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Accidental Asians Inspire Confusion, Curiosity
By Kelli Luu | 16 Jun, 2025

Lykke Li, Andy Kim, and Sean Lee may have Asian last names, but zero Asian heritage.

These famous faces aren’t Asian, but their last names had us fooled. Here’s 3 “accidental Asians” you may have heard of.

Number 1: Lykke Li

She’s 100% Swedish, but some assume she is Chinese. Li has become known for her dreamy pop songs that mix indie and electropop. 

Since her first EP was released in 2007, Li has been selling out tours and festival sets. In 2009 she performed at both Coachella and Lollapalooza. 

Li has collaborated with multiple American music artists, such as ASAP Rocky. She’s earned spots on Billboard lists and wrote songs for popular TV shows including Teen Wolf, The Vampire Diaries, and Pretty Little Liars. 

Number 2: Andy Kim

A Canadian ‘70s heartthrob, known for his hits like “Sugar Sugar” in 1968, which was the number one song in the US for four weeks and “Rock Me Gently” in 1974 which sold three million copies worldwide. 

With a name like Andy Kim, you might think of K-Pop, not rock, but he is actually Lebanese. He wanted to change his last name, Youakim, to sound more American and accidentally ended up sounding Korean. 

Today he is part of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame after being inducted in 2019 and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2023.

Number 3: Sean Lee

With his last name, you might guess Korean or Chinese, but this former NFL linebacker is not Asian at all. 

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Lee played college football at Penn State before signing a $3.4 million contract after being selected in the second round of the draft by the Dallas Cowboys. 

In 2013, the Cowboys re-signed Lee to a six-year $42 million dollar contract, then again in 2020 to a one year deal for $4.5 million. In April 2021, Lee retired after putting on an impressive decade-long career.