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With ‘exotic’ looks, Uygurs find opportunities in the entertainment business

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With ‘exotic’ looks, Uygurs find opportunities in the entertainment business
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With ‘exotic’ looks, Uygurs find opportunities in the entertainment business

2017-10-11 13:39 Last Updated At:23:35

Uygur faces are finding their way to movie screens, phones, and billboards across China. Members of the ethnic minority group have facial features that Chinese brands have deemed “attractive,” creating opportunities for talented Uygurs to break into the entertainment business as singers, models and TV stars.

One of the most famous Uyghur stars may be Dilraba Dilmurat, an actress who starred in the popular series “Swords of Legends”, and who played the lead role in the drama “The King’s Woman.” Fellow Uyghur actress Gulnezer Bextiyar was recently named a Fendi brand ambassador – the first Chinese ambassador for the luxury brand.

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Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Uyghur model Parwena Dulkun has found success with brands in China

Uyghur model Parwena Dulkun has found success with brands in China

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

According to survey data from McKinsey, the "Generation 2" group of Chinese consumers are the most Westernized to date / source: McKinsey

According to survey data from McKinsey, the "Generation 2" group of Chinese consumers are the most Westernized to date / source: McKinsey

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Like other Uygurs, both Dilraba and Gulnezer hail from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Located at the northwest edge of China, the region is home to the largest population of Uygurs. The ethnic group has Turkic roots and speak a language that’s more similar to Turkish than Mandarin. Their script is derived from Arabic and their physical appearances resemble central Asians more than the Han ethnic majority that make up China.

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Demand for men and women who share the same Eurasian characteristics as Gulnezer have been on the rise lately according to Dengyang Liu, founder of Fun Models, an online platform that connects models, actors and photographers to Chinese clients. Though he cautions that Han Chinese still far outnumber the number of Uygur models, many of his Chinese clients are “looking for a face that have some Asian characteristics, but also have some kind of white Europeanness to it.” 

Uyghur model Parwena Dulkun has found success with brands in China

Uyghur model Parwena Dulkun has found success with brands in China

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

What’s driving this demand? For Dengyang, it’s nothing new. He likens it to patterns he’s seen in other Asian countries, especially as cities become increasingly cosmopolitan. “Hong Kong, Taiwan, S. Korea, even Thailand…basically, faces with mixed Eurasian features were used as a symbol[s] of a changing fusion trend in aesthetic standards,” says Dengyang. 

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

The power of the purse

In many ways, the shift in beauty standards correlates to a rise in purchasing power. Increased disposable income is a calling card for international brands looking to take advantage of the new market. The brands bring their own standards for beauty, revealing the Western bias in defining beauty, even in local cultures.

China’s first-tier cities have grown at breakneck speed in the past few decades, creating a new generation of Chinese with disposable income and increasing exposure to international standards of beauty. Consulting firm McKinsey has dubbed this new middle class “Generation 2." Born during China’s period of economic reform and opening up to the world, this generation accounted for nearly 15 percent of urban consumption in 2012. This number is expected to rise to 35 percent in 2022. 

According to survey data from McKinsey, the "Generation 2" group of Chinese consumers are the most Westernized to date / source: McKinsey

According to survey data from McKinsey, the "Generation 2" group of Chinese consumers are the most Westernized to date / source: McKinsey

A 2012 McKinsey survey of this group found that “this generation of Chinese consumers is the most Westernized to date.” In terms of consumption habits, Generation 2 respondents were more likely to be loyal to brands, view expensive items as “better”, and get satisfaction out items that signify better taste or higher status.

As this generation’s spending habits mirror those found in the West, foreign faces have also become more common in Chinese media. Chinese audiences are accustomed to seeing “more international-themed faces or stories… even the 'zhibo' video stuff that’s been popular in China in the past two years,” says Dengyang.

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

We don’t have to look far to see other examples of the same experience. In the past four decades, S. Korea has seen explosive growth, joining the trillion-dollar club of world economies in 2004.

The 1990s spawned K-pop, one of the most influential factors in shaping the country’s beauty standards. As Patricia Marx from the New Yorker puts it, the K-pop phenomenon “shapes not only what music you should listen to, but what you should look like while listening to it.”

Many of the K-pop stars share similar characteristics: fair skin, double eyelids and a small face. Koreans go to great lengths to replicate these looks, as the country has one of the highest rates of plastic surgery in the world. Though some argue that these procedures produce beauty results that are universally appealing, these are also the same beauty standards that dominant Western culture.

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Dilraba Dilmurat

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Gulnezer Bextiyar

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

Parwena Dulkun

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Golden State Warriors are known for their electrifying plays and superstar Stephen Curry, but now the team is pioneering a fresh gameplan: blending sports and entertainment in a way no NBA franchise has before.

As the first and only NBA team with its own record label, Golden State Entertainment, the Warriors are expanding their reach with “For the Soil,” a new album released this week. The project featuring the Bay Area’s top music artists — from E-40, Too Short, Saweetie, G-Eazy, Goapele, LaRussell and Larry June — arrives just in time for the league's All-Star Game weekend in San Francisco.

“A basketball team with a record label is unheard of until now, which is a testament to the Warriors and the Bay,” said P-Lo, a Filipino-American rapper who produced “For the Soil,” a collaborative release between Golden State Entertainment and EMPIRE, a distribution and publishing company. He will perform live during an NBA All-Star tipoff party on Thursday at Thrive City, a 11-acre community gathering space surrounding the Chase Center.

“This is about innovation, bringing a new idea to the table,” said P-Lo, a lifelong Warriors fan who has worked with artists such as Yo Gotti, Saweetie and Kehlani. He's no stranger to the franchise, riding his convertible car as part of the Warriors championship parade, celebrating the team's title in 2022.

“We're here to break barriers while I'm trying to process it all," he added. "I'm grateful for this opportunity.”

Warriors guard Gary Payton II said he plans on listening to the album.

“For me, to be the first team to have a music company, or production company, it’s kinda cool,” Payton said. “P-Lo is running it, and getting it done. I know there’s a lot of talented Bay Area artists behind it, so it’s something to look forward to and be excited about.”

P-Lo played a key role in bringing together the Bay Area’s top artists, contributing to all nine tracks on the album. He began the process late last summer, collaborating with local talent to craft a well-rounded project.

“P-Lo can produce, rap and bring all these artists who are like family to him,” said David Kelly, an executive with the Warriors. He spearheaded the launch of Golden State Entertainment in 2022 before the team won the championship that year.

Several NBA teams have partnered with artists over the years: Drake as the Toronto Raptors’ global ambassador, Jay-Z as a former minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets, and the Miami Heat collaborating with DJ Khaled, who performed at games. The Atlanta Hawks have also embraced their city’s rap scene, working with T.I., 2 Chainz, and Quavo.

But an NBA team with its own record label and entertainment division? That’s where Kelly saw an opportunity for the Warriors to break new ground. He said creating a label, intersecting hip-hop and basketball made sense.

“It’s just kind of authentic and natural to the culture,” said Kelly, who joined the organization in 2011 and currently is the chief business officer of Golden State Entertainment. “It seems like a lot of times people try to force them apart or mesh them together that don’t make sense. But if you grew up a part of both, they naturally intertwine.”

Kelly first pitched the idea of the Warriors having a record label to then-president Rick Welts before bringing it to the team’s owner, Joe Lacob, and co-executive chairman Peter Guber. He said the Warriors' leadership embraced his vision, and he hopes more pro teams will follow suit.

“It’s seeing the culture being presented in a way that’s true and reflective on a grand international scale,” said Kelly, a former Chicago-based rapper, whose stage name was Capital D. “Hopefully this is the first of many for Golden State and the culture.”

AP Sports Writer Schuyler Dixon contributed to this report in Dallas.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) gestures toward teammates during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic in San Francisco, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) gestures toward teammates during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic in San Francisco, Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

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