East Asian pop culture, ready for take off

Rin Ryu, Staff Reporter|September 30, 2021

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Increasing influence of Asian pop culture in the United States has evoked mixed feelings from many Asian students on campus.

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In the past decade, East Asian culture has taken off.

 South Korean and Japanese entertainment consume screens. 

South Korean and Japanese entertainment is filling screens all over the world, quickly finding a place to embed itself within Western culture.

In just 2021, the first Korean pop star attended the Met Gala, several Netflix original Korean dramas have been released, and anime has had a sharp increase in viewership.

According to Anthony Fund, an expert in pop culture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, East Asian pop culture is coming, and “has been for a while.” 

East Asian pop culture offers diversity in the entertainment industry. The United States has developed more cultural awareness, and the increasing popularity of Asian entertainment reflects that.

However, for Japanese student Mika Lal, stereotypes often portrayed in anime have had a negative impact.

“

Because of the harmful stereotypes, there is still racism against Asians present today which could further harm Asian people,

— Japanese student Mika Lal

“I do agree that some people do fetishize Asian people by comparing them to anime girls or overly fantasize what the lifestyle in Japan is like,” Lal said. “Because of the harmful stereotypes, there is still racism against Asians present today which could further harm Asian people.”

Korean student, sophomore Hannah Lee has some appreciation for the growing popularity of Korean entertainment.

“With the rise of Korean media and culture internationally,” Lee said. “I think more people acknowledge my culture and ethnicity. When I was young many children my age didn’t even know of Korea.” 

Both negative and positive impacts of the rise of Korean entertainment can be seen by Lee.

“

I think more people acknowledge my culture and ethnicity. When I was young many children my age didn’t even know of Korea,

— sophomore Hannah Lee

“I don’t like the aspect that many people tend to mock my culture because it became popular,” Lee said . “But I do like that many people watch the same Korean dramas as me or listen to the same Korean music as me.”

The increasing acceptance for Asian media has also changed how East Asian students view themselves.

“When watching anime, it’s hard not to think about what if I was more like this or that, or I wish I was more talented at this,” Lal said. “In that perspective, I do think anime has changed the way I view myself.”