Trigger warning: this article touches on a sensitive topic—racism. All written here is based on my own experiences, thoughts, and emotions, and does not reflect on HotMovies or any of their staff. I want to thank them for letting me submit this writing, especially when it is so sorely needed. I hope that other Asian people in this industry speak up, use your voices, and take up all the space you need! The industry has made us feel unseen and unheard; let’s not make this our reality any more.
I am Jasmine Jade, a BIPOC (black, indigenous, person-of-color) veteran of the adult industry with over 15 years of experience. I have been through trade shows, webcam, TV, DVDs, VOD, books, magazines, and much more. I am from Filipino decent. My parents came to Canada over 50 years ago. I was born, raised, and am living in Canada. Systemic racism exists in Canada. What I have been saying for years is finally being recognized: in Canada racism is at the least just ignored, but in reality it has become so normalized that it is “unseen.” We now know that silence towards racism is racism, and ignoring racism is now considered support of racism—not just where I am, but everywhere.
Can you imagine living in a world that doesn’t want, care about, nor listen to you? This is how I feel as an Asian female every single day. I have seen the adult industry change and evolve, but unfortunately one thing that hasn’t changed is the racist behaviors that many people casually participate in without even noticing. I have experienced this time and time again, but as every Asian model has done, I kept silent. This is what needs to change. If I wasn’t Asian, maybe things would be different, but I am and I should not have to suppress my Filipino pride. It is time to let our voices be heard! We are fighting for us all!
For the first time, I am sharing publicly what I am now finding out to be common experiences for Asian talent. The experiences may not be exactly the same, but the responses and actions of others are always consistent. I am now seeing it with bigger adult stars, but unlike before, they are calling it out. I hope this trend continues, but it gets tiring for us really fast. Just writing this piece is draining me emotionally and physically, but I feel I need to use the platform given to me to help the next “me,” or help the current Asian adult starts through this difficult time.
I know you are thinking, “Why not just say something when racist behavior happens?” There MANY reasons that you would not have thought of. Some are more serious then others, and I have experienced all of them in some form. Just to give you and idea on what types of decisions we have to consider when thrown into a situation dealing with racism, I am going to list the risks we have to consider before we speak up.
Risks to Our Livelihood
Speaking out means we will lose fans and friends in the industry.
This one is a big one for Asian models just starting out or who can’t afford to lose their following (which is all of us). We are talked down to quite often by everyone: including fans, other models, and… really, everyone. Asian people in general are taught to not cause problems and to keep their head down. But that is what brought us to where we are now, it has been completely normalized to treat Asians lower then anyone else. This is in every aspect of our daily lives.
Another reason why Asian talent has stayed silent against racist behavior is that the company or person’s content may be beneficial to the industry. I have a personal experience in particular where a site owner has, time and time again, shown they are racist—but because it is a good resource for beginners in the industry, I still have not named the person or company. It does bother me that the person running that site also claims to be an ally, but I stay quiet for the reasons listed in this article.
Risks to Our Mental Health
We will be vilified while they act like a victim.
This one hurts all of us because the message the victim gets in their head is that they should never have spoken out. This is usually the default for racists. They will try to rally people that think and act like them (other racists) to show they have support. Then they hire or befriend a BIPOC to say, “See? We aren’t racist” as a type of “proof” to gain more support. This always quickly escalates into harassment or worse.
We will be replaced and ignored.
This is a common tactic with racist companies when they are called out. They will remove who called them out from their post or remove the photos they used (typically used without permission), and then simply replace them with an Asian model who is either not very active on social media (so they won’t complain), one who is no longer active, or one who will not speak out (and that is okay because I know it takes a lot to speak out). We don’t speak out because we do not feel safe and they exploit this at every opportunity. This is what a world that doesn’t want, care, nor listen to you does.
We won’t be able to work with companies.
Generally, to avoid being visibly racist, companies will just outright not hire you while using reasons that are “it’s just how the market is.” At a weight of 110 pounds I was told I was “too fat,” which worsened my body dysmorphia. Now I have tried making the switch from model to studio just be reminded of the same issues.
Risks to Our Safety
We will be harassed and threatened.
The person that has been called out will say they are being attacked and, for reasons I still can’t relate, they attack the person who is calling out their behavior. They will start using their platform to spread hate while even disguising it as support. When it’s a company, they will use their social media influence to encourage their fans into thinking it is okay to follow and harass or threaten Asian talent.
Most people say to just block them, but they just make new accounts and continue their attacks until we are forced to take a break. I know the people behind that screen feel broken and defeated, because then we realize no one really sticks up for us either. Social media is how we market ourselves, and when we don’t want to market ourselves, this affects our ability to earn a living while also affecting our mental health.
We might be doxxed or even swatted.
This is usually why most of us do not speak up. This is usually with a company we have worked for that later shows their true nature. When we speak up, we are reminded that they have our personal info and people can do really evil things with it. Worse than doxxing is swatting. It is potentially incredibly dangerous to the point of literally being life-threatening. If you do not know what it is, it involves people calling in the police using your information as a person who is committing a crime. This typically causes police to come to your house and can have fatal consequences. I am not exaggerating: Google it.
How do we, as an industry, make it better?
This writing piece is not just doom and gloom. I do have some hope since there are a few companies (like HotMovies) who are giving us a place alongside the big names. Companies that truly support us will find the return to be far more than what they expected.
Hire more BIPOC individuals!
Many of them would be thrilled to be hired for consulting, writing, talent, and so much more. There are so many talented individuals that do not get recognition and are overlooked just because they are BIPOC.
Be aware of the language you use and the content you put out.
The English language is always changing and evolving, so you have to be aware of what is okay to use and what is not. If certain words or behaviors are considered racist: DON’T USE THEM! Clear examples of this are terms such as “BBC,” “Queen of Spades,” and “aheago.” Yes, ALL of these are racist, and if you do not understand why, do your research. Many people decide that the ignorance route is easier, but the information is already out there—you just have to want to learn.
BIPOC people need to continue calling out racism when they see it and be actual allies with each other. Right now it is sad seeing people try to put the #StopAsianHate and BLM movements against each other. We have to stand together so we can all move forward! Do not take away from each others’ fight. I support BLM and at the same time I speak out for #StopAsianHate and #AsiansAreHuman.
We need our allies. Being an ally means not just doing the surface things for the title of “ally.” If you see something, say something! You may think it’s not your place, but if you do not speak out, the person spreading hate will continue; we cannot let that go on. I love the saying by Roy T. Bennett: “Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular.” With this writing I hope you see why we don’t say anything and why we need you to help.
I hope that this has helped some of you understand what Asian talent has to go through in the industry and that it is a daily struggle. If we all start making changes now, we can start making it safe for Asians in this industry. I want to go to trade shows without worry of attacks, make content beside big names, and not be blocked just because I am Asian. I just want what every model in this industry wants: to feel like they belong. That is what my hopes are for this industry.
Follow @juicyjade and HotMovies on Twitter and Instagram