Mis Chinos, Tus Chinos: The Orientalism of Chilean K-pop fans

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the dual Orientalism of the Chilean fans of K-pop. All Asians in Chile are often referred to as chinitos (Chinese). Chilean society, generally speaking, considers the fans of Asian popular culture as ‘weird’ and as ‘outsiders’. The rejection of an unfamiliar culture is related to the process of cultural identity formation in Chile: an oligarchy society. Taking this into account, this article, based on in-depth interviews conducted in Santiago in September–November 2018, explores the most influential phenomena on the formation of cultural identity in Chile, determining social legacies of socio-economic status in Chile, and the influence of Japanese and Korean popular culture on young adults in Chile. Then, it investigates the nuances of the term chinitos in Chilean youth. Finally, it maps out the multiple societal contradictions in Chilean youth due to conflicting co-existence of indigenous culture and rapid neo-liberalization.