Mother Other: Asian American Histories and Legacies of Reproductive Exclusion

• In Event: 2354 - Reproductive Justice and Governance

Abstract

This study addresses the structural conditions and historical processes of “reproductive exclusion” that have imposed “otherness” on different mothers in particular ways, focusing on constructions of Asian American women simultaneously as model minority reproducers and reproductive threats. While other scholars have examined in depth the legal policies which have excluded the immigration of Asian women in order to control their reproduction, more analysis is needed of how the legacies of these historical policies connect to and shape current debates regarding Asian American women as hyper-competitive, emotionally abusive “tiger mothers.” Furthermore, the actual mothering practices of second-generation Asian American women have not been given sufficient attention, particularly with regard to how they are still strongly influenced by ongoing structures of reproductive exclusion. Drawing on interview data with 80 subjects, this study shows how various forms of reproductive exclusion shape current perceptions and treatment of Asian American mothers and the stakes of mothering for these women, their families, communities and struggles for reproductive justice.

Author

• Miliann Kang, University of Massachusetts, Amherst