AsianAve
| Company type | Social networking service |
|---|---|
| Industry | Internet |
| Founded | July 21, 1997 |
| Founder | Benjamin Sun, Peter Chen, Grace Chang, Michael Montero, Calvin Wong |
| Fate | Website shut down; URL redirects to BlackPlanet |
| Successor | BlackPlanet |
Area served | Asian American community |
AsianAve, also known as Asian Avenue, was a social networking service specifically designed for the Asian Americans community. The website has since ceased operations, with its web address now redirecting users to its affiliated platform, BlackPlanet.
History
Asian Avenue was introduced on July 21, 1997, by founders Benjamin Sun, Peter Chen, Grace Chang, Michael Montero, and Calvin Wong. The site rapidly grew in popularity; by 1998, The New York Times recognized it as "unusually successful," noting that it garnered five million page views from 50,000 users despite being managed from a modest apartment setting.
The user base demonstrated active political involvement, notably organizing protests against an MSNBC headline during the 1998 Winter Olympics and challenging a contentious 1999 SKYY vodka advertisement accused of racial stereotyping. After approximately 300 complaints were submitted to SKYY by members, the company decided to pull the advertisement.
By August 2000, Asian Avenue was attracting more than 70,000 unique visitors. At its height, the platform boasted over two million registered users with upwards of 5,000 members online concurrently. Industry analyst Robert X. Cringely observed in 2000 that Asian Avenue surpassed BlackPlanet, another Community Connect property, in membership numbers.
Primarily recognized as an Internet dating site, Asian Avenue also functioned as a promotional outlet for media such as Fine Line Features’ documentary The Year of the Yao. In 2003, it played a role in recruiting participants for Darrell Hamamoto’s adult film Skin to Skin, notable for featuring Asian-American actors.
A transition to premium-only access for select features led to a decline in user engagement; nevertheless, social networking functionalities were reintroduced on October 31, 2005. By April 2007, the platform had registered approximately 1.4 million users, although active participation had diminished.
Asian Avenue collaborated with event organizers like Synergy, film festivals including the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival and the Asian American International Film Festival, as well as media entities such as AngryAsianMan.com and AZN TV. The site also supported emerging music acts like Notorious MSG, Far*East Movement, and Magnetic North. In 2010, it entered into a co-branded alliance with Monster.com, incorporating job listings tailored to member profiles.
In October 2007, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama established profiles on AsianAve along with sister platforms BlackPlanet, MiGente.com, and Glee.com as part of his online campaign efforts.
Unlike social networks such as Facebook, Asian Avenue provided users with the ability to see who had viewed their profiles, which helped increase user interaction.
Ultimately, Asian Avenue was discontinued; its URL now redirects visitors to BlackPlanet.