Check out these AANHPI creators who are defining digital culture
These six creators have built devoted audiences by showing up authentically and creating spaces where viewers feel seen
Photos via Youtube/ @YourKoreanDad, @arshiamoorjani, @kriselleeats, @safiya, @erikatitusshorts, and @blogilates
Graphic by Ryan Quan
Words by Anjana Pawa
May is AANHPI Heritage Month, but for the creators redefining what our voices look like online, the work of representation doesn't necessarily start and stop with a calendar—it’s happening every day. Sometimes it’s happening on a couch with a selfie cam, but other times it’s being filmed from the gym, or in the front seat of a car eating a smashburger. The digital media landscape has shifted dramatically over the last decade, and AANHPI creators have been central to that shift by building audiences before brands came calling, and before algorithms rewarded diversity.
These six creators span various genres, but despite their differences, the one thing that unites them is their willingness to show up authentically to build something lasting in an industry that oftentimes overshadows the AANHPI community.
Safiya Nygaard
Safiya Nygaard is one of YouTube's most distinctive voices. The half-Indian half-Danish American content creator has built her business from the ground up and makes most of her videos out of a warehouse, literally. Originally a producer and on-camera personality at BuzzFeed, she left to build her own channel on her own terms and has amassed millions of followers since. She's best known for her "mixing everything together" Franken series—blending every lipstick at Sephora, combining every foundation she owns, melting together every Bath and Body Works candle—a format she essentially pioneered. What makes Nygaard’s videos stand out isn't just the concept, it's also flawless in execution. Her videos are meticulously edited, genuinely funny, and always committed to the bit.
Nick Cho (Your Korean Dad)
Nick Cho, better known as Your Korean Dad, lives on the most wholesome corner of the Internet. A Korean American coffee professional and co-founder of San Francisco's Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters, the content creator ended up with a viral video on TikTok just by simply showing up as a warm and affirming father figure for anyone who needs one. His impact has gone beyond his videos. At 52 years old, he has sparked conversations about emotional availability, toxic masculinity in the Asian community, and the kind of parental love that many in our community may have grown up without.
Kriselle Eats
Kriselle is a Filipino American food and travel creator based in the Bay Area whose TikTok presence has grown to more than 500,000 followers simply by eating great food and bringing her audience along with her. Her content is unpretentious, approachable, and joyful, capturing everything from big family reunion meal spreads, to hidden gem restaurants across the world. As someone of Filipino descent, she walks through the world with the understanding that food is a culture, and it comes through in her content. Her "will travel for food" ethos has built a community of viewers and like-minded people who trust her taste.
Kirsten & Erika Titus
Kirsten and Erika Titus are siblings from Hawaii who have built massive, overlapping audiences on TikTok and YouTube through lifestyle content that is deeply interwoven with chaotic younger-older sister energy that's impossible to manufacture. Kirsten, the elder of the two, has more than eight million TikTok followers and Erika has amassed millions of her own. Together and separately, they create content that's funny, relatable, and rooted in the specific experience of growing up multiracial on the island of O’ahu. Watching them almost feels like watching a reality TV show in which you’re enmeshed in their everyday activities. They’re funny and authentic without hiding the messy things happening in their lives, offering viewers a rare experience in today’s carefully curated creator atmosphere.
Cassey Ho (Blogilates)
Cassey Ho is a Vietnamese American fitness content creator and entrepreneur who turned a YouTube pilates channel into one of the most influential wellness brands on the Internet. Her workout calendars and videos, which are offered to everyone free of charge, have helped millions of people access forms of exercise that may have otherwise been too expensive or out of reach. But Ho didn't just stop at content, she built an entire business ecosystem, including two activewear lines and a certification program that trains others to become pilates instructors. She is the blueprint for what it looks like to turn content creation into a lasting business model.
Arshia Moorjani
New York City-based Indian American beauty and skin care creator Arshia Moorjani has carved a distinctive space for herself in the beauty content world. With nearly 500,000 Instagram followers and a loyal YouTube community, Moorjani has become a trusted resource for South Asian makeup users everywhere who have spent years searching for reviews that actually apply to them. Her content is thorough, honest, and educational without being too clinical or science forward. Beyond just reviews and makeup tutorials, her content also explores South Asian rituals and ingredients, normalizing conversations around what it means to practice wholesome skin care and beauty.
Published on May 22, 2026
Words by Anjana Pawa
Anjana Pawa is a Brooklyn-based culture reporter who regularly covers music, entertainment and beauty. You can find her on Twitter at @apawawrites.
Art by Ryan Quan
Ryan Quan is JoySauce's social media manager, associate editor, and all-around visual eye. This queer, half-Chinese, half-Filipino writer and graphic designer loves everything related to music, creative nonfiction, and art. Based in Brooklyn, he spends most of his time dancing to hyperpop and accidentally falling asleep on the subway. Follow him on Instagram at @ryanquans, and check out his work on his website.