The Minority Militant recently posted this blog post about Balloon Boy and his mother Mayumi and father Richard. In his blog post, he links this article: Balloon Boy Mom: Co-Conspirator or Abused Wife?
As I pointed out in my comment on TMM’s blog, Richard Heene, father of Balloon Boy, has some cultural issues that he’s quite open with. From the article:
“It’s a cultural thing, and he leveraged that knowledge,” Stevens said. “He believed that Asian women can be subservient, and that’s what he wanted. But it takes two to tango, and she was with him for more than a decade. Every day that was the dynamic in play.”
While Richard devotes every moment to his research, he expects Mayumi to cook, clean and run the house without any help,” the promo continued.
and
In that episode, which aired October 2008, Richard screamed at Karin, the wife who swapped places with Mayumi: “You’re a man’s nightmare. I’m so glad my wife was born in Japan.”
Heene clearly associates his wife’s meekness with her race and ethnicity. He’s reeks of Rice Chasing Orientalism. I smelled this the first time he got on air and started talking about his family. There’s just no two ways about this. He either targeted her because of her ethnicity, or he has come to further develop racial prejudices that he already had. While his crimes may be different from other Chasers, his mindset is simlar to this guy, this guy, and this guy.
The more interesting question is about Mayumi Heene. She hasn’t said very much, so we really don’t know all that much about her. However, she too could face punishment for putting her children in danger. The question is whether she is a conspirator along with her Rice Chaser husband, or whether she’s his victim.
If I were on the jury today, I personally would probably vote to punish Mayumi Heene for child endangerment. I mean, her guy emits race chaser vibes on first glance. He’s ugly, stupid, uncultured, dishonest, and unable to attract women from his own culture, and the stuff that comes out of his mouth is the foulest, ugliest nonsense on this side of the Pacific. Not to mention the fact that he is an open rice chaser. I think any reasonably intelligent woman could see that:
a) Richard is stupid
b) he’s unattractive
c) he’s a shameless attention whore who cares more about himself than anyone else
So why would any sane woman date him, let alone marry him and have three kids with him? It seems to me that hanging out with this ‘phile is an invitation to life problems, and that dating a guy like this is a critical lapse in judgment that one could predict a mile a way.
On the other hand, if you look at TMM’s messages, commenters raise some good points about whether Mayumi may have been abused by Richard. I totally see their points. If you watch some of their interviews, Mayumi basically just parrots everything Richard says. She’s basically his docile servant, much in keeping with the Asian stereotypes that attract guys like Richard Heene and Michael Lohman in the first place. So could it be possible that Mayumi is a victim in all of this, and that she’s only doing Richard’s bidding because he’s broken her down emotionally and mentally?
My question is the posed in the article–is it fair to criticize Mayumi Heene, or is she simply the victim of abuse? Vote here:
…and sound off below if you like.
Related posts:
I agree with everything you said. About #1…I think...
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Victim…still responsible for her actions, But still a victim.
They met at an acting school in Hollywood, CA? Yeah… I dated a guy who went to a music school in Hollywood – he said that it was teeming with Japanese girls who came over to marry an American, to pursue movie star/rock n roll life, and any guy (even ones worse than Richard Heene) could get himself a Japanese girlfriend as long as he’s an American.
I’ve seen her “acting chops” on the news clips and Wife Swap promos. She had her own agenda in all of this – I don’t think Richard Heene made her this way.
But what can we do about it? It’s supply and demand thing. Rice chasers demand subservient Asian women. Asian women offer themselves up. Asian women date, get married, and have kids with rice chasers and the self victimization perpetuity process is complete. If this was a real problem, the market would surely adjust itselve. The market will set the price and set you free. No need to make a big fuzz over any of this.
This really is a tough one. Let’s say all this stuff happened in Japan and Dick happened to be Japanese, would Mayumi be considered a victim? I’m not so sure.
But here, in these divided states of A-me-li-ka, because she has three kids and a rice chasing husband, we are quick to assume that she has been battered and abuse.
Clearly it is a difference of two cultural interpretations and I would have to argue that based on our standards she has been victimized.
Please to assume that I am saying all Asian woman in Asia are docile, meek, subrservient — fill in the blank.
I don’t want to jump the gun, but I know that if I were on the jury, Mayumi would probably be going to prison. I’ve noticed exactly the same thing that Mama Nabi noticed at some art schools with some Japanese women. Not to stereotype, but many of them in these schools aggressively chase Chasers. Could we possibly be attributing too much victimhood to Mayumi?
I remember an article that came out a while back about the military rapes at Roppongi. They interviewed one woman who said that her main goal was to bag an officer and get herself pregnant no matter what it took. The jist of the article (and I’ve never been to Roppongi, TMM, and so I’m not necessarily agreeing) was that the stories were not black and white. I don’t think the article was blaming the victim, per se, but it talked about the yellow cab culture that deifies White and Black American men, and it raised questions over the one sided news coverage that had been coming out.
Actually, TMM, since you’re former military, you probably know more about this than I do. I remember when I was in Japan, though, that our English school got the same types that Mama Nabi describes. I understand colonialism and the media and whatnot, but even then, I found it hard to sympathize.
BTW, Mama Nabi, Mayumi’s acting is really good. I almost went back 180 degrees after listening to her 911 audition, I mean, call!
As far as Roppongi, there is no shortage of Japanese women looking to score with US military folks, White guys especially. I would totally agree with Mama Nabi. There are a handful of Japanese women that take classes just to meet foreigners. I would agree with the notion that we are attributing too much victimhood to Mayumi. Just her case alone. However, we leave out a lot of other important aspects that come with Mayumi leaving her country and culture to adapt to a new place with only the immediate family she has. That in itself is too complex for my to decipher.
“However, we leave out a lot of other important aspects that come with Mayumi leaving her country and culture to adapt to a new place with only the immediate family she has. That in itself is too complex for my to decipher.”
Good Point MM, but in that case, wouldn’t we also have to take into account all of the extenuating circumstances in Richard Heeney’s background as well? I mean, was his father a bad role model, did his mother give him enough hugs as a child, was he unpopular in high school? Given the adverse circumstances in life, potentially anyone can be a “victim” can’t they?
Is it true that Mayumi farted during a live interview?
Is it true that the kids and dad made a rap video (posted on youtube) where the kids curse out their mother?
Heard about these through various sources but haven’t checked out the vids myself. Anyway, the kids screwed for life.
@ mT
In answer to question 1, maybe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ADq45H64Z4
For question 2, yes.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/10/16/2009-10-16_balloon_boy_falcon_heene_and_his_brothers_in_profane_youtube_video.html
Hey man, you guys really need to move on with such more obession with over Asian girls and white men.
You can’t take one incident and say that all white men are this way. I think this is further from the truth.
I wold be the first to admit that this year hasn’t been the greatest years in the media for Asian girls and white men. (I’m talking about Annie and the white guy who killed her). I don’t see relationship between white guys and asian girls going to end any time soon. No one has beaten our asses for dating your women.
Seriously, I don’t think calling us “Rice Chaser” is helping any.
To me, that is an offensive name like: cracker or whitey.
Good point, King.
I’ve never claimed to be a victim of hate crimes by White, Blacks, Latinos, and even Asian folks. But I have been. Playing the “victim” card really doesn’t get anyone anywhere. Really, we all have been victim to some kind of detriment. So I don’t know. I guess we are really trying to decide if she belongs in jail. I don’t think she does. Maybe a little community service in the right places will open her eyes.
Siegried,
After all the shit you spewed a few months back, you are suddenly getting it. The negative connotations that come along with “rice chaser” really isn’t too nice, is it? Some feel it is offensive to call Asians “overachievers”. That’s offensive to many Asian folks. At least we’re not calling Richard a “cracker” or “whitey” or … you get the point.
Master Seigfried hasn’t gotten anything. He is merely covering for one of his own.
And if rice chaser is “offensive” to Seigfried, too bad. For him to whine about this term is equivalent to a Klansman complaining about being called a racist redneck.
The term “rice chasing” highlights–in honest language–the Orientalist racism by which White racial fetishizers are “attracted” to Asian women to begin with.
To borrow a term from Frank Chin, it’s racist love.
It’s typical that Rice Chasers like Seigfried magically develop an acute case of political correctness … only when the truth hits too close to home and his perverse behavior is called out. I’m sure that Richard Heene would do just the same.
After all, Heene is the perfect poster child for rice chasers everywhere.
TMM, good points. I purposely avoided Roppongi because I knew it wouldn’t do me any good to see what everyone was talking about.
King and Larry, I agree with you. Victimhood excuses, I think, only go so far. That’s why I’m somewhat unsympathetic here. I mean, we’re talking about Mayumi’s own kids, here. If a mom doesn’t take care of her kids, who will?
Siggy, you need to try a new schtick. I’ve been reading your nonsense for what, three years now? If you’re going to continue to hang out in places where people use you for comic relief, the least you could do is to come up with something innovative.
Larry is right, Seig most certainly does not get it.
“You can’t take one incident and say that all white men are this way. I think this is further from the truth.”
If this was simply about calling out every wm/af couple, then Heeney would have been called out as soon as his family picture was posted. Did that happen? NO. Heeney was judged by his own stupid statements, catalogued in the numerous links above and elsewhere. It took days before anyone here judged Dick’s motives, and when he was judged, it was based on his own actions and his own words.
The problem is that Siegfried doesn’t see anything wrong with Heeney’s statements. When Dick says that his wife is “submissive” Seig just nods his head. When Dick say’s he’s glad that his wife was born in Japan, (as compared to his American swapped wife) Seig say’s “Right on brother, I know what you mean!”
It’s not just about race, it’s about a diseased belief system.
Can someone please explain the difference between “rice chaser” and “Asiaphile”?
I thought the term “rice chaser” was a less harsh, more polite way of calling someone an Asiaphile with yellowfever who practices racist love.
What does “ricechaser” even mean anyway? its because “Asians” eat rice, right?
lol, such complicated terms…..
“Rice chaser” and “Asiaphile” can be used interchangeably. Although I think Asiaphile also includes those people who have a fetish for Oriental culture in general.
Personally, I prefer the term mouth-breathing, sweat-dripping loser- creeps. But that’s just me.
Larry;
thanks for letting me know!!
Along the lines of Anna’s question. Do you apply the term ‘rice chaser’ to any white male who is in a relationship with an Asian female? Or do you reserve the term for cases such as the Heene’s where the guy is a) obviously a douchebag b) has openly admitted (by way of comments) that he is glad to be with an Asian woman due to his orientalist fetishes?
This particular case doesn’t seem to apply to what I write next, but do you believe that an asian woman and white man (or visa versa) could just meet and fall in love with no cultural motivation behind their relationship?
Just curious.
Yes I believe that an Asian woman and white man can meet and fall in love with no cultural motivation.
When two people share the same goals and interest, there is love!!!
Race or culture has little to do with it.
@Robert:
“Along the lines of Anna’s question. Do you apply the term ‘rice chaser’ to any white male who is in a relationship with an Asian female?”
I don’t apply it to everyone. For me, it is reserved for people with agendas and not merely someone who has dated Asians or is interested in someone who is Asian. Also, there is a difference between “having a preference” and “chasing” and I do not include those with preferences for Asians as “rice chasers.”
Some people prefer blonds, and some people chase after blonds. But if a person only date blonds thinking that they are “ditzy bimbo’s who put out,” well that person is a freaky douchbag. Blonds are not inherantly “ditzy” and do not always “put out.” There are also women with agendas who are “size queens” or chase after men with money. Those women seek men for their “package” or their “wallets.”
People who date Asian women because they expect Asian women to be docile, subservient, etc. are rice chasers. You know ‘em when you see ‘em.
Heene seemed that way, not because he was with an asian woman, but because of his behavior. But most of us reserved judgment until we saw/heard proof.
“Along the lines of Anna’s question. Do you apply the term ‘rice chaser’ to any white male who is in a relationship with an Asian female”?
That really depends on who’s applying the term. But I think that most people reserve judgement until they know something about the two people involved. That’s why Jaehwan said, “this guy smells like a rice chaser…” If it was only based on a White guy just being with an Asian woman, then there wouldn’t be anything to “sniff out” beyond that rather obvious fact.
American Girl and King:
I’m very happy that you two didn’t paint every Asian girl and White man as being “Rice Chasers”. People it is just not true that all white men view Asian girls as “docil” or “subservient”. There might be a few of us, but I don’t think it’s everyone. Most of us just appreciate the true beauty of Asian women. Some forums have blast all Asian female and white men relationship.
I’m glad this is different and you are willing to with hold judgement!
American Girl and King:
I’m very happy that you two didn’t paint every Asian girl and White man as being “Rice Chasers”
Indeed no.
And in the same way, we would not indite every Asian guy who dated a white girl to be a whitewashed sell-out.”
No, it is only fair to judge people by their own words:
Seigfried
Besides, us dating the beauty Asian female should be a compliment of your race. And with that, many Asian female of all ages are flattered beyond words to have so much attention paid to them.”
Robert
I think ALL relationships have cultural lense/motivation behind their relationship. Especially interracial ones, because in this world today, all people human beings are viewed in a cultural context. So its IMPOSSIBLE to see each other without a cultural schema behind them. The only way you’d be able to get a truly equal relationship without any cultural motivation if you took babies and raised them in a truly post racial environment (like in star trek or something) and these babies grew up into adults who fell in love.
I think people who are interested in TRUE love, try to remove a cultural context/background as much as possible during dating and try to see the other as a human being for their personality first. But its probably rare, because when you think about it, people would be more accepting of Homosexual relationships/rights if society believed in the moral of finding true love based on each others personality…
Seigfried,
I disagree with King and AM. I think ALL white males who lust after Asian females are Asiaphile ricechasers. But then again, alot of the Asian Females who lust after and date White men are attracted to white guys/are Caucasiaphiles anyway, so the two demographics suit each other, they are both getting what they want, they are both making each other happy…
If they can make each others dreams come true, then why should others care? (being totally sincere here, seriously) *serious empathetic face *
To clarify,
Its like, people get together for the most stupidest, dumbest , shallow reasons anyway, so why should people be so obssessed with the interracial aspect?, Its not as though hating on every interracial pairing is going to change their minds about it, in fact itll will probably harden their resolve, and they’ll write off criticism as some kind of “reverse racism” anyway, so may as well so just let them be and concentrate on your own happiness…
“I think ALL relationships have cultural lense/motivation behind their relationship. Especially interracial ones, because in this world today, all people human beings are viewed in a cultural context. So its IMPOSSIBLE to see each other without a cultural schema behind them.”
That statement has the ring of truth to it.
“I think people who are interested in TRUE love, try to remove a cultural context/background as much as possible during dating and try to see the other as a human being for their personality first.”
Unless “culture” is part of a person’s personality?
“I think ALL white males who lust after Asian females are Asiaphile ricechasers.”
Fair enough, but “Asiaphile” is just a word, and “Ricechaser” is just a word, and even “lust”is just a word. Because language is imperfect, it may be that our words disagree more than our meanings.
Hey Rob. Haven’t seen you post in awhile. Nice, interesting first post after such a long hiatus. Are you married to an Asian? Just curious. Anyway, glad to see you are still lurking around (you should post more). Welcome back.
American Girl, do you “prefer” dating white men? And recalling from another thread, do your partner or husband really literally call you “AG” or American Girl? Sorry, this curiosity thing Rob started is really contagious.
King, are you the same King for a Day from 44s?
Seigfried, do you have a pic or some bio information on some Asian fetish website you can provide so I can pass along to some beautiful Asian ladies who want to meet a normal, decent, smart white guy?
“King, are you the same King for a Day from 44s?”
The same.
You’re only a victim if you let yourself be one. It’s even more tragic when you’re the one enabling yourself to be a victim.
@mT
No one calls me AG in real life. It’s just a handle.
I don’t date anymore. When I did, I can’t say I had a preference, but I only dated Asian, Caucasian or mixed race men because they were the only type of men in the universe of men who asked me out on a date.
Hmmm, now that’s curious; only two of my curiosities have been answered. Lol. Unsolved mysteries
@American Girl,
As a follow up, let me ask you these.
1. Do you honestly think that “preferring to date blondes over brunettes” is the same thing as “preferring to date one race over your own race”?
2. Given worldwide media’s constant perpetual promotion of white beauty, do you think it is really okay for a white man or woman to have a “preference” for Asians? In other words do you not see that there is something inherently wrong and perverted about this?
3. Given worldwide media’s constant perpetual promotion of white beauty, do you think it is really okay for an Asian woman or man to have a “preference” for Whites”? In other words do you not see that there is something inherently wrong and perverted about this?
4. Do you think there is a difference between these 2 preferences in #2 and #3?
5. Beyond the physical and cultural attraction and preference aspect of this, who do you think carries the bigger burden when it comes to being socially aware and promoting/combating on behalf of Asian American issues (including the IR disparity)? Whites or Asians? Or is it just free love and as long as Asians (both men and women) don’t date “loser” whites, then it’s totally okay?
BTW, if an Asian guy or gal tells you that they prefer to date blondes over brunettes, they like the white meat. For whites, it’s a different thing all together.
“I don’t date anymore. When I did, I can’t say I had a preference, but I only dated Asian, Caucasian or mixed race men because they were the only type of men in the universe of men who asked me out on a date.”
Okay, fair enough answer. What if I asked who you were more attracted to regardless of who asked you out? Attraction happens long before some boy came along and asked you out on a date if you were a girl. Or some girl showed interest in you so you asked her out if you were a guy (because that’s one thing that has stayed the same since the dawn of time despite the many social and technological advances we have achieved up to this point in the modern world).
You shouldn’t be blaming the ‘rice chasers’ so much. Alot to asian women are complicit in this as well. It takes 2 to tango. Both my sisters are ‘white chasers’. They’ve privately said to me disparaging things about Asian Men; that they have a “preference” for white men; more in common with whites, etc. etc. Convenient rationalizations. Both brainwashed that the standard is white. Both have what is called “internalized gendered racism” often found among certain Asian Women. (You can Google this term for a full explanation of what that is).
After expressing these things to me, and watching their behavior (dissing Asian Men, etc.), I have a strained relationship with them. It ‘s like finding out that some of your family members are closet pedophiles; it’s hard to respect them.
I’ve always wondered about family scenarios such as Phil’s. As an only child, I’ve frequently thought about would would happen not only if I had siblings, but if I had a sister. What would I do if she started shunning Asian men? Would the presence of having an Asian brother affect her perceptions of Asian/white masculinity?
It’s really unfortunate to hear Phil’s account. You would think that having an Asian brother for all their lives would convince them that Asian men are “normal” men as opposed to only consuming media representations. Guess not. You would also think they’d realize that they’re insulting their own brother with their words and, indirectly, with their actions.
Have you ever confronted them about it, Phil?
“You would think that having an Asian brother for all their lives would convince them that Asian men are “normal” men as opposed to only consuming media representations.”
You forget that brothers and fathers are always the “exceptions.”
Also, they are not romantic interests.
“Both have what is called ‘internalized gendered racism’ often found among certain Asian Women. (You can Google this term for a full explanation of what that is).”
I Googled this term and came up with Karen Pyke’s work, _Internalized Gendered Racism in Asian American Women’s Accounts of Asian and White Masculinities_.
http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/1/0/9/4/3/p109437_index.html
Using a number of interviews with Korean and Vietnamese American women, it examines how these interviewees promote White racist/gendered views of Asian (American) males.
What’s interesting is that Prof. Karen Pyke herself is White, I believe.
Imagine if an Asian guy wrote this book. There would be spittle-flecked outrage and hell to pay. The work would be politically attacked as an example of an Asian guy unfairly demonizing Asian women as whitewashed sell-outs!
And even more interesting are Google’s Rice Chaser/Asianphile ads found on the webpage of Pyke’s work: “Hookup With Sexy Asians”; “1000′s Of Thai Women”; “Find An Asian Wife,” “Asian women look for men” etc.
In other words, this White Orientalist fetish culture is totally pervasive and promoted by “respectable” American corporations like Google.
In America, Orientalist racism/sexism is normalized like the air you breathe.
This kind of White racist culture is like the plague, swine flu, and a very nasty STD all combined together.
In respond to Etain’s question have I ever confronted my sister’s about their “preference”.
Yes. Both go into denial, get self defensive (“you misunderstood what I said/meant”, but then refuse to clarify what they said), & then get angry (f*ck off & runs off). Both are married to WM, one who is rich & balding ; the other who doesn’t say much. I wonder if they settled for these guys just because they’re WM who will have them. It just goes to show you how some AW (& AM) have internalized a white bias (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG7U1QsUd1g) & never grow out of it because of the issues they have about themselves.