Chinamaxxing: The Latest Absurdist Internet Meme

The trend reveals how disillusioned younger generations are with American culture and society.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 3:48pm

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Over the past year, 'Chinamaxxing' has overtaken social media, with users eschewing American habits in favor of Chinese ones. The trend is semi-satirical, with people adopting practices based on traditional Chinese medicine, wearing clothes inspired by traditional Chinese garments, and repeating the 'very Chinese' quality of it all. The subtext of the joke is the shock value of an American choosing to shift their allegiances to China, the country long framed as America's greatest geopolitical rival. However, the humor also depends on the idea of Chinese people as dirty, unattractive, and conniving forever-foreigners.

Why it matters

Chinamaxxing comes at a time when young Americans are battling ballooning costs of living, an uncertain job market, and an economy that only seems to favor those older and richer than they are. Many grew up believing the U.S. is more technologically advanced and abundant in resources than any other place, only to have that notion shattered. The trend reflects a growing disillusionment with American culture and society.

The details

The trend is semi-satirical, with users eschewing American habits in favor of Chinese ones: adopting practices based on traditional Chinese medicine, wearing clothes inspired by traditional Chinese garments, and repeating, ad nauseum, the very Chinese quality of all of it. Chinese American content creators have amassed millions of views for their recommendations on how to become a 'Chinese baddie.' The humor depends on the shock value of an American choosing to shift their allegiances to China, as well as the idea of Chinese people as dirty, unattractive, and conniving forever-foreigners.

  • Over the past year, Chinamaxxing has overtaken social media.

The players

Sherry

A Chinese American content creator who goes by @sherryxiiruii on TikTok and has amassed millions of views for her recommendations on how to become a 'Chinese baddie.'

Dan Yang

A New York-based comedian whose video about the Chinamaxxing trend amassed over 300,000 views on Instagram.

Morgan Sung

A tech journalist and host of KQED's Close All Tabs who says the memeification of Chinese culture is still Orientalism, even if it's seen as 'punching up.'

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What they’re saying

“I think most non-Chinese people have never actually talked to a Chinese person aside from maybe ordering Chinese food. Even non-Chinese people who are friends with Chinese people probably see a very Americanized version of them. I feel like an NYU kid from Ohio sees Chinese people in Chinatown like a new type of Pokémon. I don't think there's any hate involved, just a weird surface-level wonder.”

— Dan Yang, Comedian

“The memeification of Chinese culture is still Orientalism, but it's socially acceptable now because in a way, it's seen as punching up. Punching down isn't as obvious when China has high-speed rail and your own country doesn't.”

— Morgan Sung, Tech journalist and host of KQED's Close All Tabs

The takeaway

Chinamaxxing is the latest iteration of a long-running tradition in which China and Asian cultures at large are flattened to punch lines, reflecting a growing disillusionment among younger generations with American culture and society. While the trend may appear to express a real appreciation for Chinese culture, it still treats China as a 'mystical alien utopia' - a form of Orientalism that is socially acceptable because it is seen as 'punching up' at a country that is perceived as more technologically advanced and prosperous than the U.S.