People Assumed I Was a Rice Queen | Jasper Jun-Hao Sandiego-Nie 聶君浩 | 124

People Assumed I Was a Rice Queen
The Reality of Being Mixed Asian and Gay | Jasper Jun-Hao Sandiego-Nie 聶君浩

What happens when people decide who you are before you even get a chance to tell your own story?

For Pride Month, I sat down with Jasper Jun-Hao Sandiego-Nie, a Chinese and Puerto Rican creator, musician, mental health advocate, and Director of the NYC Social Club for Mixed Asian Media to talk about identity, belonging, and navigating life as a mixed Asian gay man.

Growing up between Asia and North America, Jasper's experience challenges many assumptions people have about mixed Asian identity. While many expect a story about not feeling "Asian enough," Jasper shares how he always felt fully connected to both sides of his heritage even when other people struggled to understand it.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Growing up Chinese and Puerto Rican across different cultures
• Why Jasper identifies as 100% Chinese and 100% Puerto Rican
• The viral Cantonese video that sparked conversations across the Asian diaspora
• Being labeled a "rice queen" despite being Chinese himself
• Identity, dating, and assumptions within queer Asian spaces
• Feeling more accepted in some places than others
• The rise of mixed Asian representation and "Wasian" culture
• Creating community through Mixed Asian Media

More than a conversation about race or sexuality, this episode is about refusing to let other people define who you are.

Whether you're mixed, queer, Asian, or simply someone who's ever felt misunderstood, Jasper's story is a reminder that identity is more than what people see on the surface.

If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend and leave a rating wherever you listen.

Bio:

Jasper Jun-Hao Sandiego-Nie 聶君浩

(Chinese & Puerto Rican) 

Raised in NYC, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, Jasper works in cybersecurity consulting while transitioning into pre-med and, eventually, psychiatry. He creates content about his experience as a mixed Shanghainese-Hong Konger and U.S. Latino (Hispanounidense) from an English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish-speaking household. He also currently serves as Director of the NYC Social Club at Mixed Asian Media, while being based in both North America and Asia-Pacific.

@jaspersandiegonie

@mixedasianmedia 

Jasper’s next curated event, “In The Mix,” is a collaboration between his home organization, Mixed Asian Media, as well as Likha Labs, Naarak NYC, and Blasian March to celebrate LGBTQ+ mixed AANHPI identities, potentially one of the first events of its kind in recorded U.S. history.

June 13th, 2026 @ Sour Mouse

Follow Jasper 

@jaspersandiegonie Instagram

@mixedasianmedia Instagram