From ABGs to “Wasian” TikTok: How Asian Identity Became an Aesthetic

This engaging conversation explores how pop culture, social media, beauty trends, and dating discourse have shaped how Asian identity is perceived, performed, and consumed online.

Authors Kaila Yu and Joan King will examine the rise of labels and aesthetics such as ABG culture, “boba liberal” identity, K-pop beauty ideals, and “Wasian” TikTok, asking what happens when a community’s identity becomes a trend. Drawing on Kaila’s book Fetishized and Joan Sung’s Kinda Korean, the discussion will unpack how these representations affect belonging, self-image, desirability, and how Asian Americans understand themselves.

Participants will leave with:

✨ A deeper understanding of how Asian identity has been shaped by media and online culture

✨ Language for discussing fetishization, beauty standards, and representation

✨ Insight into the difference between visibility, validation, and real belonging

✨ Questions to consider about who gets to define culture in the social media age

Kaila Yu is an author based in Los Angeles. Her debut memoir is titled ‘Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty,’ published by Penguin Random House’s Crown Publishing. She’s also a luxury travel and culture writer with bylines in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, Condé Nast Traveler, and many more.

Joan Sung is a national cultural competency conference presenter and consultant and has a BA in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing, an MA in English, and a Doctorate in Education. Her articles regarding Asian American voices have been published in TinyBeans.com, Mochi Magazine, Memoir Magazine, and Writerly Magazine. She lives in the Seattle area with her husband, her son, and two dogs.