TikTok, the global social media phenomenon and the thing getting us all through quarantine has a little something for everyone, but with the positives come the negatives. In this post, we'll be reviewing some of the most problematic TikTok trends we've seen. Feel free to let us know your own!

1. "Fox" Eyes
I'm sure we've all seen Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Addison Rae, and countless other influencers pull their eyes back in photos to attempt the "fox eye" look. And there have been two sides to this argument: one, that they are making a trend out of something historically racist towards Asians. Two, that they are just doing it for the aesthetic, and anyone who thinks otherwise is just oversensitive. Tons of creators have defended themselves for doing this, and as far as I've seen, none of them have apologized for it. 
As you've noticed, our design theme at DeclarASIAN focuses on Asian eyes and really capturing the beauty behind them. We referenced tons of images of  Chinese, Korean, Pakistani, and Indian eyes to best represent their features. But this was inspired by my own experiences as a kid, and even now. Just last year, I was still made fun of for having small eyes, with classmates rudely pulling their eyes back to mock mine. And honestly, it hurts. Something that I have personally been bullied for is now being appropriated by models and "influencers?"
The people who partake in the "fox" eye trend might not be directly trying to be racist, but there's an entire world of hurt and meaning behind this rude gesture and look for Asians across the world, and subtle racism like this cannot be forgiven anymore. 

2. Chinese Street-Style Videos
This isn't necessarily a toxic trend, I actually enjoy seeing these videos on my FYP. But I think the shift was way too sudden, considering a few months ago, xenophobia and racism towards Asians (specifically East Asians) was rampant, and now people are transfixed by these street-style videos? It makes me think that people are quick to hop onto trends, whether they be positive or negative. Because let's face it, racist jokes towards Asians in early 2020 were being made by tons of people on TikTok because at that time, it was the "norm." Virtually everyone was doing it, so others just hopped onto the bandwagon. Then a few months later, without addressing the racist Asian jokes they had made before, people began praising Chinese street-style videos because it was, again, trendy. Maybe some people will say I'm just too "pressed" about this issue, but I think it's again, something that society lets slide by because of many factors (model minority myth, stereotypes, "it's a joke bro").

3. "It's a Joke"
Racist jokes on TikTok, not just towards Asians but also towards other races have become so prevalent, it's hard to scroll on TikTok without seeing another popular creator say the "N" word or culturally appropriating an entire culture. When you think about it, almost all of the platform's most popular creators have been caught in a racist scandal of some sort, but we just let it slide. I'm not a big fan of cancel culture at all, but I do think that someone should be held accountable for their actions when they have a big platform. The thing is, some people never do apologize, and the internet moves on, and they're off the hook. 
Even most apologies are half-assed nowadays, saying a simple "it was just a joke" seems to suffice. Two years ago, someone asked me if I was going to cook my dog for dinner. I was disgusted, and got furious with him. When I asked for an apology, he said, "it was just a joke, chill." (Yes, that is literally what he said). Not only did this "apology" undermine what I go through as an Asian in a predominantly white school district, it was nowhere near an actual apology. 
So many things said on the internet now are just brushed off as a "joke". So my question is, when and how did we lose the distinction between being racist and making a joke?

This ended up as more of a rant than an in-depth look into TikTok's worst trends, but I hope this was relatable to you in some way, whether you are Asian, or another POC who has experienced similar things on TikTok.

As many of you know; Mulan live-action debuted on Disney+ this week for $29.99. And I honestly can’t say that it was worth it.
As a platform that aims to empower young Asians across the world, we know that media has a lot of influence on the way we view ourselves. This includes movies--especially those as culturally important as Mulan. So as someone who grew up worshipping Mulan's badassery and the original story like many other fans, I was hesitant but curious when I found out they were doing a number of things:

1. No Mushu
2. Adding a witch?
3. Having a non-Asian director and a mainly white crew (even the costume designer!?)

However, I didn’t immediately think that Mulan was going to be awful. In fact, I believed it still had potential, especially with the large budget and the eye catching trailer.

So, after watching the film, here’s my personal take on a few controversies since Mulan was released.

First, there’s the issue of the predominantly white crew and director of the movie. After reading a few articles, I found that the director, Niki Caro, was chosen to bring not only Mulan’s story but Disney’s story to life on-screen, which is their reason for choosing a white director over an Asian one. At the very best, this sounds like an excuse. Personally, I think they could have definitely found an Asian director who could’ve also brought Disney’s culture to life on screen, and more effectively directed the movie and appealed to Asian audiences more. But I guess they couldn’t find one? This is not to say that Caro isn't a talented director. She is incredible at what she does, directing the Whale Rider, a beautiful coming-of-age film that captured audiences everywhere, so she is definitely a very capable and talented director. Just maybe not the best pick for this movie.

Furthermore, after extensively clicking on crew member profiles on ImbD for an hour, I literally saw about 2 Asian crew members in any category besides stunts (which—thank god they consulted Asian stuntmasters). Heck, even the lead costume designer was white! And although they claimed to have consulted experts on traditional and authentic clothing, to have the LEAD costume designer—someone in charge of portraying the outfits, appearance, and lifestyle of an entire culture—be not OF that culture is absurd to me.

Can I mention that in addition to the director, all 8 producers, the casting director, most of the casting crew, and all of the art directors (save one—go Calvin!) were white?

But I guess I shouldn’t complain because they needed a crew that knew how to bring the “Disney magic” to the screen.

In the end however, the film was pretty culturally accurate in the little details, from the round village huts that Mulan’s family lived in to the costumes and hairstyles they wore. But, I still can't shake the awkward feeling that not many Asians worked on the film at all behind the scenes.

In light of recent news that Mulan was filmed in Xinjiang, where the Uighur “Re-education” Concentration Camps are located, we have deleted our previous blurb about giving Mulan a chance regardless because at this point, it’s just blatant disrespect. #boycottmulan
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(Although, I still don’t think it is worth paying $30 to watch right now).