Yellow Fever. I’m sure you’ve heard of it.
If you haven’t, here’s the Urban Dictionary definition:
Source: Urban Dictionary
My first encounter with the concept of Yellow Fever was during my first year at UNC.
While training to become an Orientation Leader, our group was sent to a leadership conference to meet other future Orientation Leaders. At this conference, like so many other random school conferences you go to in your adolescence, there was a weird sense of urgency to make friends with everyone you met there in order to tell your supervisor that it wasn’t a huge waste of time.
Here’s a cute throwback picture of UNC’s 2017 Orientation Leaders! OLOVE!
During one of the many cult-ish activities we did at this conference, we were put into random groups with other students and were forced to find similarities amongst ourselves.
In this group, I met this guy that I thought was really nice. I thought we clicked, so we exchanged social media – as the kids do these days.
I was so excited because I felt like I had met someone from another school that I could brag to my supervisor about.
Fast forward to a month after the conference. This dude and I would occasionally Snapchat message each other.
The conversation went something like this:
Him: “Alex I think me and some friends are going to visit Chapel Hill soon!”
Me: “Oh wow! I’ll gather some Orientation Leaders, and we can hang!”
Him: “I can come hang with you at your dorm if you want!”
Me: “Sure”
Him: “You know, I think I have Yellow Fever. I have a thing for Asian girls.”
Yeah. I left him on read after that.
What did he mean by, “I have a thing for Asian girls?” Did this mean I fit into only the category of “Asian girl?” That every Asian girl is the same?
At the time, I was involved in UNC’s Asian American Student Association. I brought this up to some people in it, and they said it didn’t surprise them.
They went on to say that the fetishization and sexualization of Asian people, especially Asian women, has been going on for decades. That this was a pretty common thing – the concept of non-Asian people wanting a subservient, subordinate Asian person who would tend to their needs.
This made me further question the idea of interracial dating. Not in the way that I’m against interracial dating. That’s not it at all.
It made me question myself within a relationship and how my partner would view me.
Did they only like me because I'm Asian? Would they want me to fit this stereotype created for Asian people?
I’m unsure if you’re familiar with the concept of being called “pretty for an insert race here.” But it’s a thing. The idea that people of a race other than White cannot be referred to as anything more than being within their race.
Can someone not just be good looking in general? And not have to be classified as a subcategory of good looking based on their race?
This concept coupled with the idea of Yellow Fever make me question whether or not Non-Asian people would actually like me for me or because I’m Asian.
I guess I just have to hope that the future person I date doesn’t have an Asian fetish (especially a secret one).
Let’s hope!