Chinese Americans and Japanese Americans in Advertising

Chinese Americans and Japanese Americans, since the late 19th century, have been depicted in a variety of ways ranging from unwanted aliens to model minority geeks to affluent consumers. These representations mirror various immigration trends, entrees into local economies, US military alliances, and policies. Much of the early depictions of Chinese Americans focused on men's participation in the feminized labor of laundry work. By the early-mid 20th century, as washing machines became ubiquitous in white middle class homes, Chinese American men were represented in opposition to new technologies. Post-1965, Chinese Americans became largely absent from advertising until the 1980s when they became recognized as consumers. In contrast, early depictions of Japanese Americans were generally “positive”: men were represented as landowners and Japanese American women as geishas. By World War II, however, there was a significant shift in the wake of Pearl Harbor: Japanese Americans were interred by the U.S. government and depicted as the enemy. Post-1965, with relatively small immigration and the prevalence of Japanese/white marriages, there has been a decline in Japanese Americans. As a result, advertisers have not targeted Japanese Americans outside of a few areas.

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