Battling Yellow Fever: An Analysis of How Fetishized Bodies Manage Identity

This study works to improve the understanding of how identity is managed through power dynamics. More specifically this study aims to observe how fetishized bodies manage identity within Western and patriarchal structures. Through the exploration of defining fetishization, the socialization of Western ideologies through colonization, and the theoretical framework of identity management, this question was explored through analyzing interviews and stories gathered through digital media outlets involving Asian woman interacting in sites and environments where their bodies are systematically fetishized. Two main themes emerged from the research: protecting identity through defense and strengthening identity through offense. An analysis of these interview and stories telling the experiences of fetishized bodies in sites of power reveals the power of storytelling to create empowerment, strengthen identity, and be used as a medium to break away from the dominant discourses that have dismissed their experiences as Asian women