Asian Baby Girl

Asian Baby Girl
Other names	ABG, Asian Baby Gangster
Decade of origin	1990s
Location of origin	New York City, United States
Key motifs	Raves, parties, boba, tattoos, dyed hair, nightlife
Key colours	Black
Key values	Rebellion against stereotypes, individuality, femininity, freedom
Related aesthetics	Baddie Femme Fatale Sukeban

The Asian Baby Girl, commonly abbreviated as ABG, is a subculture and aesthetic associated with Asian American women. It originated in the 1990s among Chinese American youth with connections to gangster culture in New York City. The original ABG look and attitude served as a direct rebellion against the pervasive "model minority" stereotype, which cast Asian women as passive, studious, and submissive. The aesthetic is characterized by a specific style of dress, makeup, and an association with nightlife, partying, and rave culture.

Over time, the direct association with criminal gangs has faded. In the 2010s and 2020s, the ABG identity evolved into a more mainstream aesthetic, popularized on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. The modern ABG is typically a young Asian American woman who adopts the style to express confidence, socialize, and subvert traditional cultural expectations, often without any connection to the subculture's gangster origins.

In the 2020s, the aesthetic has gained popularity in China.

History

1990s Origins in New York City

The ABG subculture emerged from the Chinese American communities of New York City in the 1990s, particularly in areas like Queens and Chinatown. It developed within a generation of "wannabe gangsters" who sought to emulate the East Coast Chinese American gangster traditions that had been largely dismantled by Mayor Rudy Giuliani's anti-crime crackdowns in the 1980s. For the youth in these communities, aligning with a gang aesthetic was a way to gain social capital and reject the "dorky" model minority image. These early ABGs frequented the Asian party scene in New York, which featured clubs that played hip-hop and later, trance music. Their fashion was a counter-cultural statement: they wore all black, lightened their hair, and adopted a tough, assertive demeanor that stood in stark contrast to the stereotype of the submissive Asian woman.

Spread and Evolution

The ABG subculture spread from the East Coast to other areas with large Asian American populations, most notably the West Coast, where it became heavily associated with the burgeoning rave scene. As Southeast Asian refugee communities from countries like Vietnam and Cambodia grew in the U.S., young women in these communities also adopted and adapted the ABG style. Over time, the aesthetic became particularly prominent within Vietnamese American communities.

In the 2010s, the term and aesthetic were repopularized on the internet, especially through the Facebook group "Subtle Asian Traits." This new wave of ABGs was largely disconnected from the subculture's gangster roots. They were often middle-class, university-attending young women who adopted the look as a form of social expression and rebellion against academic and familial pressures. This era cemented the modern ABG image, which includes an affinity for boba tea, raves, and specific fashion and beauty trends.

Fashion

The ABG aesthetic, while evolving over time, maintains several core visual elements that create a look that is simultaneously feminine, polished, and edgy. A full face of makeup is a key component, characterized by perfectly filled-in, defined eyebrows and dramatic false eyelashes, a look often intensified with colored contact lenses. This is frequently complemented by bleached or dyed hair, with blonde, ombré, and balayage styles being long-standing staples of the look. The typical wardrobe consists of dark, often black, clothing, creating a silhouette that pairs form-fitting tops like bralettes and tube tops with baggy pants or jerseys. The aesthetic is completed with specific accessories and body art; large hoop earrings are a signature, as are long, manicured nails, often in a "coffin" shape. Tattoos are also a prominent feature, with common motifs including dragons, flowers, and Chinese characters.

Music

Artists

• Lil Mariko
• NIKI
• Keshi
• Lexie Liu
• Bella Poarch

Resources

Vendors

• Nike
• Adidas
• Louis Vuitton
• Gucci
• Chanel

Criticism

Historically, the term "ABG" carried negative connotations and was associated with gang violence, drug use, and promiscuity. While the modern interpretation of the aesthetic is largely detached from criminal activity, it is still subject to criticism.

The modern ABG is sometimes criticized for being a prescriptive stereotype that replaces the "model minority" with another limiting archetype: the "party girl." Some argue that the aesthetic, while appearing rebellious, still conforms to Western, heteronormative beauty standards. Furthermore, the popularization of the ABG look on social media has led to debates about authenticity and appropriation. Individuals who adopt the aesthetic without understanding its cultural and historical roots are sometimes derisively labeled "Basic Asian Girls" (BAGs). This has also sparked controversy regarding historical revisionism, with some online claiming the aesthetic originated with Southeast Asian Americans, thereby erasing its documented origins within the Chinese American community.

Gallery

Lil Mariko