Stars of Cyberspace: The Asian Variety

One of my final papers for this semester was for my Contemporary Asian Americans class. The research topic? Asian Americans on YouTube. Because it is a blog worthy topic, here is an excerpt/ summary.

From Nigahiga to Happyslip to David Choi, Asian Americans are proliferating the channels of YouTube. Many of the top 50 channels on YouTube were created by individuals of Asian descent and has caught the attentions of the blogosphere and Asian American based panels. This is surely a phenomenon. The videos range from beauty tutorials by Michelle Phan to humorous portrayals of everyday life by KevJumba. All of these individuals are second generation Asian Americans and almost all of them are under 30 years old. YouTube and the internet have collectively become a venue that allows accessibility and advocacy of groups that are traditionally underrepresented. These videos have promoted the image of Asian Americans by presenting common issues and topics in a positive manner as they are created by the very individuals themselves.

The videos portray a wide variety of issues faced by Asian Americans. KevJumba, for example, frequently has his father in his videos. The relationship portrayed between him and his father can be related to many individuals' own relationship with their parents. Between the accent and affectionate teasing, he might as well be Papa Kong. Interracial dating was brilliantly discussed in "Yellow Fever," a video by Wongfu Productions. Yes, many White men date Asian girls- sorry to all the Asian men who think this is an issue. Timothy DeLaGhetto's videos are very much influenced by hip hop culture, showing much of his persona. Do you know how many Asian guys follow the hypebeast/sneakerhead culture? Well I know too many.

So why YouTube? YouTube is easy to use and has a large audience. For individuals like KevJumba and Nigahiga, who are currently college students (both my age in fact), it is a noncommital venue. Thus, they can upload videos at their own leisure. Other individuals like Michelle Phan and Wongfu Productions have used YouTube as a springboard to launch their careers. In fact, many of them have received recognition and opportunities because of their videos. YouTube has proved to be a valuable venue for self expression. For Asian Americans that find it difficult to have their breakthrough in Hollywood, YouTube and the internet will always be there, creating new stars with changes in time.