Week 7&8: Response 1

In Han’s essay on gay Asian-Americans, he visits how they are shaped into the stereotypes that are given to them and what influences these forced stereotypes have on them. Han shows us that as early as the 18^th century Western culture has portrayed the Asian people as feminine, while elevating itself as a masculine culture. Asian-American men are further excluded from society, by both other Asians and the gay community, because they do not fit into the typical mold of what white Caucasian men want, and are therefore forced into becoming more sexually deviant or bringing out more of their feminine qualities. Han also shows that most Asian-American gay men are often forced to wait longer than their Caucasian counterparts to come out to their families because their family ties tend to be stronger, and therefore they are more afraid of rejection from their family. This tends to lead to more Asian-American gay men to participate in unsafe sex due to a lack of support. Because these men are both turned away from the gay community and the Asian community, they tend to be marginalized because they are not wanted by either group.