I think people arent understanding min’s chapter, like at all. While also widely relatable, this game is specifically about the 2nd gen asian american experience. Min’s chapter isn’t simply about the ability of racial minorities to be racist to other minorities. It’s about how the experience of being an asian american born to an immigrant leads to a specific pain, which often manifests in the kind of racism/ignorance we see in min. “I suffered in silence so they should too.”
It’s the myth of the model minority in action, one that she is shown internalizing from her dad: the model minority myth offers to asian immigrants the idea that if they don’t make trouble and aim for success within the parameters of (white-dominated, patriarchal, culturally Christian) American capitalism, they’ll be rewarded by the system - and part of that means rejecting solidarity with other minority groups, which results in the kind of antiBlackness and other forms of divisive racism found in asian communities. This issue is culturally specific to asian american immigrants - this particular attitude of “putting your head down and suffering in silence” is many older asian immigrants’ response to the adversity & racism that they faced in America. Min’s dad embodies this very clearly - he states explicitly in the game that when people discriminated against him for his accent and culture, he simply worked harder instead of causing a problem, and he tries to force Min to adopt the same mentality.
Min’s chapter is both a wider commentary on the asian community and character growth. BS outlines incredibly clearly that Min’s own aggression was in survival to her immigrant dad’s own aggression, which was in response to a hostile racist world he had to learn to survive in. Her aggression is often shown in a generally positive (or humorous) light, protecting herself and her friends, but in this ch, it’s shown how misdirected it can become. And when she decides to break that cycle by the end of the end of the ch, it’s a great show of growth for her.
As an asian american to an immigrant dad and being within these communities, min’s ch resonated deeply. Older asian people can be incredibly racist and conservative, but it’s not in the same way a white person can be racist and conservative. It’s its own brand, which developed in response to the particular forms of anti-asian racism they’ve faced, and I really applaud brianna’s willingness to tackle such an uncomfortable and often ignored subject within her game, especially with a main lead character.
I’m frustrated because i have yet to see anyone provide any specific criticism of how brianna handled the ch that isnt some flavor of “it made me uncomfortable because I like min,” and how unnecessary they felt it was. I think it’s complicated because a lot of online activism stresses the importance of centering the feelings of the victim, and min’s chapter is centered on her feelings, not ester’s. But it’s from a certain pain min experienced herself as a victim of racism that leads to her hyper-aggression in response to being called out. I think its an experience worth talking about, and it’s absolutely not excused within the text.
to paint this as brianna making her beloved character a racist for no reason is a gross misrepresentation and simplification of what literally happens within the text of the game, and potentially shutting down an important subject just on the basis of it being uncomfortable. it’s irresponsible and unproductive. she doesnt owe you a digestible and agreeable character in her game talking about her own experience as a 2nd gen asian american.
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