Here we go again: rant first, accounts later. (Feel free to jump down if you want those accounts ASAP.)
Several months ago, I sat down in a fit of frustration and wrote this article about the need for more representation of overseas Asian women in the travel space on social media.
In a short recap, I was incredibly confused and upset as to why I was having such a hard time finding creators who fit that description on my Instagram feed — and to break it down, by “overseas Asian women” that refers to women of Asian descent who do not live in Asia or were not born in Asia. As a budding travel writer and content creator, I see dozens of travel-related Instagram accounts a day. They’re a dime a dozen, but finding ones from Asian creators based outside of Asia was like looking for a needle in a haystack. After searching through Google to no avail, I rolled my eyes, got comfortable in my chair, and wrote a list of these amazing Asian women myself.
Why did I feel a need to write about such a seemingly niche topic?
Because it’s not niche at all. Despite the fact that the concept takes a whopping eight words to convey (overseas-Asian-women-in-travel-on-social-media — try saying that three times fast), Asians who live outside of the Asian continent are hardly abnormal. In the United States alone, there are over 25 million people of Asian descent, and that number has been growing fast — the U.S. Asian population grew by a massive 72% from 2000 to 2015. And 41% of that Asian-American population is first-generation or later, meaning those who were born in the United States. That doesn’t even account for other countries where Asians commonly live, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Asians are also contributing more than their fair share to the travel industry. Over half of all Asian Americans take a domestic plane trip every year, usually on trips centered around culture, history, and community. 61% of Asian American women have traveled with an airline, and 54% of Asian American women have traveled outside the United States (with Europe topping the destination hotspot list).
Not to mention, overseas Asians are highly active on the Internet. I could just point to the Asian aunties in their WeChat circles and let that speak for itself, but there is conducted research to back it up: 99% of Asian American households have internet connection, which is 6% higher than the United States average. Social networking applications reach 77% of Asian Americans each week, which is 3% higher than the reach for the total population. 33% of Asian Americans agree mobile phones are an extension of their personality and are 68% more likely to use a computer or smartphone.
So, there’s a lot of overseas Asians, we’re traveling like crazy, and we’re actively using social media more than other ethnic groups. That checks all the boxes.
Why is it, then, that there is such scant overseas Asian representation on social media in the travel world?
I spent many an hour scouring the web for potential answers, but came up empty as to reasons why. Fortunately, while I don’t have the power to conduct a study on that scale myself, I do have the ability to discover and reach out to new overseas Asian women travelers that I’ve found on Instagram, which is exactly what I did last time — and exactly what I’ve done again. In the time since my last article, I’m delighted to have found many more overseas Asian women passionate about travel on their social media, and what else to do but share the news?
Here are 7 MORE overseas East Asian, women-run, travel Instagram accounts to go follow right now. And whew, that’s a mouthful.
Note: I cover East Asians in this article. I have not listed any South Asian/brown bloggers as I haven’t done enough research in the space, and frankly, I don’t feel qualified to rant about an experience that isn’t mine.
1. Esther Lee (@estherjulee)
Always moving, currently: Las Vegas | Korean
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Esther and her husband, Jacob, have a wonderful belief that you can always find adventure close to home. As a team, they are one of the top 5 travel bloggers in the United States, and share their explorations in a new place every year. Currently, they’re busy exploring Las Vegas and the rest of the gorgeous Southwest, but you’re guaranteed to always find something interesting and new the next time you stop by her page!
Esther and I became friends through Jacob, when he reached out to me after my last article. When I asked her how she felt about Asian representation in the travel space, she said, “It might seem like there are a lot of Asians in the travel space if you just look at social, but on any press trip we’ve been on, we often find ourselves to be the only Asians or POC in the group. At first, we used to laugh off that videographers documenting the trip would constantly be lurking around us a lot more for diversity’s sake, but now I find it extremely disappointing that brands use it as a misrepresentation of what the travel space (or influencer space as a whole) really looks like.”
Also, Esther’s thoughts on being Asian in America vs. your home country:
“Being an Asian American is very different from being an Asian that grew up in Asia. The obvious is that you grow up as a minority, never feeling like you fit in here. But I don’t think many people realize that being Asian American often feels like you don’t belong anywhere. Someone here might tell you to go back where you came from, but when I’m visiting Korea, they treat me like a foreigner just the same. If the glass is half full, that can make you a citizen of the world. If the glass is half empty, there’s no place that will feel quite like home.”
Check out Esther and Jacob’s website here.
2. Nicole Hui (@nicolehuii)
Vancouver, Canada | Chinese
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Nicole’s a budding powerhouse on Instagram. Her photos are beautiful and thoughtfully curated, and I love her rich and moody style. I always feel that her feed is a treat to look at, and I’m certainly not the only one judging from the likes that her posts rack up in droves! Vancouver, her home base, is not to be missed when it comes to the Asian playing field — East Asians make up 23% of Vancouver’s population. She shares photos not only from British Columbia but also around the world, painting a picture of just how lovely the world can be.
3. Yu “Fish” Cui (@fishsflourish)
New York, New York, USA | Chinese
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As soon as I found Yu’s Instagram, I fell in love — to the point that I bookmarked it for reference-keeping. She’s not particularly active on Instagram these days, but I love scrolling through her incredibly vibrant feed and soaking in good vibes. Yu’s is a one-stop shop for all things urban flair and bright colors, curating pictures from mainly New York’s bustling streets but also travels from Europe, Asia, and with the occasional flatlay or foodie shot mixed in. I don’t know how she can find so many colorful places, but her feed is definitely not to be missed.
Check out Yu’s website here.
4. Vincy Cheng (@incyvincyspider)
Sydney, Australia | Chinese-Cantonese
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Vincy’s feed is like stepping into a peaceful dream — soft color-coordinated photos of herself, landscapes, food, and flatlays are abundant here. If you’re looking for some travel photo inspiration of the capital of the land down under, Vincy’s got you covered (and in perfect matching shades of the color themes that her Instagram is currently running, to boot). If you’re interested in continuing your walk through dreamland to other countries, she’s also curated beautiful photos from the Americas, Europe, and Asia as well.
Check out Vincy’s website here.
5. Hsuan Lin (@onemoremilkt)
New York, New York, USA | Taiwanese
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Hsuan is an absolute darling living it up in the Big Apple. She came to the United States to pursue interior design, and this is reflected in her account — she loves posting beautiful aesthetic hotels and adventurous shots from around the world. Her content is translated in both English and traditional Chinese, which I think is super lovely because overseas Asians are rooted in our rich culture and heritage!
When I asked Hsuan about her thoughts on Asians in the travel space, she said she felt similarly to Christine from my last article, saying that she feels there should be a greater variety of travelers of whom can share their experiences.
Check out Hsuan’s website here.
6. Stephanie Lai (@thetravelkid.nz)
Auckland, New Zealand | Malaysian-Chinese
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Stephanie was previously named New Zealand Travel Influencer of the Year, and it’s easy to see why — her photos are rich with smiles and colors and beautiful sunshine. It may be New Zealand, or Australia, or as far as Hawaii — Stephanie will transport you in a snap of sunsets and floral fantasies. She doesn’t post too frequently these days, but when she does, it only takes a look to fall in love with the moments she’s captured.
When I asked her why she felt that Asian representation was important in the travel space, she said, “It’s important simply because Asians travel too! We see things from a different perspective, and are able to tell stories in a unique way. Instagram itself is a heavily western dominated platform, so it’s even more important that Asians can see more of ourselves and have that safe community. A few years ago, I actually dyed my hair lighter as a bit of an experiment to see whether the images would gather more traction and it did. So long as I didn’t have my fine Asian hair, the photo seemed to do a lot better…I really want to be a part of building the supportive community I hardly felt as I navigated the platform all those years ago, and lift each other and the next generation up. I’m really happy to support any Asian travel blogger out there because I know just how hard it can be, and how much more effort we need to put in, in order to succeed.”
7. Melissa (@helloomelissa)
Los Angeles, California, USA
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A true globetrotter — that’s how I would describe Melissa. Despite the fact that travel blogging isn’t even her full-time gig, you’ll find any number of beautiful destinations of her feed, from the United States all the way to Egypt, Korea, and the Bahamas. I’ve fallen in love with her colorful outdoor adventures that have captured the bluest water, the reddest canyons, and the most gorgeous golden deserts that you could ever see. Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting ahold of her for more information on herself, but that won’t stop me from oohing and aahing over her lovely feed!
Check out Melissa’s website here.
Bonus! Angelina Suwoto (@angi.susu)
New York, New York, USA | Chinese-Indonesian
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Hopefully it’s excusable that I’m carving out a little corner to put myself on this list as well! I’m a creative traveling fairy and a dreamer who can’t bear to be stuck in one place. I see the world through whimsical rose-tinted lenses, as if I’m wandering through a fairytale, and it translates into my fresh but honest writing and my bright, colorful photo feed. I aspire to show others the magical beauty of this world wherever I go, and I’m always, always down for an adventure. City girl on the daily and nature wanderer off the beaten path when I’m off the corporate clock, I’ll be more than happy to show you the prettiest of places. Can’t wait to see where I’m headed off to next!
Please remember to support overseas Asian creators! In a landscape where diversity is so limited, every bit of representation matters.
Do you know any overseas Asian travel bloggers that I don’t know about? I’m ready to learn every day! Drop me a line at angelina.suwoto@gmail.com or @angi.susu on Instagram!
