this post was submitted on 26 Jan 2025
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I keep getting Xiaohongshu posts on my feed of American users apologizing for “colonizing” the app and declaring their intent to leave. It’s usually full of Chinese users insisting that it’s not the case. My gut reaction is that it doesn’t make sense and I’ll explain why in the comments.

But it’s possible that I’m just missing something or that as an English speaker my feed inherently skews foreigners-friendly. So I wanted to ask. Why do US users think they’re colonizing Xiaohongshu? Are Chinese users genuinely insistent that they’re not? And who is correct?

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[–] invo_rt@hexbear.net 43 points 2 days ago

No. It's weird Ameri-centric White Guilt™ and very self-flattering to assume that any place in which they exist, they're automatically taking control of. It's the same mindset that underpins the chud replacement theory just pointed in a different direction. China controls XHS. If there's a concern, they'll cut the US off.

[–] Lemmygradwontallowme@hexbear.net 57 points 2 days ago (5 children)

No.

Just like how bourgeois-backed liberal economics sees capitalism as anything to do with money, settler-colonial-origin people see settler-colonialism as anything to do with migration, as to somewhat justify their particular mode of life, by backdating it back to their pre-origin past as something natural.

For sure, it's one part, but it isn't the only thing that defines them both.

This is just blunt vulgarization by cultural liberal hegemony.

[–] spectre@hexbear.net 37 points 2 days ago (1 children)

These liberals aren't used to not having their white privilege. It's not possible to "colonize" xhs or whatever. If the Chinese people (app management or government or whatever) felt some kind of way about it they could easily lock out all foreign users and move on. That's not colonization if you can get kicked out with like 10 minutes of effort.

Yeah, settler-colonization presupposes a material base of strength, from a burgeoning capitalism, to displace, ~~(ethnically cleanse)~~, and take over land of indigenous people for petty-proprietorship.

[–] came_apart_at_Kmart@hexbear.net 31 points 2 days ago

good post.

unrelated, but my older sibling dismisses personal financial literacy--they make good money (better than me) don't know how to budget, open a checking account, and have never done their taxes... they make my elderly parents do theirs--as "capitalism". I make less than them and live over a thousand miles away and run a tight ship so I can be independent. we are both in our 40s.

their kid is becoming a teenager and my sibling laments that their kid has no idea how anything works... what is expensive/unreasonable pricing, wants restaurant food all the time and treats and games. when I mentioned the idea they could have an allowance like we had growing up for doing household chores. my sibling dismisses that as "capitalism" and that they want them to contribute to the household spontaneously for the common good.

I pointed out that they live in a mansion in a gated community with our elderly, loaded parents and benefit from twice weekly maid service. "your 'household' already has servants getting paid. you can't build Camelot on top of that." they scowled at me.

[–] Lemmygradwontallowme@hexbear.net 29 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] inv3r5ion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Thanks this is really helpful!!

With {western} settler-colonialism as the base of the economy, its superstructure is white supremacy, as its self-justifying aggrandizing perspective.

[–] Nakoichi@hexbear.net 22 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Also it's not like they could somehow take it over there's like 1.7 billion people in China, good luck causing any meaningful cultural shift on their own social media. I think if anything the influence will flow the other direction.

[–] Erika3sis@hexbear.net 12 points 2 days ago

Great comment!!

[–] dannoffs@hexbear.net 36 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'd guess the people leaving are libs who keep only interacting with English content so the algorithm keepa feeding them English content so they think they've taken over. Even if every single US tiktok user moved to XHS they would still be the minority on the platform.

[–] AssortedBiscuits@hexbear.net 25 points 2 days ago

No. This type of rhetoric slides close to anti-immigration bigotry which makes sense since anti-immigration bigotry is rampant in US society. They are not colonizing XHS for the simple reason that XHS is owned, managed, and moderated by Chinese people. US users have to abide by XHS rules and social norms just like how immigrants have to abide by the laws and social customs of the country they immigrate to.

[–] Parsani@hexbear.net 26 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

The Americans who went to xhs greatly overestimate their influence on the platform. Even millions of Americans are a drop in a pool of 300m monthly users.

Like it would take every single American to reach 50% of total users.

nah americans have more sway

no american knows chinese, all chinese know some english

[–] Barabas@hexbear.net 20 points 2 days ago

I think this is one of the issues of people learning a word and knowing that it is bad without understanding why. Yes, America bad, but not simply because it is America. Also add an inflated sense of self-importance.

There is a version Antideutsch in every western society.

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 16 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

No its not colonising China and Chinese people own the app and set all the rules that have to be followed, not the US. It currently reminds me more of tourism than anything else if you really want to put a label on it. Maybe immigration if people start to use it permanently. So long as the US tourists are nice and respectful and the Chinese hosts are welcoming, there shouldn't be any issues. Issues would only really arise if the US users start being disrespectful and/or the Chinese users want them off of the platform. I don't think that's the case currently.

[–] blame@hexbear.net 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)

stop colonizing by being american and start colonizing by colonoscopy posting

[–] godlessworm@hexbear.net 2 points 1 day ago

we cant afford those in america

[–] Jabril@hexbear.net 11 points 2 days ago (3 children)

There has been a flood of MAGA, US military and cops over there. I think this is a part of trying to dissuade US users from staying

[–] sooper_dooper_roofer@hexbear.net 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

non-westerners are way too friendly and laissez faire. such accounts need to be sent to the shadow algorithm immediately

[–] ratboy@hexbear.net 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Oof, figured it was only a matter of time. Don't think I've seen that yet, thanks God. I've been seeing more "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" losers on some posts and it's raising my blood pressure. I hope it subsides eventually

[–] SoJB@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 days ago

There’s a flood of straight up disgusting racist hate on any post that mentions immigrants or even just two races at once.

But the users all have geotags from the US, Hong Kong, and Shanghai.

There’s an op underway and I hope the folks at XHS headquarters are aware.

[–] DavidGarcia@feddit.nl 14 points 2 days ago

all the cope from sinophobic Americans has been so funny. "waaaaaah waaaaaah waaaaah why won't they let us flood them with bot farm propaganda waaaaaaah waaaah muh free speech waaaaah"

[–] Her@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] Dessa@hexbear.net 5 points 2 days ago

Mao Tse-Tung's Little Red Dit.

I wanna make a rednotr and just post shitty among us frawings all day