So Being Chinese Is Now A Trend?

“So I woke up today and found out that I’m now Chinese”, “I have self diagnosed myself as Chinese" or “You have met me in a very Chinese time in my life” is what we’ve been seeing on our for you page recently. “Chinamaxxing” has recently begun to trend online where western people take customs and aesthetics from Chinese culture. For example, they drink hot water or congee and say that they’re now “Chinese”. It seems like a harmless trend but it’s so much more.

What’s so problematic about this trend?, is what you may be thinking right now. Well, many Chinese netizens say that it’s because you can’t just adopt a culture now that it’s trending. This is because they did not receive ridicule during the pandemic for “starting Covid”, get bullied for their small eyes, get their food called “stinky” and so much more. While others argue that doing Chinese customs doesn’t necessarily make you Chinese. Others may see this is unimportant but the Chinese media sees it as reducing their culture and struggles to just an aesthetic. It’s not appreciation, it’s appropriation.

You may be asking, why do westerners feel so eager to participate in this trend? Well, Rikki Schlott from the New York Post says “ But this myopic obsession with everything China isn’t about importing a great product from another country — it’s about Gen Z’s desperation to shed their American identity.” So could this entire trend be a desperate attempt to bury the American culture from the new generation? To make them seem different? 

Today I will interview members of the Curious Times to see how they feel about this trend:

Lauren Huh 820-”It’s weird, I don’t really know what to feel about it.”

Timothy Lai 820- “I feel that Chinese culture is very authentic and original to our people and I’m fine with sharing it with other people but if people start and try to become us, it’s kind of invading and stealing. If it comes to the point of mocking and imitation, it’s not ok.”

Tinara Bartholomeuz  821-”Even as a person who is not Chinese, I feel like the trends online are trying to romanticize certain ethnic traits is a bit scary. And it’s just wrong when people try to justify it as flattery. 

Nadia Tsou 820- “BEING CHINESE IS A TREND!?!?!?!?"

Samantha Huang 704- “Honestly…I feel disgusted. My culture isn’t a trend and it’s a bad look.”

Erin Lee 704- “It’s honestly just really sad and aggravated. It’s not me who got bullied but that’s kind of upsetting to me.”

Mr. Ng Teacher- "Wait, I am cool now for being myself??"