China Doll

The expression "China Doll" (English for "China doll" or "porcelain doll") describes a cultural stereotype - especially widespread in the USA - that East Asian women consider to be "exotic", "feminine", submissive and overzealous to meet the personal and sexual desires of her male partner. These women fall indiscriminately in love with a mostly white man - obviously only because he is white - who then either disdains them or leaves them again, which breaks their hearts and usually ends in their death.

The motif that Pierre Loti used for his novella Madame Chrysanthème in 1887 - Giacomo Puccini then composed his opera Madama Butterfly (1904) - has since appeared in numerous feature films. The most important "China Doll" actress of the silent film era was the Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong . As the film titles listed below and also the musical Miss Saigon , which premiered in 1994, show, the topic has enjoyed undiminished popularity to the present day.

The terms Lotus Blossom (English for "lotus blossom") and Geisha Girl are used in the same way as China Doll .

Film samples

• The Little Tea House , USA 1956
• Sayonara , USA 1957
• The world of Suzie Wong , USA 1960
• In the year of the dragon , USA 1985
• In search of the golden child , USA 1986
• Come and see Paradise , USA 1990
• James Bond 007 - Tomorrow Never Dies , GB / USA 1997
• For a friend's life , USA 1998

See also

• Dragon Lady

Web links

• www.u.arizona.edu Lotus Blossom (Engl.)
• Yellow Myths on the Silver Screen Stock characters (Engl.)
• Lotus Blossoms Don't Bleed. Images of Asian Women (English).
• Asian Stereotypes Restrictive Portrayals of Asians in the Media and How to Balance Them (engl.)