3 Asian-Australian Youtubers You Should Subscribe To

Continuing from our previous post, here’s 3 Aussie Youtubers who have used the platform to share their own ideas and stories which challenge the way asians are portrayed by mainstream Australian media.

Natalie Tran– Communitychannel

Natalie started making videos on her channel from 2006 and has since made over 400 videos and amassed a following of over 1.8 million people. Her videos are a mixture of monologue and sketch that aim to show the funny side of everyday life. The popularity of her content has attracted a wide range of media coverage, from interviews and appearances on print, to tv and radio. In response to being thought of as a role model, Natalie says, “I think I’m just relatable. A lot of the hits from America come from California, which has a large Asian population. And a lot of the people who come up to me are young Asians, young Asian-Australians, or young Asian-Americans when I go overseas. And I think it’s just because there’s noone really to relate to who’s Asian in the media. And if there is, we’re very stereotyped. I think it’s nice to be able to see there are people like you, as opposed to all the caricatures that are portrayed in shows or movies.”

John Luc– Mychonny

John is another Aussie Youtuber known for his comedic videos that tend to revolve around everyday life and life as an Asian in Australia. He started on Youtube in 2008, has created over 600 videos and has over 2.6 million subscribers. His popularity helped launch him into tv and film, when he was chosen to play the lead role in Australian film ‘Sucker’. Having an asian lead is such a rarity in Australia, thus this is a huge step forward. John realises the importance of representation, stating, “Being Asian on screen, in a lead role, is just amazing, extraordinary. It gives a lot of hope to my fans out there, you know. That they can get into a movie like that.They just give up really easily, because they don’t see any other aspiring Asian entertainers out there making it in Australia — because it’s so hard.”

Wendy Huang– Wengie

Wendy currently holds the spot as the number one Asian-Australian beauty guru on Youtube. She started her channel in 2010 and has since created over 200 videos and gained over 3.9 million subscribers. Her videos range from documenting everyday life to makeup reviews, fashion, beauty and diet tips. Growing up, she felt she didn’t get much help in the beauty department due to the lack of information for makeup tips geared towards enhancing asian features. The lack of diversity in the media encouraged her to take action herself, thus opening up her own channel to share her own tips through Youtube videos.

It’s so great to see fellow Asian Aussies sharing their ideas and gaining so much success in doing so! Feel like you have stories you want to share? Why not consider making your own Youtube channel too! The more we get our voices out there, the harder they will be to ignore!

M.S.