Pinkerton Syndrome

Pinkerton Syndrome is a term for the perceived tendency of some Asians to regard Caucasians as superior or more desirable, especially for marriage or relationships.[1]

Etymology

Pinkerton Syndrome is derived from the 1904 opera Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini, based on the 1898 short story Madame Butterfly by John Luther Long. The term "Pinkerton" is in reference to the character Lieutenant B. F. Pinkerton, a white U.S. Navy officer who marries a Japanese girl for convenience while docked in Nagasaki, but plans to abandon her when his ship departs Japan and to find a White American wife.[2][3] Pinkerton's young Japanese wife, and initially her family, are very excited about her marriage to an American man. However, when the Japanese wife later finds out that Pinkerton has indeed abandoned her and married a white American woman, she commits suicide.

Empirical evidence

Empirical evidence for the Pinkerton syndrome was first examined in Singapore. After a cursory search of Singapore's online media, it was argued that the Pinkerton syndrome is not restricted to interpersonal attraction. As such, the Pinkerton syndrome was redefined broadly "as the tendency for Asians to be prejudiced and to discriminate in favor of Caucasians." [4] In a simulated hiring decision task, Singaporean Chinese participants rated a Caucasian job applicant as more suitable for the job and recommended them a higher salary than an equally qualified Chinese applicant. The study provided the first and only empirical evidence of the Pinkerton syndrome in Singapore.

See also

References
  1. "Pinkerton syndrome - Wiktionary". en.wiktionary.org. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  2. "TalkingCock". 72.5.72.93. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  3. "A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English". www.singlishdictionary.com. Retrieved 2019-05-08.
  4. Chew, Peter K. H.; Young, Jessica L.; Tan, Gerald P. K. (2019). "Racism and the Pinkerton syndrome in Singapore: effects of race on hiring decisions". Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology. 13. doi:10.1017/prp.2019.9. ISSN 1834-4909.
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