Social media and influencer spaces today are oversaturated with white individuals, which leaves little room for diversity. As a result, young people from groups that receive less representation find themselves living a double life. This is why people like the Pakistani-American influencer Mina Hasan must take up more space.
Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Hasan comes from an immigrant family. Her mother became the breadwinner for the family as her father’s back injury aggravated. She took inspiration from her mother’s unrelenting commitment to the family, and decided to be like her. When Hasan joined Instagram and Tiktok, she started getting DMs from young people who were grateful to have a brown girl, Hasan’s coinage, in influencer spaces. She then realized the traction she had gained and how important it was to be that influence she so lacked. This was her opportunity to be like her mother.
The Tiktoker started posting dance videos and comedy skits rooted in her brownness and that resonated with people. She then moved to Youtube and started documenting her life more thoroughly to disseminate cultural information. These are the three ways she is using her social media presence to promote South Asian representation.
Empowers brown people to feel good in their skin
Growing up, Hasan did not see people that looked like her on TV. Now that she has the platform, she wants every brown girl to know that they are beautiful in every way. She regularly counters beauty myths based on eurocentric standards. She does this by referring to the make-up products that work for her, including foundation shades and concealers, types of looks that go best with brown skin color, and hacks for curly hair. She also talks about common struggles amongst brown kids, like hyperpigmentation, that usually are not discussed in the media.
Uses art to spread awareness of South-Asian and Muslim-majority countries and values
Hasan is also an artist and has her art account linked to her Instagram page. She uses the canvas to pair dusky colors with geographical symbols like historic locations and maps of South Asian (Pakistan and Bangladesh) and Muslim-majority (Lebanon and Palestine) countries. Her color palette is an interesting mix of dusky shades of brown and gray. She also commonly pairs typically South-Asian hues with maps of the US and its cities to promote themes of unity and peaceful coexistence.
Having a critical take on South Asian cultures
While the Youtuber usually celebrates her culture on social media, part of her artistic pathos is also to criticize the behaviors that are toxic and impact young individuals. She calls out brown parents for showing conditional love, invading the privacy of their children, body shaming, and also inculcating unhealthy attachment patterns. She is also critical of the dietary practice common among South Asian families and suggests alternatives to oily and carb-heavy meals by pairing them with healthy sides.
Today, Hasan is among the best-known South-Asian influencers across social media platforms with over 150k followers collectively. She hopes to inspire more people to take up space and do what they love authentically. She is currently getting her undergraduate degree in business administration from UMass and has plans to start a marketing agency tailored to the needs of up-and-coming brown entrepreneurs.
