Archive link: [https://archive.is/rKW85](https://archive.is/rKW85)

Choice quotes:

>Wasia’s popularity is insidious because the identity will always be defined in relation to whiteness. You can’t be Wasian without the hard 'W.' And that distinction matters more than it might seem.

>You cannot include whiteness in your label and then claim to represent everyone.  
Compare that term to any of the other Asian identity markers that actually did political work. The term **Hapa** was a political tool used by Hawiians to build solidarity across ‘mixed’ Asian communities under colonial rule. Identity markers like [**Asian-American**](https://densho.org/catalyst/asian-american-movement/)[ or ](https://densho.org/catalyst/asian-american-movement/)[**AAPI**](https://densho.org/catalyst/asian-american-movement/)[ emerged in the 1960s](https://densho.org/catalyst/asian-american-movement/) from the pan-Asian solidarity movement against white supremacy. These were identities built *in opposition* to something. Wasian is built in *proximity to* something. Specifically, whiteness.

>So, then, what cultural and political weight does ‘Wasian’ hold?

>When Icelandic-Chinese singer Laufey exclusively featured fellow Wasians in her “Madwoman” music video, she [framed](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/music/music-news/laufey-madwoman-music-video-hudson-williams-1236562507/) it as representation: *"Growing up, I felt a general lack of representation for people who looked like me in music and media."* But representation of what, exactly? A phenotype? Because if Wasian identity begins and ends with aesthetics, that’s eugenics.  


"Start Wasian Hate?": Latino/Asian Journalist Aki Lee Camargo Details his Experiences at the NYC Wasian Gathering and Explains Why He Believes America's Latest Obsession with Wasians is Dangerous