The second most popular category on Pornhub is “Hentai” which is a title given to a subcategory of Japanese anime that consists of sexually explicit images, characters, and plots. Recently, there’s been an extreme spike in anime (more specifically, hentai) popularity which goes hand in hand with the modern fetishization of Asian women.

A fetish is described as “the sexual fascination with things that are not inherently sexual.” The issue with this in the context of race is that the person is no longer seen as a human being. The partner becomes a sexual object and is only recognized by the traits of the fetish (in this case, pale skin, black hair etc…).

Many expect their fetish to be taken as a compliment; however, this is far from reality. To fetishize a person is more similar to an insult because they are deduced to a single trait. To degrade someone to the color of their skin or hair is to dehumanize them and decrease their self worth. Currently, “yellow fever” is the term coined for those sexually obsessed with the Asian race.

While there can be perfectly healthy multiracial relationships, it’s important to address where this problem has stemmed from: the media. By producing such ridiculous material to be broadcasted as “Hentai” through porn sites and social media, it’s no surprise people are getting the wrong idea. These videos promote the idea that Asian women are submissive and highly sexual, keen on performing whatever task their “master” would like.

The large attraction to hentai seems to be that the cartoon images allow the creators to exemplify impossible sexual feats. By showcasing these illogical instances, viewers tend to think all Asian women can perform such tasks and thus a fetish is born.

Fetishizing a person is not a characteristic of a healthy relationship and is potentially dangerous. People should be loved for their personality and charm, not for a lone physical trait.