North Star Boys open up about bullying, racism and mission to inspire the next generation

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It’s been three years since the first Asian American content creator group North Star Boys set out on a mission to inspire the younger generation of minorities by filling the void of Asian American representation in the media.

Founded in August 2021 by brothers Oliver and Sebastian Moy, the group has since amassed over 55 million social media followers — an achievement they attribute to their “unfiltered” and “authentic” personalities showcased on a wide range of content, including IRL vlogs, challenges and comedy skits. Last year, the group also ventured into music after realizing the value of what a song can give their fans, affectionately known as Stars. They debuted as a pop band with their first album, “Saturday Nights,” in March 2023. Its resonance with fans eventually led to a U.S. tour and a new album, “CYDIA,” released in May this year.

North Star Boys, composed of the Moy brothers, as well as Regie Macalino, Ryan Nguyen, Justin Phan, Darren Liang, Kane Ratan and Tyler Bray, continues their goal to celebrate Asian culture and inspire a sense of unity and pride among their fans. But growing up as Asians in their respective communities, love and acceptance wasn’t always the case. Many of them faced bullying, racism and self-doubt — struggles that fueled their passion to create a positive impact and become role models for the next generation.

In line with their third anniversary and talks of contract renewals, North Star Boys sat down with NextShark to discuss their journey so far, including the challenges they've overcome as Asian American creators and their hopes for the future as they continue to inspire and represent their community through content creation.

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What was it like for you boys to grow up as an Asian American in your respective communities? Can you briefly share any challenges you faced?

Darren: As the first person in my family to be born in the U.S., I have experienced both cultures. Growing up, English was not my first language. It was actually Chinese, so I was bullied and made fun of because of the language barrier. Not having Asian representation then made me resent my race, but as I grew older, I slowly began to embrace my race, and now I actually love my Asian culture.

Kane: As an Asian American, I was physically bullied a lot as a kid. But honestly, what hurt the most was feeling like I couldn't be anyone special because I was Asian. I felt no value in the world and was made fun of by teachers, classmates and even strangers, believing in everyone who told me that I couldn't make it. I could only be what they saw me to be. I really felt like I had to stick to what everyone told me and not who I wanted to be. That's the reason why I love and joined this group. I wanted to show people that no matter what, you can be anyone you want to be, and you shouldn't always listen to what the world has to say.

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Oliver: I grew up homeschooled. I didn't go to public school until I was in the 10th grade, but I was able to have a lot of time to watch YouTube, TV shows and movies. And from what I've seen growing up, it was definitely a lack of Asian American representation. So I guess I made it my goal – I told myself I want to be someone who can inspire the generation after me through social media, and now through music. So I hope through what I do, I can be that inspiration for younger Asian Americans out there.

Justin: It was pretty hard to fit in as a child due to my cultural differences. But, you know, once I found a small friend group who are also Asian Americans, I felt very welcome and comfortable.

Regie: I had fun growing up as an Asian American. I used to live in the Philippines for 13 years. Since I moved here, I was scared that I was gonna get bullied and stuff like that, but I had a group of friends who embraced who I am.

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Sebastian: I grew up in a very country-oriented small town in Florida, and as much as I stood out, people took me in as one of their own. I'm very appreciative about it as I was one of the only Asian people in a lot of rooms. Even though it's very different, eating different kinds of food, having different family values, it was beautiful to see us coexist together, and it gives me hope that people can be accepting of other races despite how different we are.

Ryan: I lived a pretty normal life, but I was in a predominantly white school, so it was rare to see fellow Asians. Luckily, I wasn't bullied, but racist jokes toward Asians were so normalized then. I accepted that, but nowadays I realize it was messed up that I let it slide.

Tyler: Unfortunately, I grew up in a very non-Asian dominated area, and I was actually a victim of Asian hate. When I was around 8, I actually had to move schools because I was physically bullied. I had a jump rope incident — let's leave it at that. There was a lot of stereotyping. What that really led to was I felt unattractive, undesirable, unwanted and all I wanted to be was to look like what I saw in the mainstream; to look and act and feel like those guys that get so much attention and so much love. Those people didn't look like me. And so for the longest time — and it's something that I still struggle with to this day — I sometimes question, “Am I desirable? Am I attractive?” And that's one of those things that I didn't want for those who come after me. So when Oliver and Sebastian came to us with the idea representing next-generation Asian Americans, we fell in love. I fell in love with the idea. That's what we want to do: be for someone who looks like them so they can say, “Hey, I could do that too.”

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Now that you’ve gained a large following on social media, do you still have the same feelings of undesirability?

Tyler: From my experience, I think it's almost like a childhood trauma thing that I sometimes still second guess myself. But I've learned to look at myself and be proud of who I am and love my culture and everything that my family has worked so hard to build for me and for the fans. You know, our Stars are supporting us, and so it's really helped me support myself as well.

Oliver: Being a part of this group and us being there for each other definitely makes me feel more lifted up, and I don't feel lonely anymore. I feel like I can show my true colors and be exactly who I am and the things I was afraid of showcasing before. I'm not afraid of showcasing that anymore because I feel like I have a backbone and a support system that is there for me, including the Stars.

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Kane: When I went to college, I strayed away from all the Asian groups because I hated myself for being Asian. I hated who I was, and I didn't want to be a part of that culture. But now that I'm in an Asian American group, it made me realize what I was missing out on: how to love myself and my culture. And I'm really glad that I'm able to be in this group and be able to feel that I can be proud of myself now.

What are your parents’ or guardians’ thoughts on the success you've achieved on social media? Initially, what career paths did they envision for you?

Darren: My parents were really upset to the point where I was not talking to them for like six months when we first started North Star Boys, but I understand their point of view. Our parents always want us to take the safe route, and for some of us, it's a good thing. But for others, it's just not something that we would want to do with our lives. For me personally, I would want to break the generic, you know, that you have to be a doctor, engineer, or anything like that. Instead, I want to chase after what I really want to do, and that's to spread love and my culture through social media and music.

Sebastian: Growing up, my parents were very adamant about me learning very well in school. When you're just a kid, you think of the options you have in life when you grow up, whether you're going to be a lawyer, a doctor or entrepreneur. Whatever the case is, some people, I believe, have a different dream and vision. And I want to break the stereotype for Asian Americans that we should be something we don't want to be. I believe people can achieve their dreams and become anything that they want to become. For the record, I want to say that I think it is important to hear your parents out and respect them, of course, but I do not believe that there should be any barriers on what we should be.

Kane: I was actually a mechanical engineering student in Texas A&M. I dropped out of school to join this group, and my parents were not too happy about it. In the beginning, they gave me a time limit on the success that I had to achieve in this group because of how much they cared, but I sat them down and told them that to be in a group of best friends who would make content every single day has been my dream since I was a kid. My mom couldn't turn that down and she knew it was my dream, she also wanted what's best for me. So I got out of college, sold my car and deleted everything from my past life to come here and live my life. I sacrificed as much as I could because I knew this was my dream. This is what I wanted.

Coming from diverse Asian backgrounds, how do you share and celebrate your cultures within the group? How do you also share your cultural heritage with your audience?

Regie: I make them eat Jollibee.

Darren: Since I grew up in a Chinese household, we're really big when it comes to Chinese New Year. So each year, when it's about time for the Lunar New Year, I'll be like, “Yo, you know, this is what I do at home. I would want everyone to do it with me.” So we'll all get together and feast. I like being able to share with them and show the Stars Asian Americans’ views on certain types of holidays that's not common for others.

Kane: Before joining this group, I've never had Korean barbecue, boba and Jollibee. Nowadays, I eat Korean BBQ every single week. I drink boba a lot, and I've never done that before. It makes me feel good that I'm able to embrace Asian culture now.

Tyler: We had a pop-up at a boba shop. And one of the things that we do as a group to celebrate a lot of times is go to Korean BBQ, and it's something that we enjoy sharing with our fans. Also, what we like to do is work with businesses that are also Asian-owned, and we like to share that with our fans and help spread awareness.

What are your thoughts on being compared to K-pop groups? For those who may not know you guys yet or are still getting to know you, how would you like them to understand what distinguishes North Star Boys from K-pop groups?

Sebastian: We love K-pop. We believe K-pop artists are very talented, and we respect them wholeheartedly. In a lot of ways, they inspire us as well. However, we do not do K-pop. We want our fans to love us for who we are. I don't mind opinions on the internet. People are entitled to that, but I want them to get to know us first before comparing us to others.

North Star Boys previously faced criticism of performative activism following a controversial photo in front of a “Stop Asian Hate” wall. Moving forward, how has this incident influenced your approach to using your platform now, especially for meaningful causes?

Tyler: Initially, our intention was to utilize the platform that we've worked so hard to build to garner more awareness for the [Stop Asian Hate] movement, since we ourselves had similar experiences. We learned after we posted in the feedback that we should have approached it a different way, but we meant no harm. So from there, we worked our best to learn and decide how we can best move forward with our vision.

North Star Boys produces a wide range of content. Beyond appealing appearances and your “unfiltered” personalities, what other factors do you believe contribute to success in your field that non-creators might not be aware of?

Oliver: I would say our dedication and our passion — those two things drive us insanely. It's what gets us out of bed to come together and brainstorm new ideas. We have a lot of fun doing our content, but there is a level of brainstorming that goes in between them. We're not just like goofing off when working, and I want to share that because it takes a lot of hard work. I can see that it's easy for people to look at us from a distance and say, “Oh, you know, they are thirst trappers, and they do things for likes,” but if anyone could really just get to know us and have the time to sit down and talk with us, I think their minds would change easily. All we really want to do is inspire and share our craft because we are very passionate about it.

Justin: Our creative process involves getting together and honestly just thinking about how we can make the Stars’ day and how to make them smile. As I was growing up, I was watching a lot of entertainers and content creators, and they just made my day. Being put in that position to do that, I would love to make Stars or anyone who watches our content smile and their days better.

Your latest album “CYDIA,” features seven unique songs. What are each of your favorite tracks from the album and why?

Kane: My favorite song that touches my heart the most is “CYDIA” because it's a song that Oliver, our leader, feels like he's speaking to us, and Tyler, my brother, as well. And it really gets me emotional because a lot of it is the story of our three years that we've been together. It hits me deep because I'm kind of an emotional person.

Oliver: I would say my favorite would be “CYDIA.” Funny enough, it was the hardest to write, and it was the last song for the project. I knew that I wanted a song that was named for the album “CYDIA.” It was a week before we submitted the album for mastering, and I was thinking, “How can we make this song impactful?” So I had to dig deep. And what I'm really emotional about right now is the group. We have our three-year contract ending, and this would be our last album before a renewal of contracts and all that. So I wanted to have this song be more of a final message. If anything ever happens, I want to be able to have this song be a moment that we can come back to and remember how we felt in this time. We've come together, and we have three years together now, but regardless of what it was, it was such a beautiful part of my life, and I wanted to share that with our Stars.

Darren: “CYDIA” would also be one of my favorite songs. Whenever I hear it, it brings flashbacks of each arrow within those three years where not everything was sunshine and rainbows. There was also sadness, and all of us were trying to overcome some hardships. To be here right now, and be able to experience those with my best friends around me is probably why I love the song so much.

Ryan: I will be different from all of them. My favorite song is “Nocturnal” because I'm just attracted to slow tempo songs. The song includes Spanish in it, and it's also very catchy.

Justin: My favorite song would have to be “Bug” because I think I feel like it's our very first love song, and I just love love songs. I put my heart and soul into it with Oliver, so it just means a lot to me.

Regie: Probably “Jet Black.” When we perform it on stage, I like how we all move together.

Sebastian: My favorite song is “Never Did This Before.” It's a very touchy song, and I suggest anyone reading this to give it a listen.

Tyler: My favorite song is also “CYDIA”, and it's just because of the authenticity and how I feel like that song is the most vulnerable we've been. So performing it on stage and sharing that with the fans is truly amazing.

You have gone on your 2024 CYDIA North America Tour, performing in 19 cities across the U.S. As you prepare for the next one, is there anything you want to do differently?

Tyler: This was our third tour, and our goal for every single tour is to upgrade and give fans an even better experience each time. What we were able to do with our previous tour was give our fans a more one-on-one experience with us. We also upgraded our stage presence, stage movement and stage set. We had an LED screen at every single one of our tour stops. Our venues were bigger, better and we had more crew members this time. We had two buses as well. What we can look forward to for our next tours is even more upgrades and even better experiences.

Sebastian: Growing up, I was a big fan of Disney and Universal Studios, and going to their rides, they absolutely do an amazing job with the experience, from all the different smells to when you're walking through lines. And my goal for our future tours is to create an experience like no other.

Oliver: More live instruments!

Kane: I would love to go outside of the country again. We went to the Philippines before and it was super successful. I loved it, and I would love to see not just Filipino and American Stars, but as many Stars around the world as possible.

What is next for North Star Boys this 2024?

Oliver: When we first came together, we committed the next three years, not just to each other, but to our Stars. We are in conversations right now with a new contract to move forward. I would really want to see NSB continue, because I'm very hopeful about it. And going on tour, I see that we have inspired many people, and I never want to let that go.

Sebastian: We're currently working on a new music project, potentially an album, and we want to be in front of as many fans as possible. So touring, doing shows and any time we can get ourselves onstage is going to be our goal.

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