The Medicalization of Ethnicity in Vietnamese-American Women: Cosmetic Surgery and Hybridization

Abstract

Within the growing proliferation of the cosmetic procedures in the United States and worldwide, the alteration of ethnic features dominate surgeries chosen by Asians. This study surveys a group of Vietnamese women who have undergone ethno-altering cosmetic surgery in the United States and Vietnam. The study utilized semi-structured interviews and participant observations to elicit the following information from participants and their families, friends, and coworkers: a) How does the cosmetic procedures affect their acculturation to the United States? b) How have their experiences affected their cultural identity? c) How have they experienced their surgeries in relation to the presence of western technology, images, and culture? d) How have their experiences with their surgeries affected their relationships with friends, families, and coworkers? Fifteen women between the ages of twenty-five and sixty-five participated in this study. All subjects immigrated to the United States after reaching fifteen years of age with 58% had their procedures in Vietnam. Major findings include the claim by all subjects that the surgery was motivated by a pursuit of Asian standards of beauty, but with the specification by them typical of a hybrid mix of Western and Asian features.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n22p92