Highlights from Asian Pacific Heritage Month

Jellysmack Asian Pacific Heritage Month features image

May is Asian Pacific Heritage Month, and we here at Jellysmack have used that time to reflect, recognize, and celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander voices within our community. 

The volume of Asian Pacific voices has been steadily, methodically, getting amplified – not only in the United States, but on the global stage. From the meteoric rise of K-pop to show stopping TV and film masterpieces like Squid Game and Parasite, the rich history and eclectic brilliance of Asian culture is now in-demand internationally. 

As a global company, the Jellysmack team thought it would be fitting to broaden the scope to include people with Asian heritage from all over the world.

“Though May is observed as Asian Pacific Heritage in the United States, JellyAPI, our internal community of Asian Jellysmackers across the globe, thought, ‘why not make it more inclusive?’” says Jason Lu, global events coordinator for Jellysmack.

We’re proud to highlight a few of Jellysmack’s talented creator partners with Asian Pacific heritage. 

First up, we have the incredible Mei Yu, who shares her whimsical art and animation to inspire all kinds of people—and a lot of them, at that. Mei Yu’s YouTube channel has more than 1.7 million subscribers tuning in to her watch-creation-in-action and how-to draw tutorials.

Creator Mei Yu stands next to one of her artworks

For me just being me and doing what I love to do, I feel that I can give back to my fans and community two different layers of who I am: an artist and someone of Asian heritage.

Creator Mei Yu

Next up, we have fashion and beauty vlogger Adelaine Morin. Canadian-based Adelaine Morin spreads nothing but love and positivity. Her fun style hauls and comical day-in-the-life content are exemplary of the type of positivity that makes life the adventure it is. 

Of Filipina heritage which she claims with pride, Morin has amassed more than three million followers across the internet through various social platforms, and has also dabbled in brand collaborations and product lines. Still in the first half of her twenties and with sincerity to spare, this is one creator we can all expect to see more of for years to come. 

Still shot of Jellysmack Creator partner Adelaide Morin

Our creator partnerships aren’t Jellysmack’s only connection to the Asian Pacific community or reason for celebration. 

People of Asian Pacific heritage are a vital part of Jellysmack’s day-to-day operations. We’re delighted to appreciate our internal team members who are a fundamental part of what Jellysmack is.

Long story short, that’s how JellyAPI came to be. JellyAPI is where Jellysmackers of all Asian and Pacific Islander backgrounds can connect, mentor, and inspire each other to be the best they can be, both personally and professionally. 

If you’re lucky, you might someday cross paths with Lauren Lapid, a visual designer on Jellysmack’s crypto team. Bridging the gap between art and technology, and a proud member of the JellyAPI community, Lauren shows up every day to make headway on blockchain works-in-progress. 

Lauren is a first generation Filipina American who brings the generosity of her heritage to her life’s work. 

“I love Filipino culture’s emphasis on hospitality—we treat everyone like family and truly cherish our personal relationships. Being first-gen, I often take my parents’ culture for granted, and API Heritage month reminds me to appreciate, cherish, and love my roots.”

Lauren Lapid, Jellysmack visual designer for crypto

As we round out Asian Pacific Heritage month, we understand that though May is the time we celebrate the contributions and insights coming from the Asian Pacific community, we can—and should—appreciate the community’s people and culture all year round. 

And before you head out, we wanted to leave you with a party favor. JellyAPI has curated a special playlist  of creative lifetracks to enjoy at any time of the day and year. 

Happy listening!

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