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

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Friday, November 6, 2026 | 5:30pm to 7pm

Zoom: RSVP

This engaging conversation explores how pop culture and social media have dramatically reshaped how Asian identity, beauty, and belonging are perceived, performed, and consumed online. Featuring author Kaila Yu (Fetishized: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty) and moderated by Joan King (Kinda Korean: Stories from an American Life), the two will examine the rise of trend-driven aesthetics and labels—from ABG culture and K-pop beauty ideals to “boba liberal” identity and “Wasian” TikTok—asking what happens when a community’s culture becomes an online trend. Together, they will unpack how these representations impact self-image, desirability, and everyday experiences of belonging. Attendees will gain deeper language and insight into the differences between visibility, validation, and true representation, leaving with thought-provoking perspectives on who ultimately gets to define culture in the social media age.

Author Bio

Kaila Yu is a freelance writer for the Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Business Insider, Conde Nast Traveler and more. Formerly, she was a model and the lead singer for the all–Asian American female rock band Nylon Pink. Fetishized is her first book. You can find Kaila online @kailayu.


Joan Sung is a national cultural competency conference presenter and consultant and has a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing, an M.A. 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.