‘To tell our story’: local Asian representation rising on TikTok

With the rise of TikTok and influencers, Asian representation is easier to spot.

It used to be rare to see Asian faces in ads and magazines, but through social media apps like TikTok, representation is easier to find. Ssonia Ong is the Vancouver content creator behind the account Ong Squad, which has amassed over nine million followers.

“I feel that there is a responsibility, but that it’s a privilege that I get to have this platform and to represent Asian women and to even be a role model for little girls,” she said.

Ong started creating TikToks for fun three years ago during the pandemic by making mom and family content. Now she’s gone viral for her food recipes, skits, and dancing videos.

“It’s fun because it gives me diversity in terms of content creation. It’s just another way to express ourselves, to tell our story. I overlay the dance with text and I always try to tell a story.”

Sharon Lam, the creator also known as sadgirlshan, says she thinks it’s cool that Asian people who aren’t celebrities can still have a platform on social media, and she uses hers to connect with others who are also living with depression.

“If TikTok existed when I was in elementary school, when I was surrounded by everyone who didn’t look like me, I would feel a sense of comfort.”

“So, even though I’m not an expert, I can’t tell them, this is how you fix your mental health. I can share with them my insights on how I overcame specific things or like little facts and little figures that helped me overcome that and just sharing my journey over,” said Lam.

The president of the Canadian Society for Asian Arts says representation in arts and media has come a long way in the last 50 years, but adds more visibility is needed, especially since Vancouver has such a large Asian population.

“It’s essential for the development of the city for the province, certainly for Canada. And we also see that that kind of almost visualization process just but it enriches everybody. It enriches everybody because that’s that whole issue of trying to build bridges and integrate,” Margo Palmer explained.

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Lam and Ong say they are happy to be part of that bridge, and hope their TikToks leave a mark on viewers.

“I would hope that whatever struggle that they’re going through, that they don’t feel alone,” said Lam.

“I would love people to watch my content and think that life is worth celebrating. Even the small, mundane moments,” Ong added.