May marks Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and June is the official month of Pride. As we transition from the annual celebration of one community to another, Cosmo sat down with some talented API Drag Race stars who proudly represent both. Priyanka, Kahmora Hall, Gia Gunn, Brita Filter, Kimora Blac, Yuhua Hamasaki, and Rock M. Sakura all shared insights about living at the intersection of their two cultures and how seriously they take their role model status.
Brita Filter explained, “When I was growing up, I didn’t have anyone who looked like me and acted like me who was queer to look up to. I mean, I had The Rock because he was Samoan, but I didn’t have a little Polynesian queer person to look up to.
“Because so many other Pacific Islander LGBTQ+ people look up to me, I think that’s what instilled me to want to create looks around being Polynesian. I thought it was so important.”
With the lack of positive Asian representation in the mainstream media, drag allowed Kimora to reclaim her identity. “Being Asian, Vietnamese American, when I’m onstage at meet and greets, doing makeup videos, I am not only representing what I do, but I’m representing who I am.”
All the participants in this video also made sure to name more API queens that fans should get to know, including Kylie Mooncakes, Jasmine Rice LaBeija, Cash Monet, Hungry, and Sasha Colby!
Annabel Iwegbue is a culture editor at Cosmopolitan, where she primarily covers pop culture, lifestyle, relationships, and digital trends. She previously wrote for Harper's Bazaar, The Knockturnal, and Black Film. She's originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and Cinema Studies from New York University. You can check out some of Annabel’s work here and also find her on Instagram and Twitter.
