Four Artists Talk Asian American And Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Due to the rise in anti-Asian violence, the gravity of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPIHM or AAPI) feels amplified. May marks a time to honor the achievements and contributions of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have greatly impacted the United States, whether it’s through music or other accomplishments.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month initially began in 1977 when a resolution was introduced to the House of Representatives, however, it only advocated for the celebration to last for 10 days. In 1991, George H.W. Bush signed a bill passed by Congress to extend the celebration to a month, deeming that the honorary celebration would last a month in May 1991 and May 1992. Later, May was officially designated as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in 1992.

Here, Forbes recognizes CHYL, juuku, SOHMI and XIE who have left their mark on dance music.

Lisa Kocay: What does Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month mean to you?

CHYL: “AAPI Heritage Month in May is a celebration of Asian and Pacific Islander culture in North America. AAPI makes up about 7% of the [North] American population currently, and within AAPI, we each have diverse cultures and nuanced experiences. It is meaningful to me because I am an immigrant from China and despite living in the United States for 10+ years, I still feel like a ‘foreigner’ from time to time. To officially celebrate AAPI month and hear stories from other Asian American fellows is a bonding experience for all of us. There are still so many [North] Americans who don’t know the full history and corresponding struggles that Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Asian immigrants, like myself, have experienced, and we can all be more educated of others. The month of May, for me, is to listen, be open-minded and share my own stories to the community.”

juuku: “AAPI month holds a special significance for me as it provides an opportunity to reflect on the incredible accomplishments and sacrifices of my ancestors and family. I’m so thankful for what my family has done to pave the way for a better future that allowed me to prosper in the way I am today. My mom and her mom worked so tirelessly, persevered through so much adversity and passed down so much wisdom, strength and love that shaped my identity as an AAPI artist.”

SOHMI: “It’s a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of Asians and Asian Americans in the United States and the impact of those contributions on the country’s broader history and culture. For me, personally, it’s a month where my own presence as an artist and creative is given an extra bit of spotlight, and I also am made equally aware of other incredible Asian artists in the space through the same spotlight being shined on them.”

XIE: “To me, it’s a special chance to celebrate and feel gratitude for my culture and to highlight it to the world. My mom immigrated from Taiwan and her story has influenced so much of my life. I find myself continuing to be more and more connected to my Asian heritage and background. I love getting to relate with my fellow Asian-American artists, listeners and Asian fans across the world.”

Kocay: What are some of your favorite cultural traditions from your heritage?

CHYL: “I grew up in China, and one of my favorite Chinese traditions is probably having big, hearty dinners on Mid Autumn Festival. I love sharing a variety of food, and I love mooncakes. It’s one of those days I can devour a 3,000-calorie-loaded dessert without any guilt. On a side note, I often find myself posing with the Victory sign in pictures, and I think this may or may not be a Chinese/Japanese tradition.”

juuku: “I have a lot of different AAPI in my blood, but I’m mostly Filipino. The food culture in a Filipino family, with a household filled with the aroma of delicious dishes like bangus, adobo and sinigang, is an unforgettable memory that holds a special place in my heart forever.”

SOHMI: “Growing up, my family would observe many of the rituals of Chuseok, also known as Korean Thanksgiving Day. My mom and grandmother would prepare all kinds of traditional Chuseok foods for days, and after paying our respects to our ancestors in the very early morning, we would enjoy these foods together as a family all throughout the rest of the day. There would always be enough leftovers for many more days. This always felt like the strongest ‘tradition’ we had that made me feel connected to my heritage.”

XIE: “One of my favorite times of year is Chinese New Year. Not only is it an extra excuse to indulge in delicious Chinese cuisine—Ranch 99 haul, boba, especially my beloved Nian Gao, [which is] New Year rice cake—and connect with my heritage, but I also love the meaning behind setting your intentions for the year ahead. It’s just a great time to feel close with family, welcome positive energy and wish great prosperity to everyone.”

Kocay: How do you use your platform to support other Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders?

CHYL: “I think to start with, representing Asian Americans in a positive, meaningful way is the best thing I can do. My goal is to keep making great dance music, keep being creative and keep building a community [that’s] uplifting one other. If I continue to do great work, the awareness for Asian Americans will spread by itself. I believe actions speak louder than words. There are only so many Asian American artists in the dance music scene right now, but there are a huge population of Asian American listeners, and I hope to represent in a positive light on behalf of them.

“This also goes without saying that I’m a strong advocate of diminishing anti-Asian violence. Since the rise of COVID, there’s been a spike in racist and xenophobic rhetoric, and we’ve all seen it to some degree in real life and on social media. If given the opportunity, I would love to partner up with organizations such as AAPI Equity Alliance and Chinese for Affirmative Action to spread more awareness with my platform on this topic.”

juuku: “Growing up in an Asian American household, mental health isn’t really focused on, [such as] being depressed or having anxiety, [which] can be considered weak—both of which I struggled with growing up. A lot of my feelings were internalized, and I never had anyone to confide in about this. Then I started juuku, and since I’m anonymous, I was able to comfortably express my feelings and mental health struggles to the world through my music, visuals and journaling online. Getting messages from people in general about how they could relate to these struggles really meant so much to me, so I continued to use my platform to always empower mental health.”

SOHMI: “I think one of the main ways I use my platform to support other Asian artists and aspiring artists is by simply highlighting my South Korean heritage through my artist name SOHMI, which is a Korean name, by incorporating it as a main visual element in my merch and many other ways while being visible in a space where we have traditionally been few and far between. By doing this, I think I’m helping to normalize the presence of ‘Asianness’ in underground dance music. And in turn, this paves the way not only for other Asian artists to see and believe that there is a place and a path forward for them, but also for buyers and promoters to become more comfortable with booking Asian talent.”

XIE: “I hope to be an inspiration for other Asians and people of mixed race—to be able to see someone you look up to in the entertainment industry/the arts wasn’t very common when I was growing up. I think it’s so important to have mentors and idols. As the child of an immigrant, you really feel the history of your parent’s story, which is super unique and not always easy to find people to identify with. I also go out of my way to connect with other Asian artists in the dance/music scene. I think it’s super important to support each other and love working with Asian creatives as well, like [showing] photographers/videographers whenever I can.”

Kocay: Which Asian American and Pacific Islander artists have uplifted you?

CHYL: “There are so many Asian American artists who keep inspiring and uplifting me. In music, I look up to Steve Aoki, TOKiMONSTA, Joji, Niki, ZHU, JVNA and so many more. In film and comedy: Michelle Yeoh, Ali Wong, Ke Huy Quan, Gemma Chan and Mindy Kaling.”

juuku: “I feel like compared to the previous years, we’re seeing a lot of amazing and talented AAPI artists emerge. It’s really dope seeing platforms like 88rising and others empower a lot of Asian American artists.”

SOHMI: “Qrion, Wax Motif and ZHU come to mind.”

XIE: “Wax Motif has been super supportive in the house world—he was actually a big fan of my last release, ‘Birds In Paradise,’ and to have his co-sign was very validating and felt great. Both his music and vibes in person are equally amazing, and that’s super rare.”

Kocay: Is there enough representation for Asian American and Pacific Islanders in dance music? If not, what should be done?

CHYL: “Definitely not enough. It would be absurd if I said there is enough Asian representation in any field. The list is not long enough for how many great Asian American electronic music artists there are out there, especially female Asian American artists.”

SOHMI: “There’s definitely a long way to go still. I often show up to perform at festivals and find myself the only Asian performer booked for the stage—or even on the entire lineup. It’s going to take work on both sides: promoters need to make sure they are being open to booking and supporting Asian artists, and we need to make sure we are showing up and putting ourselves out there. It always further helps, too, when we can support each other and lift each other up by sharing opportunities.”

XIE: “We’re definitely seeing more and more Artists of Asian descent, and I love it. This new age of diversity and representation will surely only inspire kids to pursue their passions in music and creative industries, and I can’t wait to see what’s to come/that grow.”

Kocay: Do you have a message you would like to share during AAPIM?

juuku: “Be kind and gentle to yourself and others. Life goes so fast but don’t forget to pace yourself—there’re so many beautiful things out there to experience.”

SOHMI: “I just want to encourage all creatives and aspiring performers to live boldly and go after their dreams. If you are Asian and artistic and have the overwhelming urge to express yourself artistically, do it. Your artistry is real. Your artistry is valid. You are as much an artist as anyone else and not any less because you are Asian. There’s been a lot of generational trauma around this idea, but let’s fight that. Let’s change that narrative once and for all, and let’s believe that we can be Asian and be artists at the same time.”

XIE: “It’s honestly taken me a long time to feel truly confident as a person and connected to my ethnicity. If I could tell my younger self to ‘just be yourself,’ I would. I spent so much of my life being overwhelmed with the desire to please others or to look a certain way—more white or more Asian—to fit in. My message is that you can still be true to your heritage and be an artist pursuing creative dreams, even if they aren’t the ‘norm.’ Showcase your true self, unapologetically, and embrace your rarity. This is what makes you special.”