Asian Celebrity Voices Against Anti-Asian Racism: An Experiment with Young Adults

Using a one-factor, three-level online experiment involving young adults in the United States, this study examined how news stories featuring ordinary Asian individuals sharing their personal racism experiences, Asian celebrities sharing others’ racism experiences, or Asian celebrities sharing their personal racism experiences affected (a) perceptions of anti-Asian racism and (b) support for policies aimed at addressing it. The findings indicate that news stories featuring celebrities discussing anti-Asian racism were more influential among young adults than similar stories featuring ordinary Asian individuals, with exposure to celebrity-driven content increasing participants’ intentions to support policies aimed at combating anti-Asian racism. Celebrities sharing their own experiences were also no more persuasive than those sharing others’ experiences. These findings suggest that the influence of celebrity activism may stem more from celebrity involvement itself than from personal ownership of the narrative. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in relation to celebrity activism against racism.