The TikTok Cultures Research Network will hold its sixth virtual event TikTok & Asian Diaspora on 17 October 2022, organised by Dr Jin Lee and Associate Professor Crystal Abidin. The event will feature three sessions where TikTok creators, NGO and industry professionals, and scholars discuss the past, the present, and the future of Asian diasporas and TikTok cultures.
Speaker Bios
Dr Earvin Charles B. Cabalquinto
Dr Earvin Charles B. Cabalquinto is an ARC DECRA Fellow and a Lecturer in Communication at Deakin University. His research interests lie in the intersecting fields of digital media and migration. He is the author of (Im)mobile Homes: Family Life at a Distance in the Age of Mobile Media (Oxford University Press).
Dr Satveer Kaur-Gill
Dr Satveer Kaur-Gill is a postdoctoral research associate with The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College. Her research examines how population groups with unequal access to health, social, and digital resources experience health disparities. One of her current projects examines how precarious migrant workers access and create health resources digitally for help-seeking, information sharing, and advocacy on TikTok.
Dr Tara Ross
Dr Tara Ross is head of the journalism programme at the University of Canterbury, where she is also a research fellow with the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies. She is of Pākehā (European) and Tuvaluan descent, and her research interests include inclusive journalism and Pacific media and audiences.
Pele Voncujovi
‘Pelegroso’
Pele Voncujovi is a Ghanaian-Japanese Tiktoker currently based in Tokyo who mainly explores Afro and Biracial lived experiences in Japan. He is the co-founder of Jaspora, an African Diaspora organization in Japan and works as a Blockchain Token marketing strategist at an eSports company inside Tokyo Tower.
Palak Mody & Mayuri Mody
‘Palak & Molly’
Following our passion for acting we decided to spread smiles. Our world revolves around each other. We love to go places together, create funny content together and live life together!
Seong-Jae (Billy) Kong
‘Korean Billy’
Seong-Jae Kong, also known as KoreanBilly, has been making videos for over 6 years on various social media platforms including TikTok. His videos feature different British accents and British culture from the perspective of a Korean, which brought him publicity in the UK and in Korea.
Shikha Gianchandani
Shikha Gianchandani is the Chief Operating Officer for Pardesi, a global platform founded to celebrate, empower, and amplify voices of South Asian women worldwide. Through digital content, workshops and mentorship schemes, she has worked with the founding team to build a community that has over 10,000 followers and receives over 100,000 monthly engagements on social media. Shikha is also a Biomedical Sciences graduate from the University of Warwick with experience working in industry and research.
Shaun Chee
Shaun is the creator of BordersLess, an online platform that explores global Asian diaspora stories and perspectives from East & SE Asia, highlighting cross-cultural individuals who all chose a different path in life. He believes the Asian diaspora can play a part in bridging gaps between communities, cultures & countries.
Nirote (May) Chaweewannakorn
With 6 years in the advertising industry, Nirote has worked as account manager and media planner before taking the role of Country Director at Gushcloud Thailand in 2018. His expertise ranges from campaign strategy, client management to talent management. Nirote is currently Country Director and Head of Talent of Gushcloud Thailand.
Moderators & Organisers
Dr Jin Lee
Dr Jin Lee studies media intimacies in social media cultures, particularly media practices and visibility of social minorities on various media platforms. She is a co-founding member of the TikTok Cultures Research Network and is conducting a project on TikTok cultures and industry in South Korea and East Asia at large, with A/Prof Crystal Abidin. Her work on media intimacies and influencer cultures appears in Communication, Culture & Critique, Convergence, Media International Australia, and Social Media + Society. She is a Research Fellow in Internet Studies at Curtin University, Australia. She tweets at @jinlee_media
A/Prof Crystal Abidin
A/Prof Crystal Abidin is the founder of the TikTok Cultures Research Network. She is a digital anthropologist and ethnographer of vernacular internet cultures, and researches internet celebrity, influencer cultures, and social media pop cultures. She has published 5 books and over 60 articles and chapters on various aspects of internet cultures. Crystal is Associate Professor of Internet Studies, Principal Research Fellow, and ARC DECRA Fellow at Curtin University. For her public scholarship and continuous engagements with industry, Crystal was listed on ABC Top 5 Humanities Fellows (2020), Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia (2018), and Pacific Standard 30 Top Thinkers Under 30 (2016). Reach her at wishcrys.com
Organised by Dr Jin Lee and A/Prof Crystal Abidin.
This event is brought to you by TikTok Cultures Research Network and supported by Faculty of Humanities (Curtin University), Centre for Culture and Technology (Curtin University).
For enquiries, contact tiktokcultures@gmail.com
TikTok Cultures Research Network 