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Kari Okubo / Drew Afualo / Frances Wang via TikTok
Culture > Digital

10 AANHPI TikTokers That Should Be On Your Feed, This Month & Always

Updated Published

Now that AANHPI Heritage Month is coming to a close, that doesn’t mean we should once again sweep the history and culture of AANHPIs under the rug. One way to keep learning and growing with the AANHPI community is to follow AANHPI TikTokers.

Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander history is often left out of mainstream teachings of American history. There is also a general lack of AANHPI representation in popular media, and AANHPI 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, AANHPI 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 AANHPI creators took to TikTok to amplify their voices and to advocate for their community. In honor of AANHPI Heritage Month, here are 10 AANHPI activists, influencers, and stars to follow after the month ends, because we should always continue learning.

Frances Wang

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 nearly 260,000 followers and spreads kindness.

Ayn Bernos

Ayn Bernos is a Filipino entrepreneur, vlogger, and influencer who shares lifestyle and beauty videos on TikTok with her over 1.4 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

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
@drewafualo

tried & true tbh 🫡 lmaoooooo

♬ original sound – Drew Afualo

Drew Afualo is a massive social media star with almost 8 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
@kariokubo

Bringing in tachi-dushi (Year of the Dragon) with the Okinawa Association of America🐲. Perks of being a volunteer was getting to talk to so many uchinaanchu people and enjoying the cultural arts (that unfortunately were not passed down) Yii Soogwachi Deebiru! #uchinaanchu

♬ original sound – Kari Okubo🍉

Kari Okubo is the Social Media Manager for 18 Million Rising, an online and in-person AANHPI advocacy company. Okubo herself has over 27,000 followers on TikTok and shares lifestyle and beauty tips while promoting AANHPI owned brands, advocating for AANHPI rights, and sharing her favorite Asian recipes.

Jasmine Tuitama-Roberts
@iasimegi

#stitch with @huy_kat pls i’m bad at fraction math, what’s even 3/20ths white 🥴 #samoan #pasifika

♬ original sound – iasimegi

Jasmine Tuitama-Roberts is a Samoan TikTok star with over 28,000 followers. She uses her platform to answer questions regarding her Samoan culture while drawing attention to and promoting AANHPI musicians — this is important because AANHPI representation has been severely lacking in the music industry for years.

Tiffany Yu
@imtiffanyyu

Disability issues affect everyone! Featuring @SeeMiaRoll Preorder The Anti-Ableist Manifesto at https://bit.ly/AntiAbleistBook #AntiAbleism #AntiAbleist #Disability #DisabilityPride #DisabilityAwareness

♬ original sound – estwne

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 TEDx speaker and uses her TikTok to be an advocate for those with disabilities and promote anti-ableism

Nabela Noor
@nabela

some #pocketsofpeace from yesterday’s Eid festivities 🌙✨ Eid and Ramadan this year weren’t the same as our parents have been in Bangladesh, but we are so grateful for how much closer us 6 siblings became throughout this month. 🤍 #nabelanoorhome #asmr #popvlog #ramadan #eidmubarak #eid #bengali #bangladesh #lifestyle #dayinmylife #familytime #familyrecipe #dailyvlog #minivlog

♬ original sound – nabela

Known for her “pockets of peace” series, Nabela is a Desi lifestyle influencer on TikTok with over 7.6 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.

Seema Pankhania
@seemagetsbaked

Ive never tried anything from seychelles before and it really is a mix of so many different countries creating the most incredible fish ive had!! Thank you @Chloe for all of this ! Recipe below Pwason Griye: Ingredients 1KG Red Snapper, de-scaled and cleaned 20g ginger 6 Cloves of garlic 1 medium brown onion 1 tsp tomato paste 15g flat leaf parsley 6g thyme, de-sprigged 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce 2 Tbsps light soy sauce 1/2 Scotch Bonnet 1 Small Tomato 10 curry leaves 1 Large Banana Leaf Oil, salt, black pepper Pre-heat the oven to 180 Score the fish at an angle, do not go through completely. Season the fish throughout with salt. In a bender add all the rest of the ingredients minus the banana leaf with 2 tbsps of oil, blend until it forms a paste. Rub the paste all over the fish inside and out and stuff the cavity and every cut with the marinade. If you have a gas stove, turn it up to high and quickly pass the banana leaf over until bright green, glossy and pliable. Otherwise, wet with water and place it in the oven for 2-3 mins until bright green. Let the banana leaf cool down, then wrap the fish in it. Place into a baking tray, and seal with foil. Bake in the oven for 30-45 mins, until fully cooked.

♬ original sound – Seema Pankhania

Seema Pankhania is a truly global food influencer. She has made it her personal mission to “cook as many dishes from as many countries as possible,” and is currently partaking in a 195-day global food challenge to cook a dish from every country in the world. Seema’s delicious recipes and travel tips are sure to induce both hunger and wanderlust. Her account is a must-follow for anyone with an appetite for adventure.

Allison Chu

Allison Chu is a former Miss Hawai’i and Miss Hawai’i USA as well as an actress and model. She uses her social media to share everything from day-in-the-life videos to her love for Hawai’i. (In fact, you may have also seen her in the latest Netflix Squid Game: The Challenge season.) The Honolulu native showcases her busy life between New York City and Hawai’i and she is a total fashion inspiration.

This article was originally posted on May 31, 2022.

Nikki is a senior at LMU from Honolulu, Hawai'i and is majoring in Communications Studies with minors in Journalism and Health and Society. She is also the president of Her Campus LMU.