The brand new U.S.’s the reason fixation for the ao dai could easily be translated just like the another manifestation of Orientalism otherwise white sexual imperialism- the west projects what it won’t accept regarding the alone onto the Other, in such a case, sexual aspirations; brand new Melvin example casts Vietnamese feminine since the without a doubt and you can purposefully hypersexual, and this merits domestication or change in a fairly advanced (Western) direction; these images receive white men specifically to alleviate Chinese language women while the sexual playthings; an such like. An article named “Trends Inspired because of the Vietnamese,” had written on Times from inside the 1967, narrates the story off a young few exactly who started selling ao dais as a way out-of proving its other People in america “that the Vietnamese people are traditions, respiration human beings,” having fun with Japanese and you may Chinese group making and you may model an object they first saw into the nights reports- facts that fit comfortably according to the umbrella out-of fetishization. The occasions article ‘The fresh new Mist Of Fragrance River’ begins with a description of one’s ao dai while the covering up each other “everything, because it’s a complete-duration, high-neck tunic… absolutely nothing, because it’s very intimate-suitable so it simply leaves absolutely nothing with the creative imagination.” Anne Anlin Cheng, teacher and you will blogger, interprets which design while the not only a hack so you’re able to objectify Vietnamese female however, just like the really flesh to possess diasporic Asian women personhood, and therefore she writes is done appealing to south west not of the its naked skin but its inquire, mahogany, and you may ceramics,” within her example- alongside which it is visible. Read more →