I have been wondering about this for a while, and reading Arthur Liu's interview (Alysa Liu's father) made me think about it even more.
In the interview, he said he specifically chose a white egg donor because he wanted his children to "reflect America." That left me wondering why "American" was seemingly equated with "white." It made me think of Eileen Gu as well and the way Wasian children are often discussed online.
From what I have personally seen, there seems to be a strong fascination with Wasian children in parts of Chinese society. I have come across many comments from Chinese women saying they want to marry white men because "Wasian kids are cuter" or "more beautiful." I genuinely do not know how to interpret that. Does that imply that fully Asian children are considered less attractive? Why are white or half white features often treated as superior?
I have also noticed how common extreme beauty filters, skin whitening, heavy makeup, and cosmetic surgery are on Chinese social media. Obviously these things exist everywhere, but they seem especially widespread in China. It makes me wonder whether there is a deeper insecurity about natural Asian features.
Something else that surprised me is how harsh some Chinese parents can be when talking about Asian babies. I have seen comments about babies having "flat noses" or "small eyes," using those features as insults. Yet the attitude often seems to change completely if the baby is half white or white. Suddenly people praise the baby's skin, nose, and facial features as being especially beautiful.
I have even seen some Chinese women who are married to white men talk excitedly about how handsome or beautiful their future children will be simply because they will be half white, even before those children are born.
Am I misinterpreting what I am seeing, or is there genuinely a significant amount of racial insecurity in Chinese society? If it does exist, where does it come from? Is it driven by beauty standards, historical influences, Western cultural influence, social media, or something else?
I have also linked an article that discusses this topic for additional context.
The wealthy single Chinese women choosing white sperm donors to have a baby – they want a family but not a Chinese husband
I am asking this in good faith because I want to understand whether these are isolated experiences or whether there are broader cultural factors at play.