Chinese people in America are so brainwashed by racist white people that they will never understand how truly beautiful slanted eyes are

Have there ever been cases where Chinese people openly acknowledged or even bragged about the stereotype that others see them as highly intelligent? For example, imagine a Chinese mother telling her daughter something like:

“People already assume Chinese people are smart. Other countries look at us and think we’re geniuses. Parents compare their kids to Chinese children and say, ‘Why can’t you study like them?’”

From my personal experience as a Black person, I have seen some Black families compare their children to Chinese students, not because they see Black children as inferior, but because they associate Chinese culture with discipline, academic success, careers, and stability.

I’ve also noticed discussions around beauty standards connected to features sometimes called “phoenix eyes,” which are admired in many East Asian cultures.

what ARE PHOENIX EYES? slanted EYES. The reason Chinese movies have characters with slanted eyes even though they were produced in china is because they are seen as beautiful in china and they call them phoenix eyes.

In China, phoenix eyes are often considered elegant and attractive, and similar eye shapes are frequently given to attractive fictional characters in animation and art. Some people from many racial backgrounds — including Black, Native American, and Asian people — naturally have these eye shapes.

Historically, some White people mocked Chinese features out of racism and anti-Chinese prejudice, especially during periods of discrimination in the West. At the same time, many other people genuinely find those features beautiful. In art, animation, and character design, narrower or almond-shaped eyes are often used to create graceful, attractive, or striking-looking characters.

What I’m really asking is: have there been examples of Chinese people openly expressing pride in being stereotyped as intelligent or in having physical features that are admired within their culture and by others?

Slanted eyes are beautiful

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I saw a book that was praised for not portraying a Chinese character with slanted eyes and a monolid. The strange thing was that the character on the cover looked half White or at least biracial.

What I’ve wanted to say to Chinese people for many years, as a Black woman, is that many people genuinely find slanted or “phoenix” eyes beautiful. The reason some people made Chinese people feel insecure about those features is not because the features themselves are unattractive, but because of racism and anti-Chinese prejudice. Historically, some racist White people mocked Chinese people because they disliked Chinese people, not because the features themselves were ugly.

In China, phoenix eyes are often considered elegant and beautiful. That is why some Chinese films, artwork, and media portray characters with those eye shapes. In many cases, it is a beauty standard. The term “phoenix eyes” itself is poetic and flattering. In fact, some people in China even pursue cosmetic surgery to achieve that appearance, while in America some people feel pressured to change those features in order to fit Western beauty standards.

Ironically, many fictional characters that people consider beautiful — including White characters in animation and film — are often drawn with almond-shaped or slightly slanted eyes. Characters like Elsa, Mulan, and Pocahontas all have eye shapes that resemble what many people describe as phoenix eyes. These traits are often used in art because they are seen as graceful and attractive.

Of course, not all Chinese people have slanted eyes, and not everyone is attracted to the same features. But many people across different cultures genuinely admire them. I have even seen Black people with similar eye shapes, and I personally think it can look incredibly beautiful. I once saw a woman who was half Black and half Asian, and I thought she was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen.

The point I’m making is that these features are not ugly or shameful. In many cultures, they are admired and celebrated. Sometimes people mock features they secretly find attractive or distinctive because they want to put others down or make themselves feel superior. But that does not change the fact that many people truly see those features as beautiful.