Online communities for second-generation Asian Americans?

July 14, 2019 12:27 AM

My work and hobbies and wife are very white, and while they're all nice people I would like to spend more time communicating with people who share my cultural background. (If my goal doesn't immediately make sense, this might be a good question to skip.) Where on the internet could I find them?

I ask for online communities because I'm currently at (probably beyond, to be honest) my limits for in-person interaction.

My ideal site would be much like Metafilter in its intelligence and politics. The comments would be worth reading. But it would be taken for granted that, e.g., this question would go well.

My specific background is mainland China, but it's not necessary that people know what I'm talking about when I say my parents came over in the late eighties. A more generic Sinosphere crowd would be fine.

posted by meaty shoe puppet to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

Subtle Asian Traits is a large and active FB group largely centered around second generation Asian people living in the west, many of which are Chinese American. It might be too goofy for your taste but you can probably find folks who easily understand your perspective.

Recently featured on the blue, that thread may have additional leads.
posted by SaltySalticid at 4:16 AM on July 14, 2019 [2 favorites]

There's the Asian American subreddit, but it's overall moderately active and not as intimate or active as Subtle Asian Traits as it focuses more on developments in the Asian American community. There are also a number of Asian American-related subreddits (see side column on the AA subreddit) but those also have a good deal of angst on them.
posted by gemutlichkeit at 6:34 AM on July 14, 2019

Angry Asian Man has been around a while and continues to chug along going strong. That might be a good place to start looking.

If you are active on Twitter, that could be an avenue for connecting with Asian Americans too. This is an excerpt from a report on Asian American Twitter and journalism that came out last year.

I hear you on the wanting to connect with folks. I am no longer particularly active in Asian American cultural circles, though I spent my twenties full on absorbed in arts and media projects in San Francisco, and also got to connect to a national network too via groups like Asian American Writers Workshop. If you want recommendations for scholars in Asian American studies let me know, that's probably what I am still the most connected too after grad school.
posted by spamandkimchi at 8:09 AM on July 14, 2019 [1 favorite]

I read Plan A magazine occasionally. I am native Asian, not American though so this is just out of curiosity.

I also have tumblr mutuals with whom I occasionally discuss Asian issues privately. I found them through mutual interests.
posted by whitelotus at 8:13 PM on July 14, 2019

Anti-Imperialist Subtle Asian Traits is kind of slow but it has more discussion. I also want to warn you against the Asian-American reddits that aren't r/asianamerican, many of them are riddled with alt-right people.

Also seconding AngryAsianMan! There are some Youtubers who talk about Asian stuff, but that trends more towards memes than actual discussion. My favorite Asian-American pop culture critic is probably E. Alex Jung, he does some great profiles.
posted by storytam at 2:36 AM on July 15, 2019