AAPI Heritage Celebration: 10 Empowering Communities through Humor and Stand-Up Comedies
The relationship between AAPI, Humor, and Power
May is the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Fun Fact: it was started on June 7, 1999 by White House Initiative to recognize AAPI for their contributions in terms of history, culture, and achievements of the U.S. We can celebrate it together with 10 Netflix Stand-Up Comedies for this whole month!
Humor can touch upon things that we are scared to discuss on the table. It can bridge those issues that matter into the public to talk about by pointing out the sarcasm, criticizing the stereotypes, reducing the trauma, relating to ourselves, and eventually stopping AAPI hate. Humor is a way to relieve the pain by laughing at it.
- Ali Wong, Baby Cobra
Vietnamese and Chinese American Ali Wong was pregnant with her first baby, talking about marriage and motherhood. It is about her sexual adventures, tidying up with her mother’s hoarding, trapping the husband and getting married through vows and racism together, and thinking why feminism is bad for her.
2. Ali Wong, Hard Knock Wife
Two years later, Ali got pregnant a second time. She would make you laugh through gender, racism, sex education, motherhood, her “Baby Diploma”, life lessons, pregnancy, a mother, a baby, “carne asada and taco”. You will expect her third pregnancy or third special!
3. Jo Koy, Live from Seattle
As a half-White, half Filipino, Jo Koy would talk about the comparison between how he raised his teenage son and how his mother raised him. Although his dream was predetermined to be a nurse just like his mom and the rest of his Filipino family, he followed his comedian dream. His jokes are relatable about the stereotypes of his origins, borderline racism on the love of food like “Rice is Rice,” and family medicine with Vicks Vapor Rub (all in one cure).
4. Jo Koy, Comin’ in Hot
Hawaiians would walk around in new dresses but with slippers and their love about the vowel “a” for the street names! Jo Koy found not only similarities between Asians and Mexicans but also differences between Asians among Asians — through accents from Korean, Vietnamese, to Japanese. His lost mama-made-Tupperware made his mom questioned him for two hours straight.
5. Jo Koy, In His Elements
This time, you are following him to the Philippines! You will experience comedy, culture, art, food, music, family, and roots. He got his stage name “Jo Koy” from his aunt which is totally different from his real name as he used it for all his brands. But it turned out that he misheard his name and he just knew it after 30 years.
6. Ken Jeong, You complete me, Ho
The show’s title comes from the Korean-American actor Ken Jeong’s Vietnamese wife and her last name ‘Ho’ is a paid tribute. He found too many Ho’s in the audience. He started with being a doctor and now he is a successful comedian actor. For that, his family were disappointed in him before his first movie “The Hangover” and now they are proud after the release.
7. Hasan Minhaj, Patriot Act
As the first Indian American host of a weekly comedy show, Hasan Minhaj would educate about many countries with you in depth. He explored global news, politics, and culture with all his heart and soul. Without offending others, he discussed from anti-black sentiments, Indian elections, American billionaires’ charity, Amazon.com, and to Covid in America.
8. Hasan Minhaj, Homecoming King
Hasan talked about his life in America when encountering racism, immigration, family, equality, culture, social justice, and the American dream. When his dad told him “good job,” you would feel how sincere his love towards America. His representation and comedy is for immigrants to be loved and respected for all their contributions towards America.
9. Ronny Chieng, Asian Comedian Destroys America!
Malaysian-born comedian and actor Ronny Chieng (“The Daily Show,” and “Crazy Rich Asians”) talked about how he struggled with his new life in modern America. Having problems with tones, he tried to survive among stereotypes and racism. How he ripped off Amazon Prime for sending things to him before he wanted them is a wow!
10. Russell Peters, Almost Famous
Anglo-Indian, Canadian Russell recalled his trips around the world, encountering many cultural quirks. From Indian Tech Support on computer problems, Indian doctors not to be visited, Russians on sounding backwards talk, to his father’s low expectations on him just to work at the airport, he cracked ethnic jokes with impromptu audience interaction.
Power is given to these comedians by us, the audience, to talk about issues in public in the way that they own the power as well as the humor. In return, that power can be handed down from the comedian to the audience through laugher. There is an endless circle going on with power among those three parties: comedians, humor, and audience. Their words are what we think of but don’t speak out loud. So, we have comedians to say it out loud on behalf of us. It is the release of our inner turmoil and frustrations through humor. Humor can make you powerful as you are empathizing and recognizing the reality. You have the power to laugh, support, and celebrate AAPI. So why not right here, right now?
Asian American and Pacific Islander Americans strive to contribute to America culturally, economically, and politically.
*Images are from Google
