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Evelyn Yang spoke out against sexual violence. What does that mean for Asian women?
- Yang, who is married to Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, last week spoke up about being sexually assaulted by a gynaecologist
- Stereotypes and the burden of shame still shape the experience of Asian women in Western countries such as the United States
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“I think people come to me with a stereotype – some probably expect me to be gentle, obedient and kind,” Youngbee Dale said.
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Dale was born in South Korea and immigrated to the United States in 1996, when she was only 16. She is now a US-based human trafficking expert who has worked with vulnerable communities including Asian women subjected to sex trafficking.
“Feminism is in my blood … perhaps after talking to me some people realise that Asian women can be vocal,” Dale said.
Stereotypes attached to Asians in Western countries, such as in the US, and lingering shame-based elements in Asian culture continue to play a role in the sexual violence that Asian women face and the way they deal with it, experts and advocates say. But an increasing number of female Asians in the US are now speaking up about their ordeals.
Last week, Evelyn Yang, who is married to Democratic Party presidential candidate Andrew Yang, talked about being sexually assaulted by a gynaecologist while she was pregnant in 2012.
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She fought in court for more than two years to keep her identity anonymous in connection with the legal action against the doctor, and most of her family – including her parents – were not aware of the case until she spoke up, CNN reported.
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