LECTURE | Pink Globalization: Hello Kitty's Trek Across the Pacific

In this lecture, Christine R. Yano (Professor Emeritus, University of Hawai’i-Mānoa) argues that the international popularity of Hello Kitty is one aspect of “pink globalization” — the spread of goods and images labeled ‘cute’ (kawaii) from Japan to other parts of the industrial world. Yano analyzes the changing complex of relations and identities surrounding the global reach of Hello Kitty’s cute culture — including her role as a brand ambassador for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals — and how consumers use this iconic cat to negotiate gender, nostalgia, and national identity. Moderated by Namiko Kunimoto (Associate Professor of History of Art, Ohio State).

Co-hosted by the Department of English and the Center for Ethnic Studies