“Imagine we’re in a big living room, and we’re all sharing a meal together,” Nick, “Your Korean Dad,” Cho said, opening up the panel for Kaila Yu’s book titled “Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty”.
Yu, an Asian-American former Playboy model turned travel journalist and now social media influencer, came to speak in the Social Justice Intercultural Center last May 14 as part of the APID heritage month celebrations, and gave away signed copies of her book.
Along with Yu was Nick Cho, another Asian-American social media influencer known by his screen name of “Your Korean Dad,” who helped lead the discussion, serving as a moderator and offering his own experiences.
Yu and Cho spoke on their experiences growing up as Asian-Americans, often connecting it back to her book, focusing on both the obstacles of the past and the progress of the present.
The inspiration for writing came to Yu during the pandemic, with the growing sentiment of Asian hate. The tipping point, Yu said, was the Spa Shootings in Atlanta in which multiple Asian women, among other victims, were shot and killed.
When asked what she hoped to accomplish, Yu said that, most of all, she wanted to help people learn to love themselves.
Kaila Yu, left, speaks to Nick Cho, right, during a panel for her newly released book “Fetishized.” Yu and Cho were on campus for APID month on May 14 at the Social Justice Intercultural Center on LAC. (Matthew Bautista)
“The reason why it’s hard to describe loving yourself is because it’s like a yin-yang with loving other people,” Cho added to further her point.
A key topic that was touched upon multiple times during the event was the concept of “Yellow Fever,” or the fetishization of Asian women in American culture, particularly by white men.
“It’s the presentation of Asian women as ‘alien’. It makes them seem more disposable,” Yu said, explaining what she believes the perception of Asian women in America has been.
Yu connected this idea to the occupations in Asia by the American military, specifically during the Vietnam and Korean wars, arguing that, due to the rampant prostitution, the perception of Asian women by the soldiers who returned home was permanently skewed by the docility and submission often necessitated in sex work.
Pallavy Noeun, vice-president of the Asian Pacific Islander and Desi Club, has followed Yu on social media for years, saying that she viewed the release of Yu’s book as “more of an act of reclaiming her identity. As an Asian woman, I think it’s good to have someone [who reclaimed their identity].”
Whilst Yu wishes she had more representation and role models during her childhood, she’s proud of the progress that has been made in those terms.
With the rise of K-pop, Anime, and the influx of Asian influencers who are actively using their voices, Yu is glad to be a part of the wave of increased global Asian representation.
Tristan Nguyen, a worker at the SJIC, was happy with the turnout of attendees.
“We really put this together last minute, but we have a decent crowd, and it’s always nice to see that people are coming out to celebrate heritage.” Nguyen said.
The panel touched on a variety of topics during its hour-long runtime, with both Yu and Cho staying long afterward to continue interacting with students and answering questions.
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