UC Irvine

Karaoke is a relatively new phenomenon that emerged in several Asian countries in the 1970s, and was introduced to the United States in the 1980s. With the rise of Asian immigrant communities in Southern California came the rise of karaoke businesses all around the San Gabriel Valley (SGV) and Orange County (OC). I examine karaoke establishments in Asian American communities within the SGV and OC regions of California. My study will explore the karaoke experience and how it reflects social, racial, and class aspects in these ethnic enclaves. My research demonstrates that karaoke is a shared practice in the Asian American experience that functions as an alternative performance space for the creation of identity and community.