Gen Z Redefines “Asian American”
By now, you’ve probably heard at least one story about Generation Z — a group of unabashedly proud and passionate young people (born 1995–2015), who have taken the world by storm with their social media presence and power. Perhaps you remember the recent Tulsa Trump rally prank — where TikTok users and K-pop fans tanked the president’s rally by registering hundreds of thousands of tickets, only to not attend. Gen Z are certainly making their mark on the world, demanding to be seen through their digital presence.
Gen Z are the most diverse generation ever. They are distinguished as a poly-cultural group with a complex set of heritages. With this in mind, it is important to consider the role that different racial and cultural identities play in shaping what it means to be Gen Z. Within the Gen Z population, Asian Americans are reported to be the fastest growing group among all major races and ethnicities (Pew Research Center 2017). A key demographic for insights into trends, Asian American Gen Z are a critical population for agencies and brands to better understand. Intertrend, a multicultural marketing agency that specializes in targeting Asian Americans, has asked the question: what does it mean to be both Asian American and Gen Z? How are this group distinguished from the rest of the generation? How are they the same?
Methodology
Intertrend conducted a qualitative study on Asian American Gen Z to better understand the emerging demographic of youth — a population that has been hypothesized to be the most highly connected and engaged generation of all time. The study explored a variety of topics primarily aimed toward distinguishing the unique and not-so-unique nuances of Asian American Gen Z. Topics explored included media habits, affinity for certain brands, values/preferences, and cultural identity (especially compared to their Asian American Millennial counterparts). The field work was completed on July 9–15, 2020 among 291 Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and other Asian Americans across the United States. In addition to the fieldwork, the Intertrend team worked on collecting secondary research to reinforce fieldwork findings. If you are interested in a comprehensive study of the results, please reach out to interject@intertrend.com.
About Intertrend
Intertrend is a multicultural creative agency that understands the intersection of cultures, emerging trends, and the interaction between brands and consumers. With a passionate team of over 70 professionals, Intertrend creates deeply resonant and exceptional consumer experiences. Founded 30 years ago and based in both Long Beach, CA and Plano, TX, the agency has worked with leading brands across industries. Intertrend also houses a family of entrepreneurial brand units that build to its core expertise across digital, content and experiential including The Art of Bloom, Imprint Lab, Pow! Wow! Long Beach, and Unexpected Connections.