Fung Brothers Get Laughs Portraying Awkward Moments in Asian American Life

Brothers Andrew and David Fung won YouTube fans by depicting Asian Americans are our most awkward.

During the internet’s early days, there were very few Asian American YouTubers, but two brothers from Washington were able to become pioneers in content that blended culture and social commentary for global audiences.

This is Andrew and David Fung or better known as the Fung Bros. They were born in Kent, Washington in a Chinese American household, but after they both graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle, they decided to move to Los Angeles, settling in Koreatown. While in school, the brothers were also experimenting in video content, so heading to LA was the first step in chasing their dreams.

The Fung Bros’ YouTube channel was launched in 2013 and became a place where they posted videos about immigrant experiences, Asian culture, and growing up Asian in America. Their videos resonated with many Asian viewers because the topics the Fung Bros discussed were rarely talked about online and in real life. Some of their early viral posts focused on Asian owned restaurants and street food, introducing the world to different cuisines.

Their platform continued to grow and the brothers began making videos that highlighted Asian American stereotypes, gender differences, and just overall the influence of Asian culture in the United States. The Fung Bros are able to combine humor and education in their series’ which helps generate well-performing videos as well as a loyal YouTube audience.

Over the years, the Fung Bros’ channel has accumulated over 400 million combined views and over 2.2 million subscribers, establishing the duo as some of the earliest successful Asian American creators in the YouTube game. Beyond the platform, the Fung Bros also have collaborated with major media outlets and made appearances at cultural festivals and events that are centered around Asian American representation.

The Fung Bros are still uploading regularly to their YouTube channel and have expanded their brand into a podcast that helps shape conversations revolving around Asian American identity. Besides being entertainers, Andrew and David Fung have also become cultural commentators for the community, proving that cultural storytelling can amplify the Asian American experience.