"People will find a way to be outraged": Fiona Wang Vietnam TikTok slum tourism controversy explored

Modified May 09, 2023 01:59 GMT

TikToker faces backlash after sharing video of her trip to Vietnam (image via TikTok/@vietnam.explores)

Asian-Australian TikToker Fiona Wang is facing the ire of fellow netizens after she shared an emotional post about her Vietnam trip. On Monday, May 8, 2023, Wang shared a video of herself crying while her partner attempts to comfort her, because a Vietnamese woman rowed their coconut boat and tried "so hard to make (them) happy."

The clip was posted on Monday on her account @heyfionawang with the in-video caption:

"It breaks my heart to see these people work so hard to make a living in Vietnam."

View on TikTok

The video garnered over 6.7 million views and 1.2 million likes before it was deleted. As it went viral, a large section of TikTokers were left irritated by the post, explaining that it was crude and condescending. However, there were others who supported Wang and thought the backlash was unnecessary and exaggerated.

A comment reacting to the video (Image via Instagram/@ )

Amidst backlash, Fiona Wang clarifies that she made the video "very spontaneously"

While many Tikokers questioned the authenticity of Fiona Wang's reaction, wondering if it was all curated for online attention, there were others who were moved by her reaction and sympathized with her.

A main point of discourse was Wang's use of the hashtags, #poverty and #empathy, which did not sit well with the internet. To many, the addition of the phrases made the whole video seem "voyeuristic and exploitative."

They remarked that by turning poverty and hard work into a "spectacle," she was falling prey to "slum tourism."

When questioned about her intention, Fiona Wang told Insider that it was a "very spontaneous" and "real and raw moment" for her rather than a staged one. She stated:

"Being Asian-Australian, I know I am very privileged to have grown up in Australia, but I also understand the struggle. My parents are immigrants and I spent many years in China."

Fiona added that she never called the Vietnamese people unhappy or poor, which was another key criticism of her video. She explained that seeing genuine happiness and the familial bond within the Vietnamese community contrasted with poverty and struggle moved her to tears.

""Communal Narcissism" at play": Internet users react to Fiona Wang's TikTok post

Despite the viral video being deleted, it continued to spark a number of reactions as TikTokers continued to slam Wang on posts with a stitched original video.

A comment reacting to the video (Image via TikTok/@ )

However, not all responses observed were negative:

In her final remarks to Insider, Fiona Wang stated that she did not feel like she needed to justify her intentions or react to the negative comments as there were several others out there who supported her.

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