ABSTRACT
Throughout YouTube’s first decade, Asian Americans were clearly recognized as some of the platform’s most notable breakout stars. Since 2007, enterprising youth such as KevJumba, Michelle Phan, and Nigahiga have used their self-produced videos to woo fans by the thousands, and to launch their careers. Asian American YouTubers have been able to parlay their popularity into a wide variety of outcomes, including feature film productions, corporate sponsorships, record deals, television roles, concert series, makeup lines, and more. Academic scholarship and mainstream media reports abound on the Asian American YouTube phenomenon, with countless writers and theorists celebrating how Asian Americans are evading the systemic racism of media institutions through digital outlets and their unique affordances. Their success stories particularly stand out in comparison with the struggles historically faced by Asian Americans in more traditional media industries. As is discussed elsewhere in this collection, Asian American professionals have always been rare within the world of film and television, where a “bamboo ceiling” still limits possibilities. While it may be questionable how much any one of these Asian American YouTube superstars has actually crossed the threshold into mainstream visibility and recognition, their stories remain legend within Asian American communities.
