Introduction
Emojis are today’s language of emotion in the digital age. Every day, billions of people use emojis, whether joyful faces,
tiny hearts, or symbols, to express feelings that simple text cannot represent. while emojis help connect people around the
globe, there are still complexities in how some people’s emotions are represented in the emoji ecosystem. For years, users
have asked, “Where is my culture in this universal language?
Increased attention to this video has brought about an unprecedented shift in cultural acknowledgment. Designers, linguists,
and the Unicode Consortium which standardizes emojis are now thinking about cultural representations in emoji so that
every culture and community has a place within the digital languages we use. The year 2025 is slated for a new era of
diversity in emoji and inclusive emojis that better represent our global identities.
The Power of Emoji in Global Communication
Emoji are much more than playful icons they have evolved into an accepted universal language of communication. Using
a “heart emoji” to describe love, a “laughing emoji” to express laughter, or a “thank you emoji” to express gratitude are just
a few of the myriad of ways that emoji facilitate connections across cultures and languages that plain text cannot
accomplish.
Beyond the commonality of using emoji to represent emotions, their meaning is highly contextualized to their cultura
l usage. An example of such is the “thank you emoji.” In Western culture, this emoji is contextually understood to signify
“thank you”; however, in South Asia, it is understood more in association to “prayer” or as a sign of “namaste.” The
dynamic of cross-cultural differences of emoji meanings only adds more to their power. For the digital generation, emojis
are tools of identity and emotion. Every emoji we send from our skin tone choice to the food icons we select expresses
who we are. This is why cultural representation in emoji is not only about d1esign. It is about one’s digital identity.
A Brief History of Representation in Emojis
The first emojis, which came from Japan in the late 1990s, were mostly yellow faces and other generic images. They were
cute and simple, but they showed a limited perspective on the world.
The start of change came when global technology companies and Unicode acknowledged a demand for diversity in emoji.
- 2015: Skin tone modifiers were introduced, based on the Fitzpatrick scale, allowing people to select skin tones closer to their own.
- 2016 – 2017: Gender diversity arrived in the emoji space with female police officers and male dancers, including male and female gender-neutral people.
- From 2019 to today: Various cultural and religious icons like haji, turban, mosque, and sari have been incorporated into the Unicode Library and began demonstrating different practices and beliefs.
Each of these examples describes a progression toward cultivating space for icon-based emojis that more accurately
represent our world. This is reflective of a worldwide demand for equal representation an important change from an
“every emoji is for everyone” model to thoughtful, human representation.
New Developments in 2025 Unicode 17.0 & Beyond
The latest unicode emoji changes being developed for 2025 (Unicode 17.0) focus largely on cultural and regional
representation of real people. This year, Unicode received many emoji proposals reflecting the diversity of everyday life in
clothing styles, cultural authenticity, food traditions, and more.
Although these are still only in proposal stage, some of the newest additions in emoji for Unicode 17.0 are the
orca representing marine life awareness and Indigenous significance for Pacific Peoples, and the flute which signifies a
string global tradition of music such as Indian bansuri or Native American Flute.
- New cultural dishes such as dumplings, kebabs, and tacos celebrating global culinary heritage.
- Religious and festival symbols inspired by holidays like Diwali lamps and Eid decorations (under review).
These updates demonstrate how Unicode and its partners are listening more closely to communities worldwide. Though we
have made strides, we are still on a journey toward cultural representation in emoji it changes with every
The Remaining Gaps
Despite advancements, there still exist groups who have been left out of the emoji dialogue. There were previous
conversations around representation of indigenous cultures, regional festivals, or local customs that we do not yet find
represented.
Examples include:
- Indigenous iconography and traditional dance forms that are not yet represented through emojis.
- Approximately 1.6 billion people around the world celebrate festivals such as Eid, Diwali, Holi, and Nowruz. These festivities are not currently represented through emoji icons.
- Traditional dress and clothing representing cultural attire from Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asian nations is represented in very few or no contemporary emojis.
- The representation of faith and belief systems remains marginal, with a majority of significant faith systems represented, but almost all other belief systems exported.
Numerous critics have stated that Western countries still produce a majority of emoji designs and therefore maintain the
default choices of color, gestures, and ideas. True diversity in emojis means embracing every culture, not just those that are
largely represented in the world’s media.
Why Representation in Emojis Matters
Representation encompasses visuals, but it is also emotional! Simply having a representation of your culture within the
global language of emojis creates feelings of pride, inclusion, and belonging. When users have the option of choosing
inclusive emojis that celebrate their identity, they feel valued and respected in a digital space.
In a recent survey, over 90% of users on the internet reported that they use emojis regularly, making them one of the most
universal forms of communication on the planet. Therefore, cultural representation in emoji is so important to make people
feel seen and heard.
Emojis that include all people also encourage the sentiment of empathy and global connectedness. When a person from a
particular culture can understand or use an emoji from another culture, there will often be respect and curiosity rather than
division. Emojis have moved beyond playful icons and are now bridges between two disconnected worlds.
Designing Inclusive Emojis The Process
Creating new emojis is a complex process that involves collaboration. A person can propose emoji for approval with the
Unicode Consortium, but approval goes through several stages of: proposal, testing, and standardization.
Designers have unique challenges when developing inclusive emojis:
- Cultural sensitivity: Designs that accurately represent traditions without being stereotypical.
- Simplicity: to make sure that visualization is clear and recognizable even at small size.
- Cross-platform consistency: Emojis should be designed to be consistent across devices such as Apple, Google, and Samsung.
The emoji team at Unicode often works directly with experts in culture and language, and others in the community, to help
examine and finalize an icon. This way the representation of culture in emoji is approached with care and authenticity, as
opposed to simply being decorative.
The Role of Technology Companies
Unicode develops a framework, but it is the technology companies such as Apple, Google, and Samsung that ultimately
design and in a way, haunt emojis. Each technology company interprets the Unicode specifications, which ultimately results
in a brand style.
Apple has introduced more gender-neutral emojis, Google has made a customizable emoji sticker represented in the real
world so there is varying representation, and Samsung has included features that represent the region in keyboard emoji by
including culturally significant markers for Asian and Middle Eastern users.
These groups are an example of diversifying emoji, to ensure users could identify and reflect their suitable imagery
throughout their representation. The more the emojis relate to local culture, the closer we will be to creating an emoji
ecosystem that is truly inclusive.
The Future of Cultural Representation in Emojis
The future for emojis is bright and inclusive as we look forward to exciting emoji life in 2025 with Unicode emoji updates.
Anticipate several trends emerging, including:
- 3D animated emojis reflecting cultural gestures and body language.
- Country-specific emoji packs that distinguish national symbols, traditional foods, and festivity.
- Personal emoji avatars allowing users to dress their emoji in regional dress, attire, or celebratory wear.
- AI generated emojis that can adjust to language, culture, and even mood—on the fly.
It is possible to see a future generation of emoji that will transform digital communication once again by expanding global
emoji trends into living expressions of cultural diversity.
Public Voice How Users Can Suggest Emojis
Did you know that anyone can contribute to shape the next generation of emojis? The Unicode Consortium collaborates with
the public through emoji proposals during the calendar year. Anyone can submit suggestions using evidence-based design
proposals that include cultural story, design concepts, and relevance.
If your community, festival or tradition is not represented yet, this is a prompt for you to consider submitting. It matters, and
public participation is essential to continued global emoji trends and cultural representation in emoji.
Each new idea contributesEmojis started out as small yellow icons of happiness but they are so much more. They influence
our identities, link cultures, and convey how humans are engaging with each other online. As we continue to embrace this
digital age, representation in emoji extends beyond simply fitting another symbol into the lexicon; it is about belongingness.
Diversity in emoji representation provides space for everyone, regardless of culture, language or faith, to feel represented in
the shared digital world. The path to inclusive emojis serves as a reminder that each emoji includes a story of empathy,
respect, and reconnection.
Emojis started as a funny thing to do; today, they are a representation of human beings. As we move forward, some things
will remain constant every emoji has a heart, and emoji connection equals importance. to the most universal form of
communication in the world; one emoji at a time.
Conclusion
Emojis started out as small yellow icons of happiness but they are so much more. They influence our identities, link
cultures, and convey how humans are engaging with each other online. As we continue to embrace this digital age,
representation in emoji extends beyond simply fitting another symbol into the lexicon; it is about belongingness.
Diversity in emoji representation provides space for everyone, regardless of culture, language or faith, to feel represented in
the shared digital world. The path to inclusive emojis serves as a reminder that each emoji includes a story of empathy,
respect, and reconnection.
Emojis started as a funny thing to do; today, they are a representation of human beings. As we move forward, some things
will remain constant every emoji has a heart, and emoji connection equals importance.