ha ha nice, but it was a bit short. I would have liked to see it go into more depth. Do you know why companies in Japan allow doujins to be sold without arresting these people for copyright infringement? It's because the doujins are actually promoting these companies in a way. Ha ha Yaoi doujins are supporting the Japanese market. : D

Wow. I quite agree here. You're a good writer, do you know that? Awesome!

This is a good start, but it rambled a little, and rather than discussing the effects of shounen-ai on American culture, you listed many possible pairings. A few examples aren't bad to use, but it's going too far when they start taking over the essay.
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Also, to say that shounen-ai is controversial in Japan is a stretch. In literature and in manga, gay and lesbian pairings are accepted and extremely popular. In reality, homosexuality is not encouraged in the least. However, this is probably not quite a traditional idea. Some speculate that homophobia was introduced with Judeo-Christian traditions via European missionaries, especially Francis Xavier. Francis Xavier visited Japan and was disgusted with the open way the Japanese practiced their homosexuality and dubbed it the "Japanese vice."
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The height of homosexuality in Japan was during the Edo, or Tokugawa period, during which Ihara Saikaku lived. Saikaku's book "The Great Mirror of Male Love" applauds pederasty and has strong themes of homoeroticism.
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You posed a question in the conclusion: "So we ask you now, has Shonen ai changed the minds of Americans?"
You should never pose a question to your reader, especially not in the conclusion. Especially since this was the question you set out to answer and to prove your point. Your conclusion is not very pertinent, and one could write essays on all of them.
(You also put an "e" on "quit" - though I'm sure that's a typo ^^;)
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In conclusion, I think your essay needs more structure and 'meat' - but I think that you have the potential to write convincingly. Anyway, good luck!

Being a fanfic and a slash writer myself, I have to agree with your point of view. In fact, shonen-ai is not only evident nowadays in only animes but also in fanfics containing RLP and books especially in Harry Potter.
However, the pairings are all based on our own prefereance and as long as there is a decent believable plot to the storyline of tha fanfiction, I don't think that we should dispute it. After all, there is somemore other bizarre pairings [like Snape/Squid, Snape/Mandrake etc...]to be squicked over.

i like this. Me and my friend are huge fans of Shounen ai. anyway, Nice essay!

I found this very amusing, as that most of the women that I know are huge yaoi fans. Of course, being a heterosexual man, I have to edge away from this...