Imagining the Desirable Other. A Discourse Analysis of Online Dating Profiles of Filipino Women and American Men on FilipinoKisses.com

Abstract: This research explored the stereotypical representations, images, and expectations surrounding the relationships of Filipino women and American men. Within the context of the mail-order bride phenomenon, Filipino women have been largely depicted as victims of racialized and gendered representations of mail-order bride agencies. Similarly, romantic relationships between Filipino women and American men are reduced to mere business at which romantic love and desire is absent. However, such depictions fail to acknowledge other factors at play with Filipino women’s intention to seek relationship with Western men. Within the Filipino society, Western men are constructed as better marriage partners in contrast to that of Filipino men. Findings revealed that the desire to seek relationships with one another is driven by their desire based on the preconceptions they perceive one another to possess.