Subversive humor and platformed Asianness: How Asians use neologisms to define themselves and others online

While declared and direct online activism is a popular form of resistance for racial minorities, the transformative potential of humor remains underexplored for Asian online communities. In this study, we analyzed the neologisms—or new words and phrases—on the subreddit r/2Asia4u, exploring the identity work performed through humor and satire. With a mixed-method approach, we identified the major morphological processes, their pragmatic use, and the context of Asian discourses in such neologism creation. We found that asterisks were strategically inserted into words to vulgarize whiteness and colonialism. Furthermore, the borrowing of lexicons from native Asian languages—ranging from endonyms to profanities—served as a satirical weapon against Asian nationalists. Similarly, onomatopoeia was used to reclaim Asian accent stereotypes, while portmanteau was employed to inject pejoration to both Eastern and Western country names when criticizing both hypernationalism and orientalist propaganda. Additionally, community parody practices were signaled by word affixation. Our work not only showcases a novel approach to analyzing neologisms for online marginalized groups but also underscores the pathway where adept linguistic maneuver and the tongue-in-cheek style satire could pave the way for identity work online, providing reflections on the concept of platformed Asianness and the complexities of Asian identities. Additionally, we highlight the viability and also desirability of digitally mediated linguistic and symbolic resistance as a non-materialized way and tactical move for “everyday activism” for racial justice.