Ruby's Blog on Anti-Asian Racism

Ever since I could remember, as a child I have gotten numerous comments mainly directed against my ethnicity. The kids in my class would say such things as “dog eater” “go back to where you came from” or even pull their eyes back. I never thought any of this since I was in Elementary but now that I am older, I have realized that this was racism. I could continue to talk about the numerous experiences I have faced or even other AAPI people I know, however I want to bring up something that I have recently discovered especially on a social media platform called TikTok.

Tiktok is a social media site that I use quite frequently due to its fun short videos I can watch or indulge in. As I scroll through the countless videos that I find, I sometimes come across people who at first glance appear Asian until I look closer or even scroll through the comments that I soon realize that they are not Asian. Through these videos these people act cute or even child-like. They wear highly sexualized clothing such as East Asian school uniforms that children wear. Meanwhile many Asian Americans and I are disheartened that someone would wear our features as an “aesthetic”, this “tik tok creator” and many more continue to profit off of Asian features and Asian culture. They continue to mimic Eastern Asian features and exploit our facial features for their own personal benefit, while the Asian community has to suffer the consequences. This directly harms Asian people and plays into the dangerous stereotype that Asian women are “innocent and childlike.” It is truly disheartening that people are using our culture and even facial features as a “fashion trend” and that they can wipe off their makeup and be done with it, while we have to live with the harmful stereotypes they put onto us and the hate we face daily.