S
Solitaire-06
1d
[Hated Trope] All Asians Know Martial Arts
![[Hated Trope] All Asians Know Martial Arts](https://preview.redd.it/hm62utsmy92h1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=02eefd37e7abb5494997cbe9831b5da5c4aa54a8)
![[Hated Trope] All Asians Know Martial Arts](https://preview.redd.it/b8dqfusmy92h1.jpg?width=256&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e0abf6b27a107598254a33cd0184180a68d5a92b)
![[Hated Trope] All Asians Know Martial Arts](https://preview.redd.it/5w01ztsmy92h1.jpg?width=360&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=093f498fa7cb9092d432232e45ed04f756a8dba2)
I get that many of the iconic martial arts are of Asian origin, but the way several works seem to suggest that Asians inherently know these techniques is… pretty racist, when you think about it.
Sabine Cheng (Miraculous): Sabine has a lot of unfortunate cultural stereotypes associated with her (though it could be partially excused as her being a first-generation Chinese migrant to France), but several episodes such as Troublemaker and Riginarazione have shown her utilising martial arts, despite having never alluded to or demonstrated any martial arts knowledge outside of those moments.
Epicanthix (Star Wars): This near-human species has some very unfortunate implications due to them possessing many traits commonly associated with people of Asian descent, yet being described as a separate species instead of being human. Part of their lore is that they’re a ‘race of warriors who trained their minds and bodies in preparation for war’, and the Asian parallels are worsened by how their name sounds similar to the epicanthic fold, a feature of human eyes commonly associated with East Asian people.
Francine Smith and Hiko Yoshida (American Dad): One episode of the series has these two mothers engage in unarmed combat, and Hiko (who is Japanese-American) proclaims that Francine doesn’t stand a chance because using Asian weapons is her culture, only to be shocked that Francine was raised by Chinese adopted parents, meaning she apparently also developed skills with Asian weapons as part of her ‘culture’. Both women prove to be highly adept martial artists.