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Like many people, Hanmin Yang has long used dating apps in his search for love.

But after years of online dating, he realized that there was a need that mainstream apps weren鈥檛 fulfilling.

So, today, with the help from iBoost Zone, an early stage technology incubator at Ryerson, Yang is preparing to launch a new dating app into the mix.

Called , the app is unique in that it focuses on the celebration of Asian culture, identity and pride.

For Yang, a graduate of Ryerson鈥檚 bachelor's degree in filmmaking and master's degree in media production, the project is a perfect pairing of his passions.

鈥淚 wanted to become my own boss, so I thought of problems that I鈥檇 like to tackle - and creating meaningful connections was the one that really resonated,鈥� he said.

鈥楧oes he speak English?鈥�

The need for Alike became apparent, he says, after years of online dating, and noticing patterns in the kinds of messages he was receiving, and the matches he was - and wasn鈥檛 - making.

鈥淚n real life, I don't have much of a problem connecting with women. But on dating apps, it's a totally different story,鈥� said Yang, who grew up in Canada and whose parents are from South Korea.

First, he says negative stereotypes about Asian men depicted in the media over the years play a role.

鈥淲hen women see images of Asian men on a dating app, they don't know it, but they're looking at these people through the lens that they've built over their years from watching certain movies that depict Asian people and Asian men in a certain light,鈥� he said.

鈥淥ne of the questions they ask themselves is, 鈥楧oes he speak English?鈥欌�� he said.

鈥淭hat's one of the myths about Asian people that's perpetuated in society - that they're constant foreigners,鈥� Yang continued, recognizing that Asian representation in media today has improved, but stereotypes still remain.

Lack of representation

He also says part of the problem is that some Asians have internalized negative stereotypes, which leads to a lack of confidence.

鈥淚 immigrated to Canada when I was eight years old, and I learned to navigate Canadian culture and society by watching television and movies. I watched Back to the Future, Fresh Prince, Saved by the Bell. I didn鈥檛 see any Asian people at all. Never. So, what was mainstream media telling me? That Asians are unwanted. And when you did see Asians, they were represented in a way that was embarrassing and insulting,鈥� he said.

It鈥檚 those factors, along with the fact that mainstream apps don鈥檛 give the opportunity for people like Yang to accurately convey who they are, he said.

鈥淧eople aren鈥檛 perceiving me accurately. I wanted a way for someone like myself to cut through negative stereotypes and be able to reveal my true personality, so that I can find meaningful connections,鈥� he said.

Alike is born

Finally, in October 2019, he decided to take action and put together a plan for what would eventually become Alike.

鈥淣inety-five per cent of Asian men surveyed across North America supported the idea of what I proposed,鈥� he said, adding that research also showed strong support from Asian women, sadly, he says, often 鈥渇etishized鈥� by non-Asian men.

So, with research and support behind him, in November that same year, Yang began to bring his idea to life.

鈥淲e're not telling anyone to date only Asians. We are just saying to Asian people, 鈥榣ove yourself. Our goal is to celebrate the Asian experience, so, even if non-Asians come and join, they do so with respect,鈥� he said, also noting that the app is for those who identify as male, female or non-binary, and welcomes all sexual orientations.

鈥業 knew I was Asian when鈥︹��

A major difference between Alike and other dating apps is that instead of having a written bio, users must upload photos of themselves - and create three videos.

鈥淪ome people are hesitant about recording the videos at first, but then once they do it, they see how valuable it is,鈥� Yang said.

鈥淵ou know, if someone writes, 鈥業 love music鈥� or 鈥業 love food鈥�, what does that tell you about a person?鈥� he said. 鈥淰ideos can show your sense of humour and your personality. It shows more of who you are.鈥�

As someone who also feels most compatible with other 鈥淭hird Culture Asians鈥�, Yang says certain cues revealed in video profiles can help.

鈥淢y sense of identity is inherited from my parents鈥� culture, the culture from the West, and the third culture they create,鈥� he explained. 鈥淲hen I was on dating apps, I connected with a lot of Asian women. But, it was only when I met them in person that I realized, we have nothing in common - she's a new immigrant, she won't understand my experience. We don't share that identity and culture.鈥�

To create a video, users can choose from prompts, such as, 鈥淚 knew I was Asian when鈥︹��, 鈥淭he best noodle soup is鈥︹�� and 鈥淲hat I love about being Asian鈥︹��  There are other more neutral prompts, such as 鈥淭wo truths and a lie...鈥� and 鈥淢y greatest strength鈥︹�� but Yang says the Asian-specific options help create a sense of pride.

鈥楢 safe haven鈥�

While he notes that, like other cultural groups, Asian identity is difficult to define, Ryerson language and culture professor Jamin Pelkey says Alike may serve 鈥渁s a safe haven and site of celebration, to help those who identify as Asian live their lives with more dignity, solidarity, and wholeness.鈥�

鈥淚t can be discouraging to live in a society with a large population of people who assume that you鈥檙e an outsider simply based on superficial appearances,鈥� he said. 鈥淔inding ways to come together to celebrate each other鈥檚 cultural identities can help everyone involved to retrain their assumptions about who is in and who is out, in an attempt to refocus on mutual appreciation. I think this is what Alike is trying to do. They want to say, 鈥楬ey: we're all in this together,鈥欌�� he said.

Pelkey also says a dating app that celebrates culture and identity could serve many people, since healthy relationships require mutual respect, support and understanding - which Alike sets out to foster.

Set to launch by summer

As they enter the final stages of app development, Yang says he鈥檚 grateful to iBoost Zone, which has been operating virtually, and is part of Ryerson鈥檚 Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science and the Ryerson Zone Learning system.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very lonely process as an entrepreneur. It's important to belong to a community of other entrepreneurs for support,鈥� he said.

As for the current status of Alike, while it won鈥檛 be ready for Valentine鈥檚 Day, Yang says it鈥檚 set to launch by summer, with strong potential for matchmaking success.

鈥淭he beta version launched in December, and we had 700 downloads in just a week,鈥� he said. 

Special invite code for Ryerson community:

For those looking for love, Yang is inviting members of the Ryerson community to download the beta version* of Alike using the details below: 

Invite code: RYERSON21

*A beta version means there could be a few bugs or performance issues as the app is finalized

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