“Orientalism: Between Fact and Fantasy” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the first exhibition in the museum’s 156-year-old history ostensibly dedicated to how the West misinterprets Asia. It also comes on the heels of last year’s groundbreaking show, “Monstrous Beauty,” which touched on the subject and offered fresh critical perspectives illustrating the connection between chinoiserie and the objectification of Asian women.

I hoped that “Orientalism” would build on this momentum and looked forward to new insights from contemporary scholars of color on Europe’s relationship with West Asia—I left disappointed.