ABG / Asian Baby Girl

About

ABG is an acronym that stands for Asian Baby Girl or Asian Baby Gangster. The slang term originates from American gang-affiliated subcultures in the 1990s, however, the aesthetic style associated with ABGs today was developed and solidified in the 2010s. ABGs are known for having bleached hair and tattoos, wearing Adidas and drinking boba tea. The ABG lifestyle is also often associated with rave and party culture, with the acronym being used in ways akin to "valley girl." ABGs are commonly referenced in memes, particularly in formats such as starter packs.

Origin

The ABG or Asian Baby Girl aesthetic as it is understood today stems from the clothing and lifestyles of Asian American women in the United States in the 2010s. According to an i-D article^[1] by Mai Train published in October 2020, the "Asian Baby Gangster" aesthetic developed out of female criminals in New York City's Chinatown in the 1990s, with women thinning their brows, lighting their hair and donning tattooing in order to differentiate themselves from stereotypes about meek and submissive Asian women.

The earliest known mention of the phrase "ABG" on the internet is a February 7th, 2009, Urban Dictionary^[4] definition offered by user Lolzercoptorzallday. They described the ABG as follows:

An acronym for an "aznbbygirl" meaning an asian female gangster. ABG's like to hang with gangsters and wear thin (slutty) clothing. They like to jump other girls who talk shit and make out with their boyfriends 24/7 (maybe even have sex.) Usually own side kicks who also like to text frequently. ABG'S also normally have a "ride or die" homie, someone who is always down for them, or die trying. ABG's are also known for dying their hair alot. From blonde to black. They have many piercings: multiple on the ears, and stomach/lip. They probably have teased hair, bangs, and have had extensions at one point or another. Could also have painted nails and tatoos. ABG's are super hot, but you would probably get jumped if you tried to hit on them. They also loiter and hang out past curfew.

Spread

On October 24th, 2014, YouTuber^[2] Eau de Robin posted a makeup tutorial titled, "How to Look Like an Asian Baby Girl » ABG Tutorial." The video gathered over 66,000 views in 10 years (seen below).

On May 7th, 2015, the Fung Brothers made a YouTube^[3] video titled "18 TYPES OF ASIAN GIRLS," opening with the "ABG" archetype. The video described ABGs as attractive young girls known for showing off their navel piercings and wearing push-up bras. According to the video, ABGs can typically be found working as import models at car shows, at sexy coffee shops, as gogo dancers or at vape stores. The video gathered over 4.8 million views in nine years (seen below).

In 2020, the ABG aesthetic was popularized on TikTok as a fashion trend and internet challenge via the "ABG Challenge,"^[7] with TikToker^[5] @janellemyh posting an ABG makeup tutorial on June 25th, 2020, that gathered over 2 million plays and 260,000 likes in four years (seen below).

On September 29th, 2023, K-Pop star Jungkook and American rapper Jack Harlow released their song "3D," which notably contained the line, "All my ABGs get cute for me" (seen below).^[6]

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References