China Boy & Susie Cotton

Uh oh....

Over the years I’ve collected lots of different things. One theme that runs across a lot of my vintage collections is blatant “Oriental” racist images.  I’m always fascinated by the fact that these images used to be totally acceptable as home decor, and when I found these items in thrift stores, antique malls and flea markets I snatched them up. This imagery shaped the future of Asians in America for generations to come. It made the stereotypes that began with the first wave of Asian immigrants in the 1800s acceptable in mainstream culture all the way until… well, even now I suppose. My skin still crawls every time I see Yellow Face cosplay at conventions. This stuff just doesn’t ever seem to go away…

This pattern set from the late 1940s is a double whammy with China Boy’s friends Susie Cotton and Sammy Bean.

Pretty nuts. I wonder how many of these sold, and how many women made these dolls for their children?