Overview

#BoycottGenshin refers to a hashtag protest against Genshin Impact after it was discovered that the hilichurl enemy, a sentient, goblin-like creature, was specifically modeled off of Native Americans.

Background

On October 3rd, 2020, YouTube channel FedEXX58 posted a behind-the-scenes video of Genshin Impact developers Mihoyo working on the game. At one point in the video, an animator works on the hilichurl enemy, using video of Native Americans dancing as a reference (shown below).

People had pointed out the similarities between the "primitive" hilichurl and indigenous people in the ensuing months before the #BoycottGenshin hashtag was introduced. On December 15th, 2020, Twitter user @khennayaya^[1] pointed out the reference in a tweet that gained over 50 likes (shown below).

Developments

On April 5th, 2021, Twitter users began using the #BoycottGenshin hashtag to protest what they saw as the harmful representation of Native Americans in the video game. While it's unclear which tweet started the hashtag, early notable posts include tweets by @AFRODIYKE^[2] and @depressoh^[3] (shown below).

The hashtag also saw a considerable amount of mockery from people who did not think the hilichurl/indigenous people comparison was a serious issue. For example, Twitter user @Kep3netan^[4] tweeted a sarcastic complaint about the grass in the game, gaining over 1,000 retweets and 8,000 likes (shown below, left). User @SNCHGA^[5] tweeted a still from the game as a way to mock people using the hashtag, gaining over 2,300 retweets and 12,000 likes (shown below, right).

Search Interest

Unavailable

External References