How KATSEYE is sharing Asian American culture with the world
The group's Asian American members—Sophia, Lara, and Megan—are exposing their bandmates and fans to their respective cultures, and we can't get enough!
From left, Sophia, Lara, and Megan, the three Asian American members of KATSEYE.
Photo illustration by Ryan Quan
Words by Yati Sanghvi
KATSEYE is currently taking the world by storm as one of the few mainstream music groups with a truly global set of members. The group’s roster includes Sophia Laforteza (Filipina American), Manon Bannerman (Swiss, Italian, and Ghanaian), Daniela Avanzini (Venezuelan and Cuban American), Lara Raj (Indian American), Megan Skiendiel (Singaporean and Chinese American), and Yoonchae Jeung (South Korean).
From the jump, KATSEYE’s mission has been representation. “Each of us has such a specific group of people that look up to us and feel like they can relate to us,” Lara said in an interview with Teen Vogue. “I'm so excited to actually see that in action and be able to influence people and make people of our cultures feel seen through our music.”
True to that mission, the Asian American members of KATSEYE—Sophia, Lara, and Megan—have consistently been sharing aspects of their Asian heritage with their bandmates and fans since before the group even debuted.
More than a year ago, the finalists of The Debut: Dream Academy—the survival competition reality show that formed KATSEYE—took turns introducing themselves in English and their native languages. It was a reminder of just how multilingual the final group would be. Post-debut, that language diversity comes out strong in KATSEYE’s music and promotions.
Fans saw the group’s many written alphabets on display in the visuals of the song “Debut” and heard Megan show off her Mandarin skills in the song “Flame.” When the group visited the Philippines, Sophia took the lead with her fluent Tagalog and even sang a Taglish version of the song “Touch.” And the multilingual intros are still a thing, of course.
On a more informal level, KATSEYE’s Asian Americans are never shy about teaching their bandmates and fans bits of Tamil, Cantonese, and Tagalog via social media. If you need some phrases to use at a South Indian or Chinese restaurant, for example, Lara and Megan have got you covered. And considering all the food recommendations Sophia, Megan, and Lara have given, those language tips will probably come in handy soon enough.
It’s no secret that we Asian Americans love our Asian food, and the KATSEYE girls are no different. In one of their earlier videos, each of the members brought in a traditional lunch from their culture that they grew up eating. The Americans in the group even reminisced about the quintessential child-of-immigrants experience of bringing traditional dishes to school and getting harassed over the smell of spices.
Sophia’s Filipino-style lunch included guyabano (soursop) juice, Piattos chips, and tocino (sweet cured pork) with rice. Lara’s Indian lunch featured soan papdi (a popular dessert made of flour, ghee, sugar, and milk) and some palak paneer (pureed spinach with cheese) with garlic naan and rice. Megan’s fusion Hawaiian and Chinese lunch consisted of Aloha Maid juice, li hing mui pineapples, rice crackers, and Hainan chicken rice.
The Asian American members of KATSEYE have shared dozens more food recommendations and childhood classics with each other and on social media. While livestreaming in the Philippines, Sophia made sure to have her bandmates try as many different Filipino snacks as they could. In a different livestream, Megan listed off some more of her Chinese faves, like dim sum and char siu bao. In an older Instagram clip, Lara explained the intricacies of a South Indian staple dish called rasam, which is a tomato and tamarind soup typically paired with rice, fried vegetables, pickles, and more.
The members also use festivals as a springboard for showcasing Asian traditions, foods, and attire. A few months ago, Lara donned a saree and posted about Diwali on TikTok, later explaining the significance of the Indian festival on Weverse. More recently, Sophia and Megan made posts for Lunar New Year, both nostalgic over mooncakes and lion dances. Megan wrote about how she loves receiving red envelopes and wearing her cheongsam during the holiday.
In addition to casual social media posts, the group members acknowledge their Asian backgrounds in official KATSEYE content as well. Megan and Lara’s outfits in the SIS (Soft Is Strong) Dream Charm concept photos, for instance, draw obvious inspiration from East Asian and South Asian fashion, respectively. Plus, Lara wears a bindi in the majority of KATSEYE music videos and promotions as a proud and unmistakable indication of her Indian heritage.
It’s refreshing to see how easily the members of KATSEYE are able to learn from each other and bring together their various cultures. To a lot of young Asian American fans, these rising icons are likely some of the most relatable pop stars they’ll find. For every impossibly stable high note or perfectly executed choreographic sequence, there are also fumbled pronunciations in a mother tongue and cravings for spicy home-cooked Asian food. And to non-Asian fans, the members are doing an excellent job showcasing both the shared experiences and the rich diversity of the Asian American identity.
Published on April 9, 2025
Words by Yati Sanghvi
Yati Sanghvi is an Indian American journalist and digital media strategist based in Jersey City, NJ. When she's not busy crafting social media campaigns or cuddling with her cat, she writes as a freelancer about the music industry, pop culture, and the South Asian identity. She has previously written for publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Business Insider, Teen Vogue, and more. You can follow her @yatisanghvi on Twitter and Instagram.
Art by Ryan Quan
Ryan Quan is the Social Media Editor for JoySauce. 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.