INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightSUBTLE ASIAN TRAITSImage caption
Parents are often the target of humour on Subtle Asian Traits
For many people of Asian descent living overseas, a Facebook group called Subtle Asian Traits has become a cultural phenomenon
Its jokes and memes - especially about life as a first-generation migrant - have made the page wildly popular
Almost a million people have joined the group since it began in September.The posts, which can be made by anyone, have also sparked
conversations about cultural identity.Its rapid success has stunned the group's founders - nine Chinese-Australian high school students
who live in Melbourne."We were always sharing memes and jokes about Asian culture and growing up in a foreign country and kind of just
wanted a place to share them together," co-founder Kathleen Xiao, 18, tells the TheIndianSubcontinent.Anne Gu, 18, another founder, says
they were thrilled when the group hit 1,000 members but "now it's just gone insane".Image copyrightANNE GUImage caption
The founders say they want the group to be relatable and inclusive
"We didn't think at all that it would get this big, or
so serious," she says, referring to its growth into an online community for Asian diasporas
She says the initial idea had been to simply share jokes about family life, Asian cultural "quirks" and bubble milk tea
(There are a lot of memes about this very popular drink.)What are Subtle Asian TraitsThe posts span a range of topics, but they often focus
on Asian culture as experienced by the children of migrants.That's why most members are young people from Australia, the US, Canada and
the UK, rather than those living in Asia.Ms Xiao believes that the page is so popular because it identifies "just little things in our lives
that no one talked about before".Many memes are about household customs - such as boiling tap water for drinking or using a finger to
measure the perfect amount of water needed to cook rice.Image copyrightSUBTLE ASIAN TRAITSImage caption
Thousands chimed
in on this post to relay their own time-keeping frustrations
Image copyrightSUBTLE ASIAN TRAITSImage caption
Slippers are a regular feature in many Asian households
Other jokes centre on the experience of being a first-generation
Asian person in a Western society, and "how we struggle, sometimes, to reach a balance between our two cultures", says Ms Gu.There are memes
about "not being Asian enough": bilingual mishaps, struggles with Chinese homework, rebelling against family rules and traditions.Then there
are posts referencing experiences of casual racism or being made to feel "not white enough".Image copyrightSUBTLE ASIAN TRAITSImage caption
Having to explain one's heritage is a frustration often noted in the group
A common source of humour is
"Asian parents" - who are stereotypically portrayed as cautious, strict and overbearing.As a Chinese-Australian millennial, I burst out
laughing at one of the group's most popular posts
It was captioned: "One day I told mother I didn't eat breakfast".Image copyrightSUBTLE ASIAN TRAITSImage caption
This
post received more than 30,000 likes
It bore an uncanny resemblance to texts from my own mother, particularly phrases like:
"I did not have a good sleep last night because of this."Ms Gu says the page is designed to be "relatable"
Some users have sent the administrators messages of thanks."One girl said it was the first time she felt like a sense of belonging," she
says.Ms Xiao says the page helped her realise her experiences were common."Growing up in a foreign country, it's just something you don't
talk about because you're afraid that people won't understand you, or that you'll be made into a minority," she says.Finding 'the
balance'Like other internet groups which attempt to offer insights on cultural identity, there are some inherent challenges.Some initial
criticism suggested that the group wasn't inclusive of all Asian cultures, as most posts related to East Asia.Ms Gu says the administrators
have since prioritised including more diverse content
And in the group's rules (of which there are five, because four is an unlucky number in Chinese culture), users are encouraged to "be
inclusive to all Asian races".Image copyrightKATHLEEN XIAOImage caption
Kathleen Xiao (l) and her friends call each
other "ABCs" (Australian-born Chinese)
Other critics have said that memes about "tiger" parents or bad driving serve to
reinforce negative stereotypes
One user on Reddit equated the humour to internalised racism and "self hate".Ms Gu acknowledges that some of the humour plays off
stereotypes, but argues that most post-makers "have generally come to terms with their cultural identity"."They understand the balance," she
Such posts can also help people "to experience potentially negative experiences in childhood in a more humorous and positive light like a
healing through humour".She adds that the page has also deepened her own cultural pride - something she had not expected."I hope it gives
others the confidence too, to not be so shy about their culture," she says.
