Associating Asia with Futurism
Oct 2022
An Examination of Techno-Orientalism
Maki Oh
In an era where the progressively exponential advancements of technology and the implementations of cyberspace in daily activities have become so seamlessly normalized, media has served to satiate the population’s increasing fascination with the future of society and to reflect their expectations for the development of mankind. Science fiction tropes ranging from artificial intelligence uprisings to alien invasions have become easily recognizable stories in the modern world. Yet while their popularity in the realm of subject matter is indisputable, another common narrative that lies within the same genre, and is often casually implemented alongside these famous themes, remains heavily overlooked: the concept of techno-orientalism. The term techno-orientalism refers to an “orientalized future society with a large population of Asians” (Shui), and/or predominantly characterized by the cultural and economic elements of Asian countries. While the thematic presence of techno-orientalism is familiar to most, as seen in iconic filmography such as Blade Runner (1982) and Cloud Atlas (2012), the word itself is hardly prevalent in discussion.
It seems reasonable to conclude that this phenomenon of referencing Asian culture for the grounds of a futuristic setting is a positive step forward in the appreciation of non-western customs. The densely Chinese-populated Los Angeles depicted in Blade Runner could be simplified as recognition of the cultural impact that the real neighborhood of Chinatown has had on the United States, while the dystopian Neo Seoul of Cloud Atlas could be seen as a subtle nod towards the growing acclaim and success of South Korean popular culture across the globe. While one could argue that the exposure that techno-orientalism provides is an indirect method of recognizing diverse and foreign influences across the world and is a step forward in the predominantly white space that is western media, that claim only holds weight if it is incorrectly interpreted as a means of cultural appreciation rather than appropriation — and if its enabling of casual racism is entirely ignored as well. A closer examination of techno-orientalism will reveal its foundation in the fetishization and dehumanization of Asian peoples, and its reflection of the infamously xenophobic Yellow Peril.
The Future of Fetishization
and Dehumanization
The fetishization of Asian peoples, particularly Asian women, is hardly a modern concept. Also known as “yellow fever,” it differs from casual dating preferences in the context that it sets unjust expectations for the behavior of Asian women to be fragile and passive, while simultaneously seductive, and takes root in the form of an uncomfortable obsession over allegedly “exotic” features. Yellow fever has been perpetuated for many years by racial caricatures such as the “Geisha” or the “Lotus Blossom,” both of which depict Asian women as sexually available and subservient possessions (Tajima). Notable examples of this are the musical Miss Saigon, which paints the narrative of a helpless Vietnamese sex worker in need of American assistance, or the movie Mean Girls (2004), which depicts two Asian students as promiscuous despite being sexually exploited by a teacher. Seeing as these harmful stereotypes have been reinforced in various forms of western media, it is hardly surprising that the fetishization of Asian women has found its way into the realm of contemporary science fiction as well.
Futuristic settings allow for the easy dehumanization of Asians, as seen in Cloud Atlas, where female humanoid clones live as indentured laborers and sex workers in a dystopian version of Seoul, South Korea, or the game Cyberpunk 2077, which exoticizes generic “Asian” accents through its non-playable background characters while also exploiting iconography from China and Japan to create the feel of a cyberpunk, futuristic society. Techno-orientalism serves as a vehicle for ill treatment of Asian peoples and their cultures, but it attempts to cower behind the excuse of a post-racial future, with hypothetical situations such as the development of artificial intelligence prompting questions of whether race is still relevant to synthetic humans, for instance. However, in the present world, violence and hate against Asians remain excessively prevalent, and actively confronting the harmful stereotypes and tropes that compose techno-orientalism is more necessary than ever.
Dehumanization and fetishization within techno-orientalism is exemplified in the film Ex Machina (2014), which not only literally depicts its Asian women as artificially intelligent beings of carbon fiber, but also uses them as devices to serve the white android lead, Ava. The mute, submissive robotic assistant Kyoko is repeatedly abused by her owner, Nathan, but her only act of agency against him comes after she is spurred into action by Ava, during which she is murdered for her rebellion and effectively characterized as yet another self-sacrificing “Lotus Blossom” stereotype. Moreover, when Ava requires parts to repair herself, despite having the option to use another white-presenting robot, she strips Jade, a synthetically Asian android, of her skin and limbs; Jade even smiles, indicating her passiveness, and even approval, towards this dystopian version of yellow-face, as a lifeless being whose sole purpose is to perpetuate the transformative narrative of the white woman in a post-racial society. Ex Machina casually uses techno-orientalism as a means of reinforcing the roles of Asian women as disposable sex objects and machine-like laborers (Wong), while simultaneously framing race as an outdated concept in order to convenience the white main characters. Techno-orientalism’s preservation of historically racist tropes does not frame Asian culture as a driving force behind the future of mankind — instead, it asserts that the exploitation of Asian peoples is a successful means to an end.
Revisiting Yellow Peril
The origins of Asian stereotypes, along with their consequent fetishization and dehumanization, can be traced back to the Yellow Peril, the racist and xenophobic ideology that Asian peoples exist as a threat to the western world. In the mid-nineteenth century, an increase in Asian immigration to the United States led to “labor tensions and shifting national identities” (“Asian Immigration”), which culminated in the larger belief that Asian peoples would seize the west and replace their democratic, Christian values with that of the east. Techno-orientalism is a modern representation of the Yellow Peril, as the implementation of Asian cultural elements and the depiction of predominantly Asian populations in advanced dystopian settings illustrate the Yellow Peril’s overarching fear of invasion.
A notable example of the future being Asian is Blade Runner. Its futuristic depiction of Los Angeles is reminiscent of Japan, for technological advancements such as levitating vehicles and extensive skyscrapers are presented alongside people in traditional clothing and the neon kanji signs. While one could argue that associating Asia with development is an act of admiration, seeing as countries such as China and Japan have become major areas for economic influence and technological innovation, techno-orientalism is hypocritical in the sense that while the west views Asian countries as ultramodern, it dismisses them as primitive in terms of humanity. Cyberpunk 2077 uses Asian aesthetics to decorate its fictional society, similarly to Blade Runner, but its appreciation for the culture falls short when it senselessly uses a generic accent that appears Asian enough — as though the identities of multiple ethnic groups could be represented by a stereotypical voice. Ultimately, techno-orientalism fails to respect the authentic differences between Asian cultures, and consequently reinforces the Yellow Peril’s harmful caricature of all Asian peoples as undifferentiated, inhuman beings focused solely on invading the west through superior technological advancements.
While techno-orientalism may appear to be an appreciation of the technological advancements and cultural values of Asian countries, in actuality it perpetuates harmful stereotypes and caricatures that stem from the Yellow Peril. Racist rhetoric, particularly the fetishization of Asian women and the western anxiety of Asian invasion, is disguised behind a fictional narrative of progressiveness, and the hypothetical nature of science fiction acts as a vehicle for avoiding accountability. Though including elements of Asian culture is not harmful in and of itself, the greater issue behind techno-orientalism lies within exploiting such elements to reinforce harmful notions of the people who originated them.
Works Cited
“Asian Immigration: The ‘Yellow Peril.’” Race in the United States: 1880–1940. BGSU.
Shui, Yuhan. “Techno-Orientalism in Contemporary Hollywood Cinema.” Vassar College Digital Library, 2016.
Tajima, Renee. “Lotus Blossoms Don’t Bleed: Images of Asian Women.” Making Waves: An Anthology of Writings by and about Asian American Women, Beacon, 1989, pp. 308–317.
Wong, Danielle. “Dismembered Asian/American Android Parts in Ex Machina as ‘Inorganic’ Critique.” Transformations, no. 29, 2017.
Maki Oh studies in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.