Music as a Cultural Pillar of Engaging and Breaking Barriers with Asian Americans

Despite the prolonged presence of Asians in the country we are unfortunately not the ones when people think of quotAmericansquotamp160Today we are dealing with the weight of hate crimes worldwide with the rise of COVID19 According to Stop AAPI Hate org there were 3800 antiAsian racist incidents since last year with many unreported One of the most recent and disheartening stories includes the shooting attacks in Asianowned massage parlors in Atlanta that took the lives of six Asian women who left their loved ones and hardworking sacrifices behind Today AAPI communities feel that the country needs so much to do and have to repeat the effort over and over againIt is AAPI Heritage month and it is time to challenge the bias and see Asian Americans as a critical audience There are so many different and diverse cultures to learn about within Asian Americans that we shouldnamp8217t narrow our viewpoint to just one or two cultures in Asia We are a whole spectrum of beautiful cultures I want Asian Americans to be part of all spheres of life and industry especially in music and highlight those voices Whether itamp8217s KPop Japanese reggae or Bollywood melodies Asian Americans are passionate about music It doesnamp8217t matter the race or what language we speak in Through music as a lens I would love to highlight some opportunities to brands and advertisers to engage Asian Americans in meaningful ways1 Understand the Duality and Multiculturalism within Asian AmericansThe AAPI community does not want to be narrowly viewed under one big umbrella term There are many subcultures within one big culture that Asians have multicultural and bilingual tastes in music The racism perpetuates what music others think we listen to To share my story I am a 15 generation American a third culture kid and an Asian American I was born in Manhattan but grew up in Seoul and Manila went to college in Minnesota and London and most recently have lived in Honolulu While classified as Asian American I am a rainbow of places Iamp8217ve been and constantly evolving as an individual and other Asian Americans are tooThe bias perpetuates in the music space that people often put the music genre as a cage around us When people learn of my ethnicity they often assume I would only listen to KPop and BTS In fact many 2nd generations of Asian Americans are not familiar with popular artists or singers from their familiesamp8217 countries of origin One of my close friends a Filipino American who grew up in NJ shared that she feels guilty that she doesnamp8217t know some Filipino singers or actors especially when she encounters Filipinos who recently immigratedWhile I am proud to be of Korean heritage I listen beyond KPop and that is an integral part of who I am I refuse to be defined by others especially when it comes to music My favorite genre by default is indietronica which is indie music within the electronics space James Blake and Caribou to name a few I love how their ambient and dreamy tones in the downtempo portray the deep emotions At the same time Frank Oceanamp8217s amp8220Thinkin39 About Youamp8221 could be a life music choice At the playlist level Iamp8217d love chillwave like Toro Y Moi playlist and French electronics like Polo ampamp PanWith this in mind it is essential to recognize there isnamp8217t a single genre that encompasses all Asian Americans just like how it cannot for the rest of Americans Among Asian Americans the ones from bay area culture skew higher in EDMtechno2 while Southeast Asians like Indonesians Vietnamese and Thai would skew highly in KPop Then there is another subgroup like me who listens to indiechillwaveinstrumental soundsTherefore brands and advertisers need to be aware that not all Asian Americans are created equal and being aware of oneamp8217s uniqueness is particularly important There are so many of us within that we canamp8217t be categorized into one identity one genre Brands could increase resonance by making honest efforts to differentiate cultural cues among many subAsian cultures and represent their culture in a nuanced way and right way2 Asian Americans are Highly Engaged with MusicMusic and audio are highly ingrained in my daily life Not only am I engaged with music in various activities from walking in Central Park to running SQL queries I even love using the music purposefully on social media Even when I post something on Instagram many songs go through my mind like reels I love feeling like a amp8220main characteramp8221 through hearing background music in my mind I love getting feedback and comments from my friends who explicitly say amp8220You always choose the best musicamp8221 or even ask amp8220Do you have a playlist I want to follow youamp8221Before COVID19 broke out I analyzed the concerts I attended in the year 2019 I went to 23 single artistsamp8217 live shows including Pandora events and free events in the park I roughly spent about 380 on tickets which is above what average consumers spend 112 per year This is aligned with the Nielsen Music 360 study that Asian Americans spend more on live concerts than any other multicultural segment at an average of 44 per personSeparately we love to create music beyond consuming We may have learned the piano violin and cello when we were young forced by parents but we find music on our own in adulthood Personally I enjoy playing the piano and have improved more as an adult than as a child Iamp8217ve started uploading my playing to SoundCloud as a practice log and finding new ways to connect with alternative rock and hip hop by narrating the melody in the piano form Using AI technology I can disseminate a song into separate instrument files then let drumskeyboards play while I will recreate the keyboardpiano part It has become an enjoyable oneperson band pandemic activity I would love to connect with other musicians who do the same Like myself Asian American audiences are deeply engaged with music in their own way both on and offline Advertisers would benefit from expanding the AAPI targeting definition to improve the engagement of this audience3 AAPI Community Feels Pride for Artists with an Asian backgroundSixtyseven percent feel a sense of pride when they find out mainstream musicians are of Asian background3 This is personally true for me I feel the allyship for my Korean femmes To mention a fewPeggy Gou an international DJ based in Berlin has become an international sensation with her song Itgehane Translation amp8220Makes Me Forgetamp8221 and many Asian Americans look up to her because of her iconic fashionista styleYaeji Korean American from New York who became popular after remixing Drakeamp8217s Passionfruit in a Boiler Room set is another favorite artist and makes me proud that Iamp8217m keeping my Korean name just like her I am awespired by her creativity and love that she keeps Korean lyrics in her jamsTokimonsta a Korean American woman DJ hailing from LA received a nomination in the Best DanceElectronic Album in 2017 and Iamp8217ve always sought out the opportunity to see her live set quotTokiquotamp160means rabbit in Korean It captures the duality of soft and monstrous thingsMany people arenamp8217t aware of the fact that Anderson Paak is half Korean but that gives me another reason to love him While he is not fluent in Korean he truly understands the nuance and tone of the Korean language88rising media companyrecord label is a perfect example of a connector 88Rising bridges the gap between Asian and American music by bringing many young talented Asian artists like Joji Niki Rich Brian to the scene and creating popculture crossoversAccording to Pandora Soundboard 49 listen to music that blends both their Asian and American culture This highlights the importance of how connecting the artists and audiences at a comprehensive level is critical which is why my team at Pandora created a unique solution to help advertisers incorporate this into their targeting strategy Artist Affinityamp160genresamp160and stations targeting allows for a custom selection of artists and stations based on what matters the most4 Nostalgia Is a Vital Narrative When Engaging the Asian American AudienceLast autumn I had a rare special moment that evoked deep emotion I was taking a usual amp8220pandemicamp8221 stroll in Central Park with my mother As we were passing by the Metropolitan Museum we heard a very familiar tune We stopped to listen carefully A talented Black saxophone player started playing the South Korean national anthem amp8220Howamp8221 But also amp8220Whyamp8221I found Korean melodies narrated by the saxophone guy so beautiful and unique It turned out the guy used to be stationed in South Korea in the US Army so he picked up a few songs while he lived there It reminded me of the beautiful pastWhile I love listening to the indietronica from London and Brooklyn and whatsoever I would revisit old Korean pop from time to time A few months ago I created a Seoul 1998 playlist reminiscing my childhood time in Seoul in the late 3990s With this I found a few other Korean Indie playlists a mix of South Korean classic rock alternative punk rock which a lot of Korean Millennials and Gen Xers will likely know This is true with what we found with Intertrend data Fiftyone percent say older or traditional Asian music makes them feel nostalgic This is an excellent opportunity for brands to contextually target this audience based on the genre and the era of music born5 Challenge the Model Minority MythBehind the racial prejudice the model minority a reference for minorities on how to be successful has been haunting Asian Americans as stereotypical quiet wellbehaved lawabiding citizens The model minority somehow aligns with Asian Americans as amp8220whitenessamp8221 and further puts down the other Black and Brown minorities and creates division among minorities Despite the success and overperformance in some job sectors Asian Americansamp8217 attempted assimilation into white society and their protection are false Asian Americans often remained silent when made fun of to avoid conflicts to stay safe The peace is due to not talking not inherently because we are in the safe zone Asian American studies call it conditional citizens who are sometimes embraced by America and sometimes rejectedHalf embraced half rejectedHalf loved half hatedThis duality is our identities We often feel that we belong neither in the white American society nor in the countries of our ethnic origin But this also means that we can broaden our minds and expand the sense of connectedness with musicOur dual identity is prevalent in music and popular culture Asian Americans have the least representation in media and entertainment Eddie Huang producer of Fresh off the Boat described in a recent interview with Apple Music that our way to be integrated into America was through education law math which perpetuates the model minority and left us out of media and entertainment Because of that lack of media representation Asian Americans didnamp8217t see much of our own success figures in this industry Steve Aoki an internationally acclaimed DJ a Japanese American believes Asian Americans have the capacity to be part of the popular culture and influence outside culture Our passion for music is intrinsically tied to our desire for more meaningful portrayals of Asian talent in mainstream media Brands that reach us during these moments of pride will have the opportunity to build deeper cultural connectionsIn Closing It Isamp160a Pivotal Time to Battle the Bias and Integrate Asian AmericansThe AAPI community has been sharing the stereotypes and judgments we have been facing We are creative authentic and bold and want to confront the stereotype that we are submissive and deferential which is a flawed perceptionAnd we want to be heard nowNow is the opportunity to break the cycle We have the opportunity today to listen to the stories of the AAPI community Simply putting more police force for the task of hate crimes against Asians instead puts the other minorities at a disadvantage as systematic racism often police Black Rather than relying on them letamp8217s recognize the different experiences the AAPI community had and repeat the conversations Asian Americans want to belong We want to be heard We want to be creatively inspired We want to be part of music and entertainment more than ever It would matter so much to them when brands and advertisers hear and include them in the conversationsMusic to me is a vibe maker a creative pursuit a life enhancer and beyond As an individual I will always continue supporting AAPI artists and open a dialogue with friends and colleagues to bring awareness to our identities And I would prefer brands and advertisers who carefully craft their message and reach us AAPI heritage month is a perfect time to reopen a dialogue about what music means to Asian Americans and how we as advertisers become aware of the identities and authentically engage them in exciting waysClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNetamp160

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Music as a Cultural Pillar of Engaging and Breaking Barriers with Asian Americans

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Jungwon Lee

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