The appeal to East Asian countries, specifically the two most prevalent in pop culture -South Korea and Japan-, is evident among the American youth. A wave of East Asian culture, including food, entertainment, and music, has overtaken American society in an intensified manner. This wave has been particularly embraced by Generation Z and fits the trend of inclusivity in the US.

Generation Z is the new generation at a time when American society has a deep discussion on diversity and inclusion, with a focus on multiculturalism. This explains the increasing spread of East Asian pop culture among them.
I myself, as a Generation Z young adult, constantly opt to dine at East Asian cuisine, watch the East Asian media, and listen to their music. Some of my favorite foods are even Japan’s sushi and Korea’s kimchi. I also watch shows like anime, read manga, and listen to K-pop and J-pop.

My encounter with East Asian culture began when my parents took me on a week-long visit to Tokyo and Chiba in 2010 (where they took the photo above where I am using a phone in a Japanese museum). Later, I began reading manga, and Japanese comics, which led me to study the Japanese language and delve deeper into East Asian culture.

Other factors that promoted the recent influence of East Asian culture in America include the COVID pandemic and social media. From 2020 to 2022, the pandemic shut many people in their homes, causing them to have much more time to spend online. The impact of the East Asian online media online grew wider. Many Americans had free time to spend watching East Asian shows like K-Drama and anime, and reading manga and Japanese novels.

Although the pandemic days are gone, the influence of East Asian culture continues via social media, Gen-Z’s news outlet. Social media is what shapes trends, conversations, and free time. Reposts, discussions, and trends about East Asian, culture, have taken an important portion of social media activities among American youth. I had a Tik-Tok account reaching millions of people, where I talked about and edited videos on manga and anime.

There are some Americans who see East Asia, especially China, as a geopolitical security threat. Yet, among Gen-Z East Asia is a cultural appeal. For me, as an American Muslim with Turkish parents, East Asian culture is a crucial component of my cultural richness.