Abe Kim downloaded TikTok one thirty days ago, but their content has recently racked up over 2 million loves and their account has accrued nearly 115,000 supporters. The model and university junior recently realized viral popularity for a movie he posted handling a problem he faces in the dating life in Ca.

“When ur asian and setting up having a white individual at their house and u understand that they may be fetishizing you. ” Kim captioned the clip, that has gotten over 607,000 loves.

When ur asian and starting up by having a white individual at their house and u understand you#foryou #fyp that they might be fetishizing

The college student lies on a bed, spotting Totoro-themed objects around an unfamiliar room (“My Neighbor Totoro” is a Japanese animated fantasy movie with an enthusiastic and dedicated fandom) in the tongue-in-cheek video.

The TikTok movie instantly received a large number of comments — from those who could relate solely to the feeling of fetishization, thought as making some body the topic of a intimate obsession, to those protecting their passion for “Totoro. “

“When u see K-pop all over their space that is whenever u gotta run, ” one commenter composed.

“It really is if they have actually BTS posters every where which you actually gotta get worried, ” another stated.

“Or possibly they will have an interest that is harmless. Let people live, ” one critic commented.

“I do not realise why individuals can not love things that are different them being linked such as this, ” another had written, sparking a lengthier conversation among outraged audiences.

” Because this notion is obviously a thing that is real Asians have to give some thought to. ” one commenter responded lavalife chat.

Kim told Insider that reading the feedback in the movie sparked was in fact a “interesting experience, ” and despite a number of the critical responses, he appears because of the idea he had been making within the video clip.

“I happened to be telling my region of the tale and exactly how it is a thing that is real” he told Insider. “When i really do carry on a night out together or on a hookup that is casual something similar to that, certainly one of my very first thoughts is ‘wait does this individual have actually the proper motives? ‘ It’s types of instinctive, it isn’t also conscious, it happens straight away. “

A post provided by abe (@abeyoon) on Mar 18, 2018 at 11:55am PDT Mar 18, 2018 at 11:55am PDT

Kim states he’d attempted to have conversations together with his buddies about their experiences with racism in dating — from experiencing objectified to being outright refused as a result of their battle. As he brought up their frustrations, their white and friends that are white-passing frequently reduce their issues.

“It had been simply actually embarrassing for them, ” he stated. “they’d react with ‘oh, i’m very sorry, ‘ and move the discussion. “

While he defines the TikTok movie as “all in good enjoyable, ” Kim claims he posted the clip using the intention of advancing the discussion in an even more effective means. ” With that form of discussion, it does not get anywhere, ” he explained. “we simply felt like we needed seriously to alter one thing and I also needed seriously to do something positive about it. “

The video that is viraln’t 1st TikTok Kim has harnessed the effectiveness of TikTok — and humor — to phone down racism. In a video clip uploaded many weeks previously, he parodied white people to his conversations whom asked him “what kind of Asian” he could be.

“It appears nearly objectifying, ” he told Insider of his experiences that motivated the movie. “they are doing this guessing game, ‘Oh have you been Korean, Japanese, whatever. ‘ We thought by using TikTok, it simply makes the discussion a tad bit more palatable because we are utilizing humor. “

Moving ahead, Kim hopes they can upload content that appeals to him, without the need to become a spokesperson that is designated.

“I been known as the individual who talks up about race and gender politics, and I also continues to publish I wanna post what I wanna post, even if that means posting goofy stuff, ” he explained about it, but. “I do not desire my platform to be talking about always being Asian as well as the crosses we bear. “

Kim hopes to emphasize all of the different the different parts of their life, from their job being a star and model to their time as a scholar learning business.

“Sometimes TikTokers will place by themselves in a package. I do not want to do this, ” he stated. “so that you can have wider market i must touch and open hearts in other ways. “