In recent days, there has been a heated racism debate between two streamers who produce Genshin Impact content. It involved hypocrisy and insults towards Chinese people. But what exactly happened there?
Tenha (seen on the left in the title image) is a Korean Genshin Impact YouTuber and streamer. Kylorren_Lol (on the right in the title image) is a Spanish YouTuber and streamer who has also started creating Genshin Impact content.
How did it all start? Tenha published a video titled “How I Accidentally Made the BEST Keqing on YouTube.” As he himself admits, his intention behind it was, of course, to generate clicks. He claimed to have learned from the best and had no ill intentions behind it. Keqing is a playable character in Genshin Impact.
Subsequently, Kylorren_Lol spoke out on Twitter, wanting to compare his Keqing with Tenha’s and produce a reaction video to Tenha’s. Tenha replied that he had no interest in this and did not want Kylorren_Lol to make such a video. Tenha is not a fan of such videos and would also claim copyright on it, he explained in a later video where he described the situation in more detail.
Who are Tenha and Kylorren_Lol? The Korean Tenha became known for his Genshin Impact videos, in which he spent a lot of money in the gacha system. He also regularly streams on Twitch. Kylorren_Lol is from Argentina and produces Spanish videos and streams. As his name suggests, he previously primarily streamed League of Legends but is now also starting with more Genshin Impact content.
“Chinese people are the worst people in the world”
What happened next? Not much time passed, and Kylorren_Lol started a stream where he read the tweets and began insulting Tenha and Asians.
Asians are like that. Yes, the truth is, my friend, because I work for Chinese people – they are the worst. The worst people in the world.
From 0:39 via YouTube
Additionally, the present viewers insult Tenha as an asshole and use terms like “Chinaman.” Kylorren_Lol does not stop this, just laughs and nods in agreement. Furthermore, he wanted to donate Tenha bits on Twitch when he goes live with the words: “What the hell is wrong with you? You fucking ‘Chinaman.'”
Bits on Twitch are like a currency. Streamers and Twitch itself receive a certain share of the money depending on how many bits someone donates. Bits can be acquired in exchange for real money. “Chinaman” is also a derogatory, racist term for Asians (via Urban Dictionary), which should definitely not be used.
Kylorren_Lol then did this: He apologized in a tweet and actually sent him bits, but with the following words: “Hello Tenha, good morning. I’m sorry about yesterday. My intention is not to annoy you or use your content to become famous. I apologize publicly, it won’t happen again. Have a nice day.”
Also on Twitter, Kylorren_Lol apologized again for wanting to take his video down, but not for the racist comments. Nevertheless, he distributed hearts to tweets from his community, which insulted Tenha. Very hypocritical, Tenha thinks.
The worst part of the whole thing is that Kylorren_Lol simply labeled Tenha as a Chinese person, even though he is Korean. Both ancestries follow different ethnicities and traditions.
All screenshots and evidence can be found in Tenha’s and AsianGuyStreams’ videos since Kylorren_Lol deleted his tweets and stream recordings.
Kylorren_Lol also released an apology video where he still referred to Tenha several times as a Chinese person (via YouTube). He also claimed to understand racism since his family also has foreign roots. The video sounds to many in the comments like a “I’m sorry you feel attacked” and not like a real apology.
Atsu is also a famous Asian content creator and streamer in the Genshin Impact realm.
What is the video about? In his video, Atsu calls on people to raise their voices against racism. He encourages them not to accept any nonsense and to seek help. He speaks from personal experience and constantly encounters racism against himself. The topic deeply affects him.
He reiterated that the excuse “it’s taken out of context” does not apply in this case. He does not understand how such behavior can be condoned. One should also speak out against one’s favorite streamers and not just nod in agreement with whatever they do. While it may be easier to look away, it helps no one and only worsens the situation.
Genshin Impact as a link between all heritages
Genshin Impact brings various cultures and their traditions into the game, bringing them closer to people. So far, Germany (Mondstadt), Japan (Inazuma), and China (Liyue) are present in the game. It creates a sense of togetherness regardless of one’s own background and traditions.
Especially the Asian aspect is highlighted more clearly through the game and brings their literature, culture, and traditions closer to those who do not come from Asian countries.
Due to this incident between Tenha and Kylorren_Lol, more racism may have infiltrated the game and among content creators. It is hoped that the videos by Atsu and Tenha have shaken some people awake and that no more people like Kylorren_Lol will come forward.
The most ironic thing about it? The discussion flared up because of Keqing. She also comes from China.
