Geisha of a Different Kind: Race and Sexuality in Gaysian America

Intersections: Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Genders and Sexualities

by C. Winter Han

In gay bars and nightclubs across America, and in gay-oriented magazines and media, the buff, macho, white gay man is exalted as the ideal—the most attractive, the most wanted, and the most emulated type of man. For gay Asian American men, often viewed by their peers as submissive or too ‘pretty,’ being sidelined in the gay community is only the latest in a long line of racially-motivated offenses they face in the United States.Repeatedly marginalized by both the white-centric queer community that values a hyper-masculine sexuality and a homophobic Asian American community that often privileges masculine heterosexuality, gay Asian American men largely have been silenced and alienated in present-day culture and society. In Geisha of a Different Kind, C. Winter Han travels from West Coast Asian drag shows to the internationally sought-after Thai kathoey, or “ladyboy,” to construct a theory of queerness that is inclusive of the race and gender particularities of the gay Asian male experience in the United States.Through ethnographic observation of queer Asian American communities and Asian American drag shows, interviews with gay Asian American men, and a reading of current media and popular culture depictions of Asian Americans, Han argues that gay Asian American men, used to gender privilege within their own communities, must grapple with the idea that, as Asians, they have historically been feminized as a result of Western domination and colonization, and as a result, they are minorities within the gay community, which is itself marginalized within the overall American society. Han also shows that many Asian American gay men can turn their unusual position in the gay and Asian American communities into a positive identity. In their own conception of self, their Asian heritage and sexuality makes these men unique, special, and, in the case of Asian American drag queens, much more able to convey a convincing erotic femininity. Challenging stereotypes about beauty, nativity, and desirability, Geisha of a Different Kind makes a major intervention in the study of race and sexuality in America.

Genres: LGBT, Nonfiction, Theory, Race

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2015

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewing this book feels a little odd because I’m actually a graduate student conducting research that is very closely aligned to C Winter Han’s. So, Dr. Han if you see this review, hi and I’m a fan of your work and I’ve been meaning to email you to chat for awhile but I’ve had a lot of research projects so I’ll probably do that when I’m in a better space to learn from your perspective. Also please don’t trash my articles in peer review if you’re offended that I gave this book four stars instead of five (because your work has been so influential in shaping my research questions!)

Anyway, onto the book itself: loved how Han incorporates gender and race into his analysis of gay Asian American men. He approaches popular media (e.g., RuPaul’s Drag Race) and interpersonal interactions in gay spaces from a critical perspective, interrogating racism and the glorification of masculinity along the way. I appreciate how he names the racism in the gay community as well as how gay Asian American men succumb (cries) as well as resist this racism. Han also writes about how gay Asian American men resist the racism in the gay community such as by dating one another and through drag – though I did want a bit more on this resistance part (which is actually part of a research project my team and I are currently conducting, heh).

The main reason I give this book four stars instead of five is because I do feel like there’s a lack of generalizability from the sample Han drew from in his research. He mentions this at the beginning of the book, that he’s drawing from the experiences of gay Asian American men in Seattle (and maybe California… but I’m pretty sure he said Seattle). I just wish he had reinforced the lack of generalizability a little later on in the book, because he drew some pretty broad statements about gay Asian American men. While I definitely agree that a lot of us unfortunately have internalized racism, glorification of white supremacy, and anti-Black racism and colorism, I wanted to learn more about gay Asian American men who resist these oppressive forces outside of solely dating fellow Asian men and doing drag. I also think a limitation may be that he drew his sample from, from my understanding, gay Asian American men who do in some capacity engage in gay spaces. I imagine these gay Asian American men may have more proximity to whiteness than those who just opt out of those spaces to begin with (it me).

Again, so glad Han has conducted this research and has written this book, which is sufficiently academic while still highly readable for a general audience. Reading about gay Asian American men with such internalized white glorification is frustrating to me, one because it’s racist af and two because I never had that experience as a gay Asian American guy. I suspect I never preferred white dudes because 1) I grew up in a high school that was 40% Asian, 2) I grew up with K-Pop so saw a bunch of attractive Asian men (um Seungyoon from Winner if you turn out to be queer, get with me), 3) I feel lucky that I had queer men of color represented in fiction like Magnus from The Mortal Instruments and Aristotle and Dante from Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets from the Universe. Furthermore, in high school and early college I got really into intersectional feminism and learned that valuing men’s opinions of me – white men and men of color – is honestly a waste of time and I’d rather spend my time poorly executing BlackPink choreography in my living room instead.

This is all to say: my fellow queer Asian American men, let us learn from this book and revolt against white supremacy and align ourselves with racial liberation with our fellow people of color. Down with white supremacy and up with loving ourselves! Also, if anyone has any novel recommendations about queer men of color falling in love with one another always, always recommend it to me because I’m thirsty for that content. Thank you.

[R.J. Gilmour · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whenever we pick up a book we have a certain set of expectations. Sadly, I found myself really disappointed with Han's look at the representation of queer Asian men. Han adds nothing new to scholarship on issues of queer Asian representation instead opting for readings of examples in popular media. While he invokes all the right names and theorists his readings are simplistic reading like the work of a graduate student rather than an accomplished scholar. As an introduction to the representation of queer Asian men it might help but offers nothing new for those familiar with the field.

[Lark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard the term “gaysian” used in an academic context until this book. Nuanced, intriguing, and a fun–not too dense–-read full of little anecdotes, media references, well-conceived research, some social psychology, and interviews. Sometimes I find myself reading something queer and academic and am unable to take it too seriously because of the mixture of literary jargon with frank terminology. A case in point….when Han introduces a new theory by stating, “In his seminal essay, ‘Looking for My Penis,’...” (89).
Or… “Several personal status lines displayed on the mobile application Grindr, used widely by gay men to find potential sexual partners, include taglines such as “I block more Asians than the great wall of China!”...; ‘On a strict diet, no dim sum’” (93).

And... I’m reminded that not everything academic needs to be taken seriously.

I have a lot of other thoughts—but I won’t summarize. One quote that stuck out to me: “The desire to remain closeted had less to do with his fear of confronting his family but more with his desire not to shatter their American dream. ‘They gave up so much,’ he told me about his parents, ‘how could I possibly ask them to give up more?’” (185). Chills.

Great read and the cover for this book EATS.

[Sydnie Acker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this for an intro to sociology class at Texas A&M and I really enjoyed it. Its a simple read, but it really makes you think about how people are socialized to think the way they do and ways you can start a new socialization, in order to alter what you think is normal, natural, right, and good.

[Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful book that I think every gay Asian American man should read. Although some of the ideas presented here are "obvious" because I think every gay Asian American man has also encountered them in their own life, to have these ideas articulated on paper is incredibly empowering and re-affirming. Han also presents some novel ideas particularly regarding how Asian American gay men can navigate the white-dominated and racist gay community, and create an identity that is not only gay and not only Asian American, but gay AND Asian American - something that is difficult in today's world which rarely promotes those who identify as such.

[Kevin Chen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice to know where gaysian america has been in order to inform how to go about the present and future. A little repetitive at parts.

[Felicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

rating: 3.5 stars

[Mary Newcomb]

This is a more scholarly work than my usual reading fare. And this is a subject I had not much considered. But the information on gay Asian men in America is interesting and thought provoking. In some other contexts I have been reminded of intersectionality, this book continued with that theme for me.

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of anecdotal stories, observations from popular media. Confirms what you see if you think about the portrayal of gay asian men.