Francine Ng
Francine Ng is simply in a league of her own – the 23-year-old Chinese American TikToker has built up a community of over 760k followers! Her life as an influencer came as a complete accident and is in fact the product of the COVID-19 pandemic. After returning home from studying abroad in Japan, Francine self-quarantined for 3 weeks in her family’s guest room. It was at that point when her virality began; the influencer’s earliest “cringy dance videos” soon evolved into the content that she is known for today! Her videos are incredibly relatable to many, as plenty of her TikToks revolve around the Asian American experience. A perfect blend of humor and informational content has allowed the influencer to become a figurehead of expression and representation on the app! We recently spoke to Francine about her journey, TikTok trends, and more! Scroll down below to read our full Q&A!
Hey Francine! Thank you again for speaking with us. Tell us a little bit about yourself!
Hi, thank you for having me! I’m currently a 23-year-old, Chinese American living in the US. I was born in Toronto, Canada, and moved to the states when I was about 7-8 years old, and have been living here ever since! I graduated from university in 2020, and have a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Spanish minor. My hobbies include making TikToks, cooking at 2 am, and keeping a bullet journal. I also love traveling and am a total foodie!
How did you get started making TikToks?
I think like most people, I downloaded TikTok ironically and made my first video in the summer of 2019 just for fun (it was when the WikiHow trend was going on and it had my cat in it haha). However, I didn’t really take it seriously until I had to come back to the US while studying abroad in Japan during my last semester of university because of COVID-19. When I came back, my parents made me self-quarantine in our guest room for about 3 weeks. During that time, I got super bored, so I began using TikTok more frequently, and actually began making some cringy dance videos LOL. But, I eventually started making different types of videos and channeled my quarantine-boredom into creating content.
Do you remember the first video that blew up on the app? Which was it?
I don’t remember 100%-- I think it had something to do with relatable Asian American experiences. I remember internally freaking out and getting SO excited the first time I got more than 5k views on a video haha!
Did you ever expect to go viral? What has the feedback been like from your family and friends?
Definitely not at all! I always just thought of it as a cure to boredom during quarantine, so I didn’t think it would amount to as much as it has. The feedback from my family and friends has been really positive! My dad, especially, loves sharing my TikTok with others. The support I’ve gotten from everyone has been really encouraging!
How do you typically come up with the content for your videos? Are they based on real-life experiences at all?
When it comes to the videos I make regarding racism, most of that content is usually exaggerated versions of microaggressions or racism that I’ve experienced throughout my life. So, yes, they are based on real-life experiences, but, I think I’m also lucky in the sense that I haven’t gone through extreme discrimination/racism like some other people may have. As for my other content, I enjoy creating skits about common experiences that I think other Asians can relate to (e.g. Lunar New Year greetings, Asian parents, Asian restaurant etiquette, etc.)
Do you feel that having a platform of 750k followers comes with any responsibility at all?
Absolutely! I believe that anyone with a platform should have responsibility. As an Asian American content creator, I think it’s important that I am knowledgeable of current events and help spread awareness about and advocate for social issues that are happening in the world. Besides making light-hearted content intended to make people laugh, I believe that making informative content is also necessary sometimes. It’s a privilege to have a platform, no matter how big or small, and it’s crucial that influencers use it to speak up about the need for social change in the face of injustices, racism, etc.
Which has been your favorite TikTok trend to follow lately?
Hmm, honestly, I’m a grandma when it comes to keeping updated with new trends on TikTok. But, I did think the Lil Nas X trend was really funny, especially the ones with Minecraft LOL. Other than that, I love watching videos with transitions because they look super cool! I have so much respect for the creators who do them because they always make it look so clean and effortless!
Who would you team up with for a dream TikTok collab?
I’m not too sure if I have a specific TikToker in mind, but I’d love to meet more Cantonese creators/speakers! Maybe CantoMando, but their main platform is on YouTube haha.
Has there been a moment during this journey that feels surreal to you?
To be honest, every day feels surreal to me! In no way did I ever think my TikTok would blow up this much. It’s crazy to think about all the opportunities that have come about just because I decided to make videos out of boredom just over a year ago! But honestly, I think one of the most surreal and best moments about this whole journey is when I receive messages from people, sharing their own stories or telling me how they find my content relatable. It really makes me take a step back and see that I’m actually making an impact on others’ lives. I feel so grateful and appreciative of everything that my platform has given me!
Would you ever consider a full-time career in social media?
Honestly, not really – I’ve always thought of social media as more of a hobby rather than a full-time career. However, that being said, creating content is definitely something I really enjoy doing and will continue doing in the future!
What are some of the things that you enjoy doing outside of the influencer space?
It’s FINALLY starting to get warmer, so I’ve actually been really enjoying spending more time outside (of course, while still wearing a mask and social distancing!). I’ve been loving being able to just put my phone away, explore different parks/trails, and just clear my mind for a bit!
Do you feel your content has changed at all since you began? How so?
I think it has. When I first starting making TikToks more seriously, I think my content much more heavily addressed race/social issues, and there was a point where I felt quite burnt out because I felt like I was running out of ideas. However, since then, I’ve learned to expand my content to overall Asian American identity. While sometimes I do still feel like I go through blocks, this has allowed me to have more creative freedom while still keeping to a niche. Plus, I think a wider audience can relate to my videos!
What is one thing that you want fans to take away from your content?
In my videos, I advocate for Asian American identity. So, I hope that by making relatable content, people won’t feel like they’re alone. I want everyone to feel comfortable in their own skin, to be proud of their culture, background, heritage, etc. There’s only one of you, so embrace being your unique self!
What can we expect from your content in 2021? Exciting projects, anything to plug?
So, I actually will be starting grad school in the fall-- going to be getting my doctorate in Clinical Psychology, which I’m super excited about! But, as far as content goes, I do plan on continuing to create videos, however, I may be uploading less frequently once school starts :’) I also have a relatively new YouTube channel (Francine Ng) though, so I might start vlogging if time permits!