Youtube Vloggers: Redressing Asian-American Representation in the Digital Age

Justified aggrievances have been raised of the sparse –or narrowly stereotyped depiction– of Asians in the entertainment media. While recently there’s been slow traction in seeing Asian faces in traditional filmic and televisual roles, Hollywood has been reluctant in portraying multi-dimensionally complex Asian characters. But with the accessibility of YouTube, content production has been much more democratized, allowing particularly Asian-American vloggers to present multi-faceted personas. YouTube allows Asian-American personalities to channel their aspirations, without the consent of the gatekeepers standing watching at the Hollywood studio system. In many ways, Asian-American vloggers are using YouTube as a Third Space. Rejecting traditional forms of media and tritely scripted clichés, they are finding an alternative space through YouTube in expressing the diverse complexion of Asian-American identities.