Squid Game and the imagining of Afro-Asian connections through Black Twitter memescapes

Abstract

The release of Netflix’s Squid Game facilitated a viral pop culture moment, as the show’s critique of capitalism and structural inequality resonated with global audiences. Memes about the series were frequently shared across social media, as users interpolated themselves into the Squid Game universe. We argue that the memes produced by Black Twitter users are a form of meme play that can be read as a significant moment in the shared cultural and activist lineage of Black and Korean communities. Although racial tension is often at the center of the relationship between these two marginalized groups, we suggest that Black Twitter users’ interpolation of themselves into a distinctly Korean cultural product provides us with a chance to imagine how interracial solidarities can be visualized. This is significant in the age of the Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate Movements, which are supported by members of both communities.