Purity Culture, American Imperialism and the Dehumanization of Asian Women

Religious hegemony, white supremacy, and misogyny are all deeply connected. To truly understand the complexity behind the Atlanta shootings that resulted in the murder of 6 Asian women, we need to unpack white American imperialism and conservative Christian ideologies around sexuality. Citing “sex addiction” and the need to “eliminate temptation” as his motive, the perpetrator furthered deep-rooted narratives that shed light on racial and gender-based power dynamics. In Episode 12 of Art of Citizenry Podcast, Manpreet Kaur Kalra is joined by Tara Teng, Rachel Faller, and Cara Shorey Choi for an unfiltered conversation about the fetishization and dehumanization of Asian women and the great danger of purity culture. Together, they deconstruct the ways in which these narratives feed into conversations about human trafficking and the stereotypes placed on communities of South East Asia. // Trigger Warning // During this episode, we discuss sexual violence and rape, hate crimes and racism, and historical trauma. If you need to at any point, pause, step away or just stop listening, I understand. Unpacking generational pain and grief can be incredibly difficult. It is important to create safe spaces for critical conversations because it is these very unfiltered and raw conversations that allow us to deconstruct oppression and hate. Check out the full show notes: https://visit.artofcitizenry.com/episode-12