This paper explores how Facebook functions as a digital homeland for Asian diasporic communities in Australia, offering a vital space for cultural preservation, identity formation, and community cohesion. Through detailed analysis and real-world examples, such as the Facebook group Subtle Asian Traits, the essay illustrates how the platform fosters transnational connections, supports religious and cultural practices, and enables both local and global diasporic networking. Facebook not only allows Asian Australians to maintain ties with their countries of origin through media, language, and religion, but also empowers them to assert their identities in a multicultural yet often racialized Australian society. The platform plays a key role in resistance against racism, notably through campaigns like #StopAsianHate, and serves as an archive of shared experiences and traditions. Overall, Facebook is shown to be more than a communication tool; it is a dynamic and evolving digital space where diasporic communities can collectively nurture belonging, visibility, and resilience.

The Asian diaspora in Australia refers to the diverse and multifaceted communities of people with ancestral, cultural, or national ties to countries across Asia who now reside in Australia, either as immigrants, second or third-generation descendants, temporary residents, or citizens (Jurriens & Garoer, 2024). This includes populations from East Asia (China, Korea, Japan), Southeast Asia (Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia) and South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh) (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022). These communities vary in their reasons for migration — including education, skilled labor, family reunification, or asylum — and in their patterns of settlement, ranging from urban centers like Sydney and Melbourne to regional towns.

As of the most recent census data, people of Asian descent make up a significant and growing portion of Australia’s population, with over 17% of Australians identifying as having Asian ancestry (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022). Chinese and Indian Australians represent two of the largest and most prominent Asian communities, but increasing numbers of Filipinos, Vietnamese, Nepalese, and other groups reflect Australia’s shift toward Asia as a primary source of immigration in the 21st century (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022).

Digital platforms like Facebook have become central in how these communities preserve culture, maintain diasporic ties, mobilize around social issues, and construct shared narratives of belonging and identity (Mpofu et al. 2022). Facebook serves as an essential transnational link for Asian diasporic communities in Australia, connecting them to wider cross-border cultural, linguistic, and religious networks in addition to their relatives and friends back home (Mpofu et al. 2022). Constant digital communication softens geographic distance, allowing for every transnationalism. Facebook’s most basic but important function is enabling ongoing communication with people from around the world. This is extremely beneficial for many migrants, especially first-generation individuals as the separation from family is a deeply emotional and social rupture.

Another beneficial feature of Facebook for migrants is being able to access news and cultural content from their home country, such as following news pages, community organisations and public figures (Mpofu et al. 2022). For example, Filipino Australians might follow ABS-CBN or GMA Network for Tagalog-language content and updates from the Philippines, or Vietnamese or Chinese Australians may share media about traditional festivals, Lunar New Year or political developments (Jurriens & Garoer, 2024). Users can preserve fluency in their language, customs, and sociopolitical awareness while living thousands of kilometers away thanks to this content sharing, which also maintains a virtual homeland and promotes a sense of cultural continuity.

Many Asian societies place a high value on religious life, and Facebook is used for: broadcasting religious services from home, churches, mosques, and temples, putting together rituals for livestreaming or praying gatherings, and distributing cultural customs or spiritual teachings via private clubs or community pages (Mpofu et al. 2022). Despite geographical distance, these connections help diasporic Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, and Hindus maintain spiritual ties by enabling users to virtually partake in communal religious life, especially the religious nuances specific to their home country.

Beyond national boundaries, Facebook also enables pan-diasporic networks where Asian Australians can interact with people in similar circumstances all around the world. This includes users from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand, where they interact with one another on Facebook pages such as Subtle Asian Traits, focusing on common diasporic experiences and creating a globalised identity that cuts beyond national boundaries (Miyano, 2020). Because of this international cooperation, Asian diasporic communities are able to give and get help about immigration, finding a job, and overcoming racism, laugh at stories about “immigrant parents” or common cultural oddities, and rally support for diasporic causes, such xenophobic protests or natural disaster relief.

For Asian diasporic communities in Australia, Facebook plays a critical role in fostering local community ties and preserving cultural heritage in the face of displacement, assimilation pressures, and generational change. It functions as a dynamic public square where festivals are organized, traditions are remembered, and identities are continually negotiated and affirmed. Facebook allows communities to self-organize around common cultural, regional, linguistic, or religious identities by supporting both private groups and public pages. Diasporic Asians in Australia can use these online platforms to connect with others from the same ethnic or national background, organise local meetups, gatherings, festivals and business promotions, and share resources related to migration such as rental advice, job opportunities and visa tips (Mpofu et al. 2022).

Facebook acts as a platform for event planning, enabling communities to plan, publicise, and participate in both online and offline cultural events. These consist of religious celebrations (such as Songkran, Eid, Diwali, and the Lunar New Year), cultural exhibitions and cultural festivals. Even beyond state lines, organisers can reach hundreds or thousands of community members by using Facebook Events, Pages, and cross-posting in groups. This has a particularly significant effect in places where Asian Australians are spread out geographically and might not otherwise have access to physical community venues.

Facebook also acts as a living repository of diasporic existence in addition to real-time engagement. Group histories retain announcements, talks, recollections, and photos, resulting in a digital record of cultural practice. These archives fulfil several purposes, such as recording the evolution of diasporic customs, educating the next generation about their heritage, and establishing continuity in the face of cultural loss or displacement. By emphasising common voices and experiences, this type of informal, crowdsourced community preservation provides an alternative to institutional archives.

In Australia’s multicultural but often racialized society, Facebook empowers Asian diasporic communities to publicly assert cultural pride and challenge invisibility (Liu, 2024). Cultural celebration becomes not only an act of joy but also one of resistance — asserting that Asian identities are vibrant, multifaceted, and integral to the Australian story. For example, groups may share posts about Asian Australian achievements in media, politics, or business, cultural pride campaigns, such as wearing traditional clothing or speaking heritage languages, are encouraged, and discussions around assimilation and racism often take place within safe, culturally-specific Facebook spaces. In this way, Facebook becomes not just a reflection of culture, but a platform for cultural agency.

Facebook provides a platform for Asian diasporic people to actively create and present their identities, frequently fusing their ethnic background with Australian culture. This is done by sharing memes and videos that explore the idea of “growing up Asian in Australia”, posting multilingual content such as traditional recipes, and participating in niche groups where identity can be explored safely, such as “Subtle Asian Dating” (Miyano, 2020). A famous Asian Australian youtuber by the name of mychonny explores this idea of what it’s like to grow up in Australia with first-generation migrants from an Asian country. He gives light to his assimilation into Australia by putting a comedic twist to common experiences that resonate with his mostly Asian audience. One example is a video titled “B+ again”, where mychonny plays on the idea that migrant Asian parents are only satisfied with the highest marks and grades possible in school., as there is a cultural implication that Asian migrants strongly value education.

Facebook also serves as a platform where Asian Australians share experiences of racism, such as overt slurs to subtle exclusions, and where community members offer validation, strategies, and solidarity (Liu, 2024).. These digital conversations call out racism in public institutions, education, media, and workplaces. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many Facebook users shared personal stories of being spat at, verbally assaulted, or racially profiled, leading to the creation of Facebook groups and campaigns like #IAmNotAVirus that documented and resisted anti-Asian sentiment (Liu, 2024).. In this context, Facebook becomes not just a social network, but a platform of racial witnessing, where users can collectively process trauma, engage in activism, and challenge dominant narratives (Liu, 2024).

To further explore the argument that Facebook is a digital homeland for Asian Diasporic communities in Australia, case studies can provide real-world documentation, demonstrating how Facebook functions for cultural preservation and community building. The Facebook group Subtle Asian Traits (SAT) started as a space for Asian Australians to share humorous and relatable content about the immigrant experience (Hossain 2019). It exploded in popularity, eventually becoming a global phenomenon with millions of members. The group helps Asian people maintain and share cultural identity, through jokes, memes, and content rooted in the shared experience of being “Asian” in a Western society (Hossain 2019). Through its humorous posts, it deals with themes of belonging, racialization, and intergenerational conflict. It fosters a sense of solidarity among diaspora communities and provides emotional support. This Facebook group is a prime example of how Facebook serves as a space for diasporic communities in Australia, where it bridges generational and geographical divides within Asian communities.

In fact, SAT was so popular that spin-off groups were created, such as Subtle Asian Dating. Originating as a companion group to Subtle Asian Traits, this Facebook group focuses on Asian diasporic dating (Miyano, 2020). The group allows individuals to connect based on shared cultural experiences and deals with issues of racialized dating and representation (Miyano, 2020). The group reflects how diasporic Asian individuals navigate cultural expectations around relationships while contending with stereotypes in Western dating culture.

2019 saw a rise in anti-Asian racism in the country. From this, campaign by Asian Australians was created, titled #StopAsianHate, and was promoted across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. This campaign aimed to challenge and respond to this rise in anti-Asian racism due to COVID-19, and involved a series of shared stories, testimonials and reflections on what it meant to be Asian in the present political and social climate around the world (Stop AAPI Hate, 2025). The campaign utilised Facebook to assert a sense of collective identity and challenge stereotypes. It was an example of how Facebook can be a tool for resistance, calling attention to racial discrimination and demanding greater inclusion and representatio. The hashtag fostered solidarity not just among Asian Australians, but also within other ethnic groups that faced similar issues. Throughout this campaign, Facebook served a pivotal role in grassroots activism and enabled a marginalised community to publicly assert their identity and challenge systematic racism (Stop AAPI Hate, 2025).

Hence, Facebook is more than just a way for Asian diasporic communities in Australia to interact; it’s a digital homeland, where cultural practices are recognized and continued, racism is challenged, identity is formed, and a sense of belonging is created.

References

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2022). Cultural diversity: Census. https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/people-and-communities/cultural-diversity-census/latest-release

Hossain, S. (2019). What comes next for Facebook’s biggest Asian community. Newsworthy. https://www.newsworthy.org.au/big-decisions-ahead-for-subtle-asian-traits–2633463836.html

Jurriens, E. & Garoer, C. (2024). Asia and Asians in Australian Politics and Society. International Institute for Asian Studies. https://www.iias.asia/sites/iias/files/nwl_article/2022-06/IIAS_NL92_222324.pdf

Liu, H., Yu, K. H., & Wright, C. F. (2024). Precarious Multiculturalism: The Racialized Experience of Asian In/Exclusion in Australia. American Behavioral Scientist, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642241231319

Miyano, M. (2020). Do People Actually Find Love on ‘Subtle Asian Dating? Vice. https://www.vice.com/en/article/subtle-asian-dating-facebook-group-experience-online/

Mpofu, P., Asak, M. O., & Salawu, A. (2022). Facebook groups as transnational counter public sphere for diasporic communities. Cogent Arts & Humanities, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2022.2027598

Stop AAPI Hate. (2025). Our Mission. https://stopaapihate.org/our-mission/