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Thought about minority ethnic groups making music in the United States; the United States of America is a country with a population constituting of a huge array of different races and cultures. In the present day, with the advent of social media becoming an integral part of everyday life, it is important to see the implications caused by social media on various ethnic and cultural groups, particularly Asian Americans. The general influence and importance of social media has grown significantly in the past half decade, and social media websites such as Tumblr, Twitter, and particularly Youtube, have created new platforms of visibility for Asian Americans, who are the highest percentage users of these websites.
YouTube, the world's biggest online bank of video, has made it a cultural norm to upload videos of oneself to the internet. However, an noticeable aspect of social media today is the omnipotent presence of Asian American artists online, which suggests something more than just the stereotypical narcissism normally associated with establishing oneself on the internet. Roy Choi, executive producer of 'Kollaboration', which is an annual showcase featuring mostly Asian American talent, says "Asian American artists are visible everywhere" online, and "type in any song on YouTube and you’ll undoubtedly be answered with a cover version by an Asian face." Does this mean Asian Americans are undoubtedly more self-obsessed than other ethnic groups? Absurd. With a vast array of stereotypes, and thus inhibitions placed upon Asian Americans, it has become increasingly difficult to define and clearly indicate the Asian American identity. Asian Americans have a tendency to be raised with a pre-determined set of cultural values that persuades them to not actively garner attention. Society often expects Asian Americans to act or behave a certain way, but there is actually no real cast in contemporary times that Asian Americans can be grouped into. However, then how can Asian Americans create an identity without neglecting their cultural backgrounds and racial origins? Social media has provided Asian Americans with a voice, as well as new platforms of visibility, and thus they have been able to challenge established stereotypes and express themselves without necessarily being ostentatious and striving for attention.
Social media has also played a critical role in the creation of arguably the most viewed music video of all time (at least by an non-American Asian artist); 'Gangnam Style' by Korean rapper Psy is perhaps the first, and currently only song that has actually successfully broken into American mainstream music market. The song and its respective video have received numerous accolades and awards, one of which is becoming the most watched video off all time on YouTube. The song's content consists of a catchy English chorus, a trendy electro-pop beat, and an amusing and slight ridiculous dance routine. Funnily enough, it was not marketed to enter the American pop music market. After doing some research I discovered that the song itself mocks the bourgeois culture present in the Gangnam district of Seoul, South Korea - the residents who live in that district are known for their lavish and ostentatious lifestyles, and Psy has created of caricature of the typical Gangnam residing man. Psy has been credited and championed for spreading Korean culture in the United States, and of course successfully breaking into the mainstream American music industry, something that has time and time again proven to be excruciatingly difficult for Asian music artists. Psy's success is clearly symbolic of the power of social media, especially for artists that routinely lack exposure in mainstream society. Mainstream media has the tendency to place Asians/Asian Americans into roles that are intended to emphasize Asian American/Asian stereotypes; studious, desexualized, nerdy, proficient at martial arts, socially inept, and emasculated. Outside of being asked to play into these established realms of character, both Asians and Asian Americans received very little to no media interest. This is because market studies have shown that the audience of Asian Americans who use social media are not a large enough of a group to be able to make sufficient financial reward from, and thus Asian Americans receive a lack of monetary funding and financial backing for their musical careers and blockbuster movies. Also, there are not enough Asians working in the production aspects of media to recognize, understand, and help promote the potential of Asian American talent.
YouTube, the world's biggest online bank of video, has made it a cultural norm to upload videos of oneself to the internet. However, an noticeable aspect of social media today is the omnipotent presence of Asian American artists online, which suggests something more than just the stereotypical narcissism normally associated with establishing oneself on the internet. Roy Choi, executive producer of 'Kollaboration', which is an annual showcase featuring mostly Asian American talent, says "Asian American artists are visible everywhere" online, and "type in any song on YouTube and you’ll undoubtedly be answered with a cover version by an Asian face." Does this mean Asian Americans are undoubtedly more self-obsessed than other ethnic groups? Absurd. With a vast array of stereotypes, and thus inhibitions placed upon Asian Americans, it has become increasingly difficult to define and clearly indicate the Asian American identity. Asian Americans have a tendency to be raised with a pre-determined set of cultural values that persuades them to not actively garner attention. Society often expects Asian Americans to act or behave a certain way, but there is actually no real cast in contemporary times that Asian Americans can be grouped into. However, then how can Asian Americans create an identity without neglecting their cultural backgrounds and racial origins? Social media has provided Asian Americans with a voice, as well as new platforms of visibility, and thus they have been able to challenge established stereotypes and express themselves without necessarily being ostentatious and striving for attention.
Social media has also played a critical role in the creation of arguably the most viewed music video of all time (at least by an non-American Asian artist); 'Gangnam Style' by Korean rapper Psy is perhaps the first, and currently only song that has actually successfully broken into American mainstream music market. The song and its respective video have received numerous accolades and awards, one of which is becoming the most watched video off all time on YouTube. The song's content consists of a catchy English chorus, a trendy electro-pop beat, and an amusing and slight ridiculous dance routine. Funnily enough, it was not marketed to enter the American pop music market. After doing some research I discovered that the song itself mocks the bourgeois culture present in the Gangnam district of Seoul, South Korea - the residents who live in that district are known for their lavish and ostentatious lifestyles, and Psy has created of caricature of the typical Gangnam residing man. Psy has been credited and championed for spreading Korean culture in the United States, and of course successfully breaking into the mainstream American music industry, something that has time and time again proven to be excruciatingly difficult for Asian music artists. Psy's success is clearly symbolic of the power of social media, especially for artists that routinely lack exposure in mainstream society. Mainstream media has the tendency to place Asians/Asian Americans into roles that are intended to emphasize Asian American/Asian stereotypes; studious, desexualized, nerdy, proficient at martial arts, socially inept, and emasculated. Outside of being asked to play into these established realms of character, both Asians and Asian Americans received very little to no media interest. This is because market studies have shown that the audience of Asian Americans who use social media are not a large enough of a group to be able to make sufficient financial reward from, and thus Asian Americans receive a lack of monetary funding and financial backing for their musical careers and blockbuster movies. Also, there are not enough Asians working in the production aspects of media to recognize, understand, and help promote the potential of Asian American talent.
