![]() “I'm definitely conscious of the biases out there and always try to make Asians look good, especially now I'm getting a little more seasoned in my career. And try to say that, ‘Hey, maybe this is everyone, maybe it's not everyone, but this is what happened to me.’ From a personal side, it's relatable,” he said, citing George Lopez and Dave Chappelle as influences in storytelling. “I always try to look at my own experience and tell it through my story in a humorous way. The actor said he’s not trying to replicate any generic material like many comics do in the early stages of their careers, but add to the conversation with a humorous retelling of his specific perspective, whether it be about seafood tanks at Asian supermarkets, or tai chi. It’s a mistake that landed former presidential candidate Andrew Yang in hot water among some Asian Americans, after quipping on the debate stage that he knows many doctors because he is Asian.īut the comedian, whose special is seasoned with jokes about his heritage, said he seeks to avoid such missteps by getting personal in his stories, organically widening the notions of what it means to be Asian. If not deployed correctly, comedians risk reducing an entire community, who’s already dealing with a heightened amount of misconceptions, to a contextless, simple depiction. He said he’s aiming to shore up some levity and unity at this time, which can be a delicate, fragile task when racial humor is involved. “I think I just try to do my job as best I can to entertain, to make people laugh, and hopefully so that they see me, who happens to be Asian, in a positive light,” Yang, who’s Chinese American, said. Humor, he feels, can potentially humanize Asian Americans. But Yang - whose Amazon comedy special “Good Deal” premiered earlier this month and whose Netflix series “Space Force” is slated for a release this week- says that for him, this is where a dose of laughter comes in. Many Asian Americans are struggling with the toll of the virus, and as they grapple with social or linguistic isolation or increased hate incidents around the country. Yang acknowledges that it hasn’t been so frictionless for many others in quarantine. Yang, best known for playing Jian-Yang in HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” still manages to sound sunny and in good spirits in spite of the lockdown. ![]() “I’m making the best out of it,” the seemingly perpetually optimistic actor said, speaking to NBC Asian America over the phone. It's reflective of how Yang is finding levity amid the pandemic’s emotional blows. ![]()
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