Online Community Platforms

Through a thematic analysis, codes were created from interview transcripts. Codes were grouped and associated to create the four main themes.

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Theme 1: An Evolving Sense of Cultural Identity

• Participants' upbringing in predominantly white environments led to a more British and Westernised cultural identity.

• The pressure to fit in and the fear of being different led some to reject their Chinese culture.

• Cultural identity was not fixed, with some participants experiencing a fluid and evolving identity.

• Participants' identities were influenced by their environment, experiences, and interactions.

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Theme 2: Connection to the Chinese Culture

• Language played a significant role in connecting participants to their Chinese heritage.

• Participants often only engaged with their Chinese culture during holidays or festivals.

• Some participants reimagined cultural holidays to combine Western and Asian traditions.

• Concerns about preserving cultural traditions, especially language, were prevalent among participants.

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Theme 3: The Role of Online Communities

• Participants joined online communities to connect with people who shared similar experiences.

• Some participants actively defended their culture on online platforms, especially in response to rising Asian hate.

• The desire to resonate with others through shared experiences was a common motivation for joining online communities.

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Theme 4: Challenges and Opportunities with Sharing on Online Platforms

• Participants faced challenges such as backlash and repercussions for sharing cultural heritage content online.

• As online communities grew, participants found it harder to connect on a personal level.

• Concerns about maintaining community exclusivity and moderation politics were raised.

• Participants identified opportunities for social media platforms to better support cultural heritage sharing, including video content and more inclusive platform policies.

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Co-design Workshop

Theme 4 was further explored through a workshop with members of the community. 

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Admins and Moderation:

• Participants emphasised the need for moderation rules in online communities to maintain respect and create safe spaces.

• Admins were considered essential for enforcing moderation rules, as they could understand contextual information and subliminal messages.

• Concerns were raised about biases among admins, leading to suggestions for having multiple admins with different roles and responsibilities.

• Admin selection methods varied depending on the community's context and size, with suggestions for democratic elections and consideration of a community's success.

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Privacy and Content:

• Privacy settings in online communities were seen as context-dependent, with public posts suitable for certain content like food and private posts for sensitive information.

• Participants discussed the importance of properly communicating the scope of content allowed within a community.

• Suggestions included dividing community sections for different types of content and implementing audience filters to cater to different generations' interests.

• Options for joining subgroups and sharing professionally produced content were proposed to enhance content diversity and engagement.

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Members:

• Participants believed that online community platforms should only include members of the specific community.

• Verification methods like asking for personal information were seen as difficult to enforce, and instead, pre-screening questions were suggested.

• Concerns were expressed about large group sizes hindering close bonds and comfort in sharing, but no limits on group size were recommended.

• Key features focused on member interactions, including messaging, sharing reactions and experiences, location-based features, and events to facilitate offline interactions and strengthen member connections.