15, 2017

so western producers have this idea that to "subvert" this trope, they have to make us ~different~. like look at this Edgy Asian Girl.

β€” πŸ’•ζ΄‹ζ΄‹ (@heartmush) August 15, 2017

look at how Different this girl with some colored hair is from the other boring, quiet, dainty asian girls!

β€” πŸ’•ζ΄‹ζ΄‹ (@heartmush) August 15, 2017

Just look at this Tumblr post.

i think shoorm on tumblr made this much bigger spreadsheet of characters, some with all purple hair, but still, the idea sticks. pic.twitter.com/b5VSyTONWS

β€” πŸ’•ζ΄‹ζ΄‹ (@heartmush) August 15, 2017

It's just a bummer to be put in these two boxes.

but the fact that almost all asian women with this kind of "rebellious" attitude are depicted with p much the Same Hair... is disheartening.

β€” πŸ’•ζ΄‹ζ΄‹ (@heartmush) August 15, 2017

it seems like in trying to subvert the subservient asian woman stereotype, western producers are just strengthening it instead.

β€” πŸ’•ζ΄‹ζ΄‹ (@heartmush) August 15, 2017

different from... what? all the "other" asian girls? why? because they make snarky jokes & dress in leather jackets & aren't delicate?

β€” πŸ’•ζ΄‹ζ΄‹ (@heartmush) August 15, 2017

the important think to take from this thread is to use your head a little more when designing."innocuous" things can turn egregious quickly.

β€” πŸ’•ζ΄‹ζ΄‹ (@heartmush) August 15, 2017

Despite being such a long standing issue, people are still discovering the trope through the post from @nerdyasians, and they are having feelings about it:

i have mixed feelings about this in all honesty but i also concur for the most part https://t.co/efAFuG41Dr

β€” πŸ’–πŸ”₯🌊TEAR|| FAKE LOVE (@starriblossoms) May 24, 2018

Some are definitely hearing about it for the first time.

this is so weird like why is this even a thing lol who decided that the streak of colored hair makes asian girls cool lmao https://t.co/e2sBKrj8Qc

β€” glolita (@LilGlolita) May 23, 2018

But many have been noticing for awhile, and finding it pretty obnoxious.

I’ve always found this annoying. It’s usually purple, red, or blue as well. https://t.co/xr0jfvBpEL

β€” Form of Therapy (@formoftherapy) May 22, 2018

There are some Asian women characters who have been both cool and escaped the hair-streak makeover:

At least Cho Chang didn't have highlights pic.twitter.com/wnShomHu3b

β€” Saimon (@sai_hahaha) May 22, 2018

um, has eVERYONE CONVENIENTLY FORGOTTEN SUN BAK OF SENSE8??? pic.twitter.com/vQ35lG2WFs

β€” check out my art @Readmajin (@readmajin) May 22, 2018

and Yunjin Jim who played Sun-Hwa Kwon on LOST pic.twitter.com/E7QyDXNKp3

β€” jhubeJELLO (@jhubeJELLO) May 22, 2018

But not that many. A hair streak is a small thing, but the fact that it keeps popping up over and over despite criticism from Asian writers, critics, and viewers shows exactly who is still in charge of making these decisions at the top.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pbXSramam6Ses7p6wqikaKyimrultc2gZmtoYW18cYGOa2tokmF7sZLCtWiYrKGRo3qktMCrmJyslafAbrTAoqlmq6SnsqK3

 Share!