Girltaku benefits so much from different cultures, so to celebrate this AAPI Heritage Month, we wanted to highlight some amazing women! These creatives are either active in the Girltaku community, or are women we admire in their field. Learn more about these amazing women and what it means to be of AAPI heritage in the fandom space from their unique perspectives!
The AAPI umbrella is vast and not as black and white as some think. There are approximately 75 countries across Asia and the Pacific Islands. While often assumed, it is also important to note that Native Hawaiians are also included as they are part of the Islands of Polynesia. We encourage you to listen to, and support everyone highlighted below.
Rachel (@rachelszero)
Pronouns: she/her
Ethnicity/Background: ½ Japanese/Korean (mom), ½ Puerto Rican (dad)
Favorite Anime: One Piece!! Favorite Manga: Horimiya <3
Can you share what you do for work/what your focus is online?
Currently, I am a full-time content creator by no choice of my own. I have always worked in the marketing industry, which gave me a lot of the social media and video editing tools necessary to succeed once TikTok started taking off. After losing my most recent 9-5 job last April, I decided to lean into content creation more as a “Plan B” while I figure out my long-term career goals.
My content focus is whatever my current interests are. I gained basically all of my TikTok following talking about anime but have since been able to branch out a bit into k-dramas, webtoons and the occasional k-pop brain rot.
What direction I want to take my content next is the current question plaguing my entire existence as I have felt a bit pigeonholed in my niche lately.
What inspired you to begin your career? (online or otherwise)
My inspiration was… boredom. I never planned on downloading TikTok as I suffer from perpetual social media fatigue from working in marketing but like many others, I succumbed to the boredom once the lockdown started. I’m an extrovert, a yapper and an attention whore, so I initially created my account to talk into the void. I happened upon my current niche by accident when I decided to watch ATLA for the first time and started making commentary on my thoughts. As I dove more into the anime section on Netflix, the content kept coming and I started going viral.
I was, shockingly, a sorority girl in college and my social media was popular amongst the house. My tweets were often a topic of conversation and people loved tuning into my Snapchat stories, which were equally as unfiltered and stream-of-consciousness as my videos look now. I was often told in college that I would’ve been a hit on Vine (#RIPVine) and I guess those people were right.
Does your culture or heritage impact your creative process? And if so, how?
My heritage inadvertently jump started my content creation journey but it doesn’t affect much of my day-to-day process. I’ve always been a TV watcher and my watch history outside of anime is quite diverse and extensive, but I mainly turned on Fullmetal Alchemist one fateful day out of curiosity. After finishing ATLA, which is anime-adjacent but not anime in my book, I was curious about what cultural things I could learn from Japanese media.
It’s hard to Google things that you aren’t aware exist, so I mainly started watching series for a starting point to Google. All of the high school romance anime had me in a rabbit hole about the shoe lockers and why they wore different slippers on campus. I try to keep it respectful otherwise when it comes to making educational/cultural content as I did not grow up with enough culture to try and school others. I’d rather watch and learn from others!
Have you been able to find a sense of community in your field? If so, can you describe what it
means to you? (online or otherwise)
I don’t think I realized how much being mixed race impacted me until I gained an online presence. Growing up, I looked pretty Asian and blended in fairly well with the predominantly Filipino population in my area. All of my grade school crushes were Asian (despite no one liking me back) and the Fuck Yeahh Sexy Asians Tumblr page was my final boss of racial acceptance (I never got posted).
When I went off to college, I initially wanted to join an Asian cultural sorority but after being rejected two semesters in a row by both organizations, I joined those big Panhellenic ones and became an honorary White girl. The internalized racism jumped out for a few years after constant rejection and not feeling “Asian enough” for the spaces that should have been mine.
When I started gaining a TikTok following and making mutuals, it healed me a bit. To this day, I still feel like people view me as a weirdo obsessed with Asia despite being Asian myself because I’ve grown out of a lot of my Asian features and look truly ambiguous now. I remember being floored when popular Asian creators during the #StopAsianHate era followed me back because it felt so validated to be acknowledged by these prominent members of the community. I’ll always be grateful to these people for healing something I didn’t know was wounded but I’d also like to thank the other communities that accepted me when mine didn’t.
An overwhelming majority of the friends that I’ve made through content creation are POC, with a large majority of that majority being Black. The Black community has always felt accepting to me—well, okay, hopefully this isn’t misunderstood—especially when we’re talking about anime and I’ll never forget Phantom, Carrington, Lo and my other early TikTok mutuals for being the start of my “community.”
What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?
To me, this month is about learning. It’s always been crazy to me that the entire continent gets roped into one race category when it’s made up of so many distinct countries and cultures. East and Southeast Asian countries, for example, have so many differences between them but are still considered the same on a job survey. As a fourth generation Asian American who didn’t grow up with much culture, this is always a fun time to learn some new facts about my own cultures in addition to others
Is there anything you would like to share with our readers?
If you’ve ever been interested in posting content, just do it! To be fair, I have never been camera shy, so I can’t relate to the social anxiety that usually stops people from hitting the “Record” button, but putting myself out there on the internet has changed the trajectory of my life. My interests are different, My career is different (for now, at least), My close circle is different. You attract a lot of cool people and opportunities when you’re not afraid to put yourself out there.
Diane (@dianedidthat)
Pronouns: she/her
Ethnicity & Background: Vietnamese
Favorite anime/manga? One Piece, Attack on Titan, Namaikizakari, Ao Haru Ride, NANA
Can you share what you do for work/what your focus is online?
I mainly do a lot of 3D work online! I like to create 3D models of my outfits, food I’ve eaten, or recreate my favorite fashion pieces into 3D form for my characters!
What inspired you to begin your career?
During COVID when I was still working my 9-5 job, I started feeling really burnt out from doing the same thing everyday in my room. I started exploring my art style during that time and wanted to see how I could somehow incorporate anime into 3D without having to create human models. I had the idea to make snacks that I loved eating and doing “collabs” with my favorite anime because I thought it would be really cute- I started posting them online, and a lot of people really liked it! Because of that, I started exploring my art style more and posting more of my art online because it was really fun, and it was a great way to get myself out of the art slump I was having from my previous job.
Does your culture or heritage impact your creative process? And if so, how?
Definitely! I’ve recently started a brand in the making called the Blush Scouts - a group of magical girls based off some of my favorite tropical fruits. All their names are Vietnamese, and they each have something in their outfits that are influenced by Vietnamese culture (ao dai, jade bracelets, braided headbands, etc.). I want people to be able to slowly learn more about Vietnamese culture and possibly pick up some Vietnamese words!
Have you been able to find a sense of community in your field? If so, can you describe what it means to you?
I was really lucky to easily find a community in my field! My husband is in the film/video industry, and we work a lot together on different projects like music videos or advertisements. Because of that, I got to meet a lot of amazing artists and film folks who I’ve gotten the chance to collaborate and work alongside with on a lot of cool projects. It’s comforting and inspiring being around people who have chased this dream of working on their craft and knowing that they’re working their hardest to get to where they want to be.
What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?
AAPI Heritage Month is a time for me to reflect on who I am and how I became the person that I am today. It’s remembering the sacrifices that my parents took immigrating to a whole new country where they couldn’t speak the language and building a community here. It’s knowing that my parents had to sacrifice their own personal dreams to make sure that we were able to assimilate to the US culture while still teaching us about the Vietnamese cultures and traditions that they brought with them from Vietnam.
Is there anything you would like to share with our readers?
If you’ve ever had even the smallest urge to create content online, you should do it! You never know who’s going to see it or what other things you might learn or discover about yourself!
Jess (@nirvanaoftheleafvillage)
Pronouns: she/her
Ethnicity & Background: Indo-Guyanese
Favorite Anime: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Favorite Manga: Sweat and Soap
Can you share what you do for work/what your focus is online?
I’m the publicity and outreach manager for a poetry center at a university! I handle social media, literary programing, editorial consultation, proofreading, as well as teaching some classes on the side. I kind of have two personas online, one is my public profile as a poet and the other is just me being silly goofy as an anime lover! Both sides get straightforward content about my life but I’m not as consistent with my anime content as I once was. I still really value the community anime tiktok brought me and those connections persist, but I don’t have the same time to commit to it that I wish I did.
What inspired you to begin your career?
I’ve been a writer my whole life, both my degrees are in creative writing so it only made sense to enter a field that revolved around that. I eventually want to be a full time poetry professor, but I have always loved arts admin work that gives me the opportunity to create moments of connection in the larger community. Poetry saved my life so if I can be in the position to introduce it or share it with other people in hopes that it’ll do the same, I’ll hold onto that for as long as I can.
Does your culture or heritage impact your creative process? And if so, how?
Yes! My entire poetic practice comes from the roots of oral storytelling. I found my voice in poetry through spoken word and now I very much center my cultural background in the way I engage with writing and the world around me.
Have you been able to find a sense of community in your field? If so, can you describe what it means to you?
Absolutely. Much like with anime tiktok, the poetry community has roots on the internet that I’ve reached into. So many poets I’ve met over the years through Twitter and Instagram have become friends, and they’ve read at events I’ve hosted or been a part of. We support each other and uplift each other, I am nothing without my community.
What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?
It means pride to me. Pride in roots and heritage and lineage and inheritance. To say we are who we are because of where we’ve come from and where we’ve been.
How do you best feel celebrated during AAPI Heritage Month? What can the anime community do to make you feel even more celebrated and appreciated?
Buy my book! Haha, I’m kidding. The real answer is read poetry. If not mine, then someone from a background unlike your own. Expand your levels of empathy and care beyond yourself. Love art. We’re barrelling toward a society who is so hellbent on anti-intellectualism that the best thing you can do to combat that is choose, often, always, to keep reading. Keep learning. Believe in the power of words.
Is there anything you would like to share with our readers?
When you appreciate a creator for what they put out in the world, tell them. Always tell them. The anime community thrives only when we care for each other, and those creators you love? They’re putting in work they don’t have to, so let them know! Spaces like Girltaku are so valuable and I’m grateful to know and love the humans that put their hearts into these communities.
Yaya (@yayaizen)
Pronouns: She/Her
Ethnicity & Background: Asian/Kanaka Maoli (Hawaiian)
Favorite anime/manga? Bleach by Tite Kubo
Can you share what you do for work/what your focus is online?
Essentially my focus online is showcasing my love for anime/manga & comics through cosplay.
What inspired you to begin your career? (online or otherwise)
I always attribute the start of my anime addiction to my older brothers. I just remember them always putting anime on when they used to babysit me and getting their hand me down graphic tees- I think I still might have one with Inuyasha on it. I embraced fandom online once I was old enough to have social media and saw the coolest Cana Alberona cosplayer at my first convention. It was seeing someone bring a character to life and embrace it so nonchalantly that made me want to start cosplaying.
Does your culture or heritage impact your creative process? And if so, how?
I was brought up to mālama ʻāina, which basically means to take care of the land. When I started making my own costumes for cosplay, I realized how wasteful and expensive of a craft it can be in terms of single use costumes, props, fabrics, etc. Of course no one should feel bad for buying that expensive fabric or material for that dream cosplay, in fact I’ve done it myself on occasion. However, to mitigate the impact I’ll make on the landfill, I make a lot of costumes with the intention of turning it into a new one after I wear it a few times.
I adore closet cosplayers, paper wig makers, and cardboard prop makers for this reason. Having fun as a cosplayer is vastly different for everyone, and for me fun looks like turning a One Piece cosplay into a Bleach cosplay and then again into a Soul Eater cosplay. It’s a challenge, but it enables me to hone old skills and learn new ones!
Have you been able to find a sense of community in your field? If so, can you describe what it means to you?
I’m very fortunate to be able to say that I’ve always been supported by my family when it comes to embracing my creative side. My nana taught me how to sew at a young age. She also gifted me with the sewing machine and serger I use today. My mom comes with me to conventions and cosplays even if she might not know who it is she’s cosplaying as. When I won my first craftsmanship contest, my mom cried for me. It’s that kind of support from my family that makes it easy to keep expressing myself through this craft freely.
What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?
I think it’s a month to celebrate people you look up to. During AAPI heritage month, I want to highlight an incredibly pivotal figure and girl boss icon in Hawaiian History: Ke Aliʻi Ruth Keʻelikōlani Keanolani Kanāhoahoa, or simply Keʻelikōlani as she was known to many. She’s a figure of Hawaiian resilience. As royalty, she was highly educated and spoke perfect English. However, when conducting business with her, foreigners would have to either get a translator or learn ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. I love Keʻelikōlani because she was notoriously strong willed and dealt with whatever adversity that was thrown her way head on.
How do you best feel celebrated during AAPI Heritage Month? What can the anime community do to make you feel even more celebrated and appreciated?
Sharing my work with others who might be interested in the same series or who might want to dip their toes into cosplay is the best way to celebrate me during AAPI heritage month! I love talking shop and sharing tips I’ve learned over the years. So, if you see something I’ve made on my page and want to learn about it, I will happily overshare and explain it. I also love learning about new techniques, so if you have one you’ve mastered I’d love to hear about it.
Is there anything you would like to share with our readers?
Hawaiʻi is a beautiful place and it has a growing con scene with tons of talented cosmakers you should check out! However, it would be a disservice to my community if I didn’t mention this. Hawaiʻi isn’t just a “getaway paradise”. It has problems like the rest of the world, a major one for me is the fact that more kānaka live outside of Hawaiʻi than in it. This is due to factors such as heavily gentrified areas and underpaying jobs. If you’re planning to visit Hawaiʻi, that’s cool, just do it respectfully. Support local businesses, wear reef safe sunscreen, pick up after yourself if you’re at the beach or in nature, and please, DO NOT disturb the wildlife as most of them are endangered. Most of all, be kind and be safe.
Yue Zhang (@yuekelele)
Pronouns: she/her
Ethnicity & Background: Chinese American
Favorite anime/manga? One Piece, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Frieren!
Can you share what you do for work/what your focus is online?
My focus online is sharing my love for anime through cosplay! I create content that celebrates the characters and stories that have meant a lot to me over the years, whether that’s through bringing to life a new character, a fun Reel, or a heartfelt tribute post. I want my page to be a space where fellow fans feel seen, inspired, and excited to express themselves.
What inspired you to begin your career?
Like many chaotic origin stories, mine began in isolation during the pandemic — just me, my phone, way too much free time, and a brand new TikTok account! I started making silly videos to keep myself entertained and somehow ended up sailing straight into the anime side of TikTok. That’s where I found this amazing community, and I immediately felt a sense of connection that I hadn’t experienced online before. Seeing so many amazing creators express their love for anime through cosplay really inspired me to give it a try myself (shout out to @sailorkayla and @rinnegoddess for their incredible cosplays that inspired me to click “order” on my first cosplay way back in 2021)! The moment I put on Zoro’s outfit, I knew I was hooked – something about turning into your favorite characters is just so satisfying. I’ve been cosplaying ever since!
Does your culture or heritage impact your creative process? And if so, how?
I think being Chinese American definitely shows up in my creativity, even if it’s not always intentional. When I was younger, I didn’t see a lot of faces like mine in American mainstream media, and when I did, they all kind of fit the same mold: usually some stoic, kick-butt martial arts master with very few lines. But the media that did resonate with me (usually thanks to late-night Toonami marathons) was anime. It was one of the first places I saw Asian characters at the center of the story, and it made me feel seen in a way nothing else really did at the time.
Cosplay gave me a way to break out of the old narratives and step into that world for myself. I get to be anything I want to be: a swords(wo)man, an apothecary, an immortal vampire with time powers – it’s all fair game. Whether it’s the little cultural nods I bring to a shoot, the way I obsess over details (shoutout to my parents!), or the quiet pride I feel when someone says they feel seen through my work, so much of what I do ties back to my heritage.
Have you been able to find a sense of community in your field? If so, can you describe what it means to you? (Online or otherwise)
Absolutely! Some of my very best friends today are people I met through the online anime and cosplay community – I truly don’t know what my life would look like without them. Beyond that, I’ve found an incredible circle of friends who’ve become a kind of con family. What started as mutuals hyping each other up in the comments turned into chaotic group chats and big convention weekends that feel like the most joyful reunions (just with more wigs and very, very cluttered hotel rooms). This community means everything to me—it’s creative, chaotic, supportive, and full of people who just get it.
What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?
To me, AAPI Heritage Month is about visibility, pride, and honoring where I come from. Growing up, I didn’t always feel like my voice or culture fit into the spaces I loved, especially in fandom. Now, I get to be part of a generation of AAPI creators who are not just showing up, but thriving in those spaces. It’s a time to celebrate the cultures that raised us, the creativity we bring into everything we do, and the joy of taking up space!
Anie Quynh (@AnieQuynh)
Pronouns: She/Her
Ethnicity & Background: Vietnamese-American Illustrator. Los Angeles based, Bay Area born and raised
Favorite anime/manga? Tomie, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Neon Genesis Evangelion
Can you share what you do for work?
I'm an illustrator and painter who also loves to sew occasionally. My artwork is a mix of some original pieces and some fanart (all of which pays homage to the movies, anime, and manga from which my love for drawing stemmed), and can best be described as whimsical, creepy, and cute all at the same time.
What inspired you to begin your career?
Back in 2020 I had a little bit of a creative renaissance, as many of us did with the spare time on our own. It actually all started with anime fanart. It was so beautiful finding people who loved the same shows or movies I loved, and it reignited a flame inside of my soul- It started off with little sketches here and there. Before I knew it, I began sharing works-in-progress on Instagram and process videos on Tik Tok as a way to connect with strangers online.
Along the way, I was lucky enough to find friends (on- and offline) and have family who encouraged me to follow my dreams of pursuing art as a career. With the courage they all lent me, I began to share my art at convention artist alleys and art shows to do the same thing I set out to do 5 years ago: connect with like-minded strangers. It all feels surreal now being able to do something that aligns with what I want to share with the world.
Have you been able to find a sense of community in your field? If so, can you describe what it means to you?
I feel lucky to find the biggest sense of community in my more intensive paintings--many of which are drawn as I process grief or experience large life transitions. When I started this art journey, I planned to only share the simple and sweet pieces. "Only the things that brought joy," I told myself. There were so many darker art pieces that I kept to myself until one day I decided to bring one print of a guro-style painting to my first artist alley.
I still remember the first interaction I had after I set aside my fears and put it out on my table.There have been so many meaningful conversations over the years about how some of my darker pieces mirror what someone else is going through themselves. Since then, I decided never to hold back on the emotional pieces again if it meant it would help others process their own struggles.
V!CE (@v1ce_official)
Pronouns: she/her
Ethnicity & Background: Indian
Favorite anime/manga: One Piece
Can you share what you do for work/what your focus is online?
Sure, I am a singer songwriter that writes music about things that I like. So a lot of times I take inspiration from anime and video games and literally just anything that I find an interest in. I also dabble in cosplay a bit, and sometimes I post gym Content.
When I first started posting, it was not with the intention of getting a following or anything like that. And if I’m being completely honest, it still isn’t. But, I very much appreciate everybody that does follow me because this community is very special to me and I’m very grateful for everyone in it 🙂 Frankly, I started social media simply because I wanted to. I noticed that it was a way for me to express myself, and I was able to meet a whole bunch of cool people and grow from it. It was fun. And it still is, so I will continue.
Have you been able to find a sense of community in your field? If so, can you describe what it means to you?
Oh absolutely, like I mentioned before, I’m very grateful for my community. They are some of the sweetest, most supportive people, and they’re always welcoming to everyone in that space that we have managed to create by simply being ourselves. Before 2020 a lot of the stuff that I liked would’ve been considered quite niche so it was very difficult to meet people within the community, but since I started creating and posting, I have been able to meet so many people that are extremely talented that have welcomed me with open arms.
I got so many opportunities to collaborate and support and be friends with super cool people, who I would’ve never met if I decided I wasn’t going to start posting. I was also able to come across my followers feed, and their support has been so phenomenal- I wouldn’t have been able to cross paths with them either if I decided to not begin my journey as a creator.
How do you best feel celebrated during AAPI Heritage month? What can the anime community do to make you feel even more celebrated and appreciated?
I think people in general should be celebrated every day. But it is nice to have a month specifically for us! I do feel like sometimes our history is not necessarily known out in the west, so I think it gives people a chance to get to know us better. I think it’s really special to have something like a AAPI heritage month .
I’m fortunate enough to say that with the community I have around me, I feel celebrated every day. But if you are looking to go out and do something extra special for AAPI heritage month, I would suggest supporting and donating to organizations that help Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders such as: https://stopaapihate.org.
Elaina (@yuemeis)
Pronouns: they/them
Ethnicity & Background: Chinese-American
Favorite anime/manga? Bleach, Kaiju #8, Ace of Diamond, Ouran High Host Club, Fruits
Basket, Sakamoto Days
Does your culture or heritage impact your creative process? And if so, how?
My Chinese/Chinese-American heritage profoundly shapes my creative process in complex and sometimes conflicting ways. Growing up, I faced a dual challenge: being bullied by peers for my anime interests while also encountering significant resistance from my family. This resistance wasn't arbitrary—my paternal grandparents, especially my grandma 奶奶 (nǎi nǎi), suffered tremendously during the Rape of Nanking. For years, engaging with Japanese media felt like potentially dishonoring my family's painful history and legacy.
As I've matured, I've developed the capacity to hold multiple truths simultaneously: acknowledging the historical realities and sometimes problematic representations in anime/manga, while also embracing the joy and creative expression these art forms bring to my life and the connections they foster with loved ones.
Cosplay serves as a mirror—when I slip into these characters, I look back at myself and discover aspects of my own identity that I might not have otherwise recognized. Even though there are times it’s just a “silly little cos” (because sometimes it’s not that deep), it has been overall a deeply healing experience for me. In some ways, it has allowed me to break cycles of generational trauma without forgetting or dishonoring those experiences.
I'm actively working to bring more nuance and diverse representations to my cosplay, especially through crossovers and alternative versions of characters. By reimagining characters or bringing different interpretations of the same character to life, I create space for complexity that might be missing in more traditional portrayals. This approach lets me challenge both cultural and gender expectations simultaneously, whether I'm gender-bending a character or blending cultural elements into an existing design.
Being Chinese-American also influences how I approach character selection and interpretation. I do my best to bring nuance to characters that might otherwise be flattened or stereotyped, and I'm particularly drawn to characters whose stories echo themes of cultural navigation and belonging. My INFJ personality naturally gravitates toward characters with hidden depths and complex motivations, which adds another layer to my interpretations.
The liminal space I occupy—between cultures, between genders as a nonbinary person—gives me a unique perspective on characters who similarly exist in between worlds. Gender fluidity in cosplay has become an important avenue of self-expression for me, allowing me to explore aspects of identity that transcend traditional boundaries, something that feels particularly meaningful as someone who has always navigated cultural dualities.
What does AAPI Heritage Month mean to you?
Growing up East-Asian/Chinese-American, AAPI Heritage Month doesn’t really hold significant meaning for me — something I now recognize as a missed opportunity to connect with the rich cultural heritage I often took for granted. Seeing the profound impact and community building around celebrations like Pride Month, Women's History Month, and Black History Month, especially post-BLM and pandemic, has prompted me to reflect on what more I could be doing for the AAPI community.
There's something particularly meaningful about a community that has historically been encouraged to stay quiet, to not rock the boat, to be the 'model minority' now having a dedicated space for visibility and celebration. AAPI Heritage Month offers an opportunity to challenge the ways our community has been overlooked or pitted against other marginalized groups in divisive narratives.
I find it beautifully fitting that AAPI Heritage Month coincides with Mental Health Awareness Month. As an Asian-American trained therapist, this overlap feels almost poetic—a reminder of how cultural identity and mental wellbeing are intrinsically connected, especially for those of us navigating the complexities of bicultural identities and intergenerational trauma. It highlights the importance of culturally responsive mental health support and breaking the stigma around mental health care in AAPI communities.
For me as I reflect more, AAPI Heritage Month is evolving into a time of reclamation—of stories, traditions, and aspects of identity I may have once distanced myself from in pursuit of assimilation. It's becoming a reminder that my heritage isn't just something to acknowledge but something to actively integrate into how I understand myself and my place in the world. Through my cosplay and professional and creative works, I hope to contribute to expanding the narrative of what it means to be Asian American, celebrating our complexity beyond the flattened representations we've often been assigned.
As I continue to grow in my understanding of my cultural identity, I hope to use this month as a launching point for year-round engagement with AAPI issues, history, and community building—transforming a calendar designation into a sustained commitment to visibility, solidarity, and pride in our shared heritage.
How do you best feel celebrated during AAPI Heritage month? What can the anime community do to make you feel even more celebrated and appreciated?
My biggest answer is staying educated and engaged—not just during May, but throughout the year. True celebration comes through genuine understanding and respect. This means learning about Asian history in its full breadth and complexity, including Southeast Asian, South Asian, and other overlooked Asian cultures beyond the dominant narratives of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese experiences. It also means exploring the interconnected histories and solidarities between AAPI communities and other communities of color.
Within the anime community specifically, celebration looks like moving beyond superficial appreciation to deeper respect for the cultures these art forms emerge from. It means rejecting the demonization, fetishization, and infantilization of Asian people and recognizing that we are all nuanced individuals capable of the full spectrum of humanity—both the challenges and the triumphs.
And I can't believe it has to be said, but real celebration absolutely excludes harmful trends like 'Asian-fishing,' creating slanted or 'fox' eyes through makeup, oversexualization of Asian traditional clothing, and other problematic practices that appropriate culture. These actions reduce rich cultural heritage to aesthetic trends and perpetuate harmful stereotypes that many of us have struggled against our entire lives.
I feel most celebrated when people engage critically with Asian-inspired media, acknowledging both its artistic merits and its potential shortcomings in representation. The anime community can further this by amplifying AAPI voices in discussions, panels, and leadership roles—especially those offering thoughtful cultural context or critique.
Practical support matters too. Investing in AAPI businesses and creators, particularly in light of challenging tariffs and world politics, demonstrates meaningful allyship. Using platforms to highlight independent AAPI creators working in anime-adjacent fields shows commitment beyond consumption.
Recognition of the diversity within the AAPI umbrella is essential—using more inclusive acronyms like APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American) acknowledges this diversity, though even these expansions cannot capture how different these cultural experiences can be from one another. What ultimately makes me feel celebrated is when people approach these differences with curiosity rather than assumptions, ask questions rather than making stereotypical judgments, and treat Asian cultures and peoples with the complexity and respect they deserve.
In cosplay specifically, celebration could look like featuring more diverse Asian cosplayers, supporting their interpretations of characters from their own cultural backgrounds, and creating space for discussions about the intersection of anime fandom and Asian identity. When conventions and online communities actively work to make these spaces safe and welcoming for AAPI fans and creators, that feels like genuine celebration.
J’Lee (@jlee_does_makeup)
Pronouns: she/her
Ethnicity & Background: Chinese
Favorite anime/manga? It’s so hard to choose just one! I think Demon Slayer will always hold a special place in my heart though because it’s the one that got me back into watching anime and reading manga as an adult!
Can you share what you do for work/what your focus is online?
I am a beauty content creator with a focus on creative makeup, anime-inspired makeup
and skin positivity!
What inspired you to begin your career?
Growing up, there weren’t many people in media that looked like me and had similar facial features, like monolids which are a common East Asian characteristic. When I watched beauty tutorials on YouTube as a kid, all the influencers would always say something like, “now sweep this eyeshadow shade in your crease.” I felt like I would never be able to do these beautiful makeup looks that I saw online since my monolid eye shape was so flat and so different. I even considered getting double eyelid surgery when I was older to change the shape of my eyes so that I could have a crease, too.
It took a lot of practice over the years, and I had to teach myself how to adapt techniques from those makeup tutorials to fit my specific facial features. But as I started to discover creative makeup, I realized that my monolids were a perfect flat canvas for creating art on my eyelids. Now I love, embrace and celebrate my monolids! I wouldn’t dream of changing my East Asian features and I wish I could tell my younger self that her eye shape is beautiful and will later become one of her favorite things about herself! I wanted to be the representation that was lacking when I was growing up. And I think that by combining my love for beauty, creativity and anime/pop culture, and expressing it through my makeup looks on my East Asian features, I’m doing just that 🙂
While we were unable to include everyone in this article, here are several more women that we adore. Be sure to check them out below! If there are any women we missed that you would like to uplift this AAPI Heritage Month please share in the comments below!
Thegozatwins
Firagafox
Slayrizz
Aleuthemermaid
Erikaalamode
Jackijing
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