Images of Asian culture are all around us in the United States. They can be found in restaurants, in newspapers, in magazines, on the internet, and on television. All of these images reflect a typical American's view of people who live in Asia. The most common images that we see in the media are not an accurate reflection of what modern-day Asia really is. Many of the images make us perceive Asia as backward, traditional, and inferior to us. This is how Asia is orientalized. These images circulated by Americans serve the purpose of making us feel that we are superior to Asian culture and lifestyle.
             The first example of orientalism that I found is a picture of a small, male child. He is dressed in a long gown that is decorated in a traditional Chinese design and wearing a hat. Refer to Appendix A. I found this picture on the internet on a web page designed for children to inform them of the Chinese New Year. This picture gives the perception that all Children in China dress this way. The boy in this picture looks very simple and plain. In no way does this icon make China look like a very industrialized and technologically advanced country. In this example, an American selected this image to portray Asia as an uncivilized nation that is not as advanced as America is. This image is very misleading. Since this website is a child-based website, this is a prime example of how orientalism is started early in our country. Little children in America see these images and assume this is how people in China dress on a daily basis. They see these images and that implies that Asia is not a country as good as ours or that it is some exotic place, and they believe it.
             The second illustration that I came across is a photograph taken of two young female girls. They are Japanese. Both are dressed in very traditional Japanese clothing (robes, sandals, headpieces). They have their hair done upon their head and their faces are painted to look very...