Orientalism and Gender: Stereotypes of Asian Girls in Harry Potter

The Harry Potter series features characters from diverse racial backgrounds, yet J.K. Rowlings portrayals reveal different attitudes toward them. This paper investigates how the portrayal of Cho Chang reflects stereotypes of Asian girls and how the theory of orientalism contributes to the stereotypes emergence. The name Cho Chang evokes an image of fragility and constant weeping girl, hinting at an underlying bias. In the narrative, her beautyframed as an Eastern charmoften overshadows her notable Quidditch skills. Although she is portrayed as both academically and athletically talented, she hesitates to confront the Dark Arts. Collectively, these traits construct a character situated within the broader framework of orientalist ideology. Through close reading and textual analysis, this study finds that Cho Changs depiction perpetuates the fragile, exotic Asian girl stereotype which reinforces cultural biases. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of racial representation in childrens literature and highlight the importance of more nuanced portrayals of minority characters.