Dave is a social justice warrior who uses his platform to speak on issues related to his heritage and experience emigrating to America. Through his content, he sheds light on the trials and tribulations that immigrants face and highlights the importance of cultural understanding and acceptance. With his unique perspective and engaging personality, Dave has built a loyal fanbase and become a respected voice in the online world. We’re excited to learn more about his journey and insights, so let’s dive right in!
Can you tell us about your background and how you became interested in sharing news and information about Asian pop culture?
I always listened to a ton of different music growing up. I listened to Chinese country music that my parents would put on. And then my sister would put on Kpop so I would listen to both of them. It actually wasn’t even until Freshman year of high school that I was even exposed to my first American pop song. I never even knew that music was categorized this heavily in the media. I saw Kpop, Chinese music, and American music as just music.
As a social justice warrior, what inspired you to use your platform to focus on your heritage and the experiences of immigrants?
I think just not seeing it as much in the media. I didn’t just want to share heritage and culture in my videos because it would solely be Korean and I’m not so I try to be able to share my Chinese culture here and there. But I wanted to mostly share this idea of people seeing faces like mine on more screens. It made people more familiar and hopefully we can live in a world one day where Asian men are seen as just as desirable as White men.
What challenges have you faced as an immigrant in the United States, and how have those experiences shaped your perspective on social justice issues?
In middle school, I was the only Chinese person in my class. It shaped this idea that there weren’t enough of us and the majority of my class simply thought Chinese people were weird. After 9/11 and my family’s restaurant was affected, my family and I were also very poor. So being called a weird Chinese person and being poor has led to me being able to see a lot discrimination. A lot of which I try to fight against now.
Can you walk us through your process of researching and sharing news and information on your platforms?
Absolutely! I go through as many Kpop and American new sites first thing in the morning. I research what is trendy and even use Twitter to see what people have to say about the current news. It’s great that Twitter users feel the need to share every little opinion because I can make commentary on that. When I see racist or ignorant responses on Twitter, I can usually make a whole video on that. However, I am also very passionate about the news and so I constantly watch news on finance, stock, and politics, all of which affect the landscape of Kpop deeply. Because I do that, it makes the day to day news easier to report on and make sense of.
You have a large following on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat. How do you balance creating content for each platform while also maintaining a consistent message and brand?
I try to make sure every platform ties into some fun news and things people find interesting. My message in all of this content can really all go back to not judging things before looking into it. We live in a very judgemental society and we very much judge books by covers. So I hope the content at least makes people question what they see in the media.
Who are some of your favorite Asian pop culture icons, and why do they inspire you?
I really like Jung Kook of BTS. I think he is just very good at literally everything and very handsome. He inspires me to be better and keep working hard.
How do you stay up to date on the latest news and trends in Asian pop culture, and what sources do you rely on for information?
I take sources from all different sites. I read The Korea Times, The Korea Herald, and recently there’s been a lot more coverage from American news sites like Times Magazines, and CNN. So that’s been easier for me to verify.
Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or collaborations you have planned?
I’m currently trying to expand my network outside of YouTube. I love meeting new people and I am always down to collaborate. If anyone is interested, feel free to reach out. I love meeting new people and making new videos with them.
How do you see your work as a social justice warrior intersecting with your passion for Asian pop culture?
Absolutely, I think they go hand in hand. I think in today’s society any work Asians do to raise awareness to their culture naturally becomes very political due to their just being a lack of Asians everywhere on screen.
What advice would you give to other content creators who are interested in using their platforms to promote social justice and positive change?
Just talk about it more. Do what you love and what you know your audience loves but don’t be afraid to use your platform to speak about issues that are important to you. While you have an audience make sure they know what you’re about and what you stand for.
Where can we find you on social media?
I would love to connect with everyone, you can find me at Dave Disci everywhere. Follow me on instagram @dave.disci and let’s talk more!