Now that AAPI Heritage Month is coming to a close, that doesn’t mean we should once again sweep the history and culture of AAPIs under the rug. One way to keep learning and growing with the AAPI community is to follow Asian TikTok accounts.
Asian American and Pacific Islander history is often left out of mainstream teachings of American history. There is also a general lack of AAPI representation in popular media, and AAPI portrayals are sometimes misrepresented as inaccurate stereotypes. A 2021 report from USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative evaluated 1,300 popular films between 2007 and 2019 and discovered that Asian and Pacific Islanders comprised less than 6% of speaking roles and less than 4% of leads and co-leads in Hollywood films.
Asian Hollywood stars have induced change in the TV and film industry, but due to social media, AAPI representation has found a new platform on TikTok. TikTok has uncovered hidden talent and diverse voices and has introduced the world to new talent and a new wave of activists. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 339% in 2021 compared to 2020. Following this rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, many AAPI creators took to TikTok to amplify their voices and to advocate for their community. In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, here are eight AAPI activists, influencers, and stars to follow after the month ends, because we should always continue learning.
- Frances Wang
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Frances Wang, an NBC Philadelphia news anchor, uses both her Instagram and TikTok to highlight Asian hate crimes, encourage antiracist behaviors and provide context behind news stories. On TikTok, she makes the news more digestible to her over 260,000 followers and spreads kindness.
- Ayn Bernos
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Ayn Bernos is a Filipino entrepreneur, vlogger, and influencer who shares lifestyle and beauty videos on TikTok to her over 1.3 million followers. She also has a second account, which she utilizes to share her tips and knowledge to people who speak Tagalog and want to learn English.
- Janette Ok
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Janette Ok is a lifestyle, beauty, and fashion influencer who promotes diversity and size inclusivity. With over 1.7 million followers on TikTok, Ok highlights her Korean heritage while sharing helpful and fun fashion and beauty tips and proving that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.
- Drew Afualo
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Drew Afualo is a rising star with over 7 million followers on TikTok. She is known for her humor and quick banter, which she uses to call out misogynists on the internet. She is also an advocate for the Samoan community and a co-host on her podcast, Two Idiot Girls.
- Kari Okubo
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Kari Okubo is the Social Media Manager for 18 Million Rising, an online and offline AAPI advocacy company. Okubo herself has over 27,000 followers on TikTok and shares lifestyle and beauty tips while promoting AAPI owned brands, advocating for AAPI rights, and sharing her favorite Asian recipes.
- Jasmine Tuitama-Roberts
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Jasmine Tuitama-Roberts is a Samoan TikTok star with over 20,700 followers. She uses her platform to answer questions regarding her Samoan culture while drawing attention to and promoting AAPI musicians — this is important because AAPI representation has been severely lacking in the music industry for years.
- Tiffany Yu
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Tiffany Yu was in a car crash at nine years old that took her father’s life and left her right hand permanently paralyzed. Yu is the founder of Diversability, an organization hoping to dismantle the stigma surrounding disability and found a community for disabled people and allies. She is also a three-time TEDx speaker and uses her TikTok to be an advocate for those with disabilities and promote anti-ableism.
- Nabela
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Known for her “pockets of peace” series, Nabela is a Desi lifestyle influencer on TikTok with over 7.3 million followers. She was very transparent about her struggles to become pregnant following a miscarriage, and she now talks about her struggles as a new mom. She often talks about and showcases her Indian heritage in her TikToks as well and is transparent about the challenges that she and her white husband have faced as an interracial couple.