8Asians | An Asian American collaborative blog

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to produce a one hour special for the super talented Dwayne Perkins called Take Notes. (If you want to check it out, it’s on Netflix). It was a fun and great project to work on. That’s why when director/producer Quentin Lee and I were trying to figure out our next project, doing a stand up series featuring Asian Americans made sense. Comedy InvAsian is what came out of those conversations.

Comedy InvAsian, a six-part live stand-up series featuring some of the country’s top Asian American comedians as well as talented newcomers, each performing one-hour specials. Our first season includes Paul Kim, Atsuko Okatsuka, Kevin Yee, Joey Guila, Robin Tran and Amy Hill.

I decided to ask them all 8 questions. Finally, the last comedian is Atsuko Okatsuka. Here is a a short bio and a video of her work:

Atsuko Okatsuka is a standup comedian, actress, and filmmaker. She is the co-founder of Dis/orient/ed Comedy, the first ever all Asian, mostly female standup comedy tour. She has performed on Comedy Central Presents: Stand Up, Asia! and opened for Margaret Cho at The famous Wiltern in Los Angeles.

1. On a scale from 1 to 5, how would you rate your childhood and why? (With 1 being the perfect All-American childhood and 5 being completely and utterly traumatized.)

I’d rate my childhood at a 4 because while it wasn’t completely traumatizing, I did move to the States without my knowledge that we were staying here.  My grandma told me we were coming to the States for a 2 month vacation and then we overstayed our Visa.  So there was that.  And also, my mom’s schizophrenia made life a wee bit difficult to navigate at a  young age.  But hey, I’m now an American citizen.  Just in time for what’s his name to be President.  What a blessing.

I used to jump on opportunities to break awkward silences or tensions in rooms, particularly during tense family gatherings.  If I was able to make even one person at the table break out into a smile or laughter, I felt that I was doing my job as a sort of mediator.  So at a young age, I knew there was joy in wanting to be some sort of funny person/performer.

3. How did your parents react?

My grandma who raised me is supportive for the most part.  For her though, the ideal situation is that I continue having gigs like my community college or high school teaching jobs while I continue doing comedy and performing “on the side.”  My mom too.  But, as I continue to perform at bigger venues and receive bigger opportunities (i.e. Comedy Central taping, being written up in LA Weekly, etc.), they approve more and more of me doing comedy.  Family reactions are very predictable… yet we’re trained to be scared & surprised when they feel disappointed.  Haha.

4. If you weren’t a comedian/actor, what would you have been?

Wow I really don’t know.  A motivational speaker?  But a funny one.

5. How funny are you in real life?

I’m silly.  This feels like a trick question but if you’re asking if I make people laugh in real life, yes.  I live for it.

6. This isn’t a question, but a statement. Make me laugh.

When I told my mom I was doing an hour of stand up, she was like “AN HOUR?? Are you going to talk about me?”

And I was like “Yeah mom.  And… a  lot of other stuff.”

Then she was like “Oh good, good.  So you’re not going to talk about me for a whole HOUR.”

And I was like “Oh, no, mom.  That’s– only in therapy.”

7. Tell us about your worst troll or heckler and how you responded.

I only had someone start responding to my rhetorical questions and thoughts while I was on stage out loud during the show.  To which I stopped while I was saying and told him, “I’m so sorry sir, but you’re not on the line up tonight.”

8. What advice would you give to young Asian American comedians/actors?

This is our time!  Get out there.  And if you’re pursuing comedy, I’d love to sit down and talk you through it or help you in any way I can.

Atsuko will be performing on Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 7:30 pm at the Japanese American National Museum. Click here to buy tickets.

Follow me on Twitter @ksakai1

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to produce a one hour special for the super talented Dwayne Perkins called Take Notes. (If you want to check it out, it’s on Netflix). It was a fun and great project to work on. That’s why when director/producer Quentin Lee and I were trying to figure out our next project, doing a stand up series featuring Asian Americans made sense. Comedy InvAsian is what came out of those conversations.

Comedy InvAsian, a six-part live stand-up series featuring some of the country’s top Asian American comedians as well as talented newcomers, each performing one-hour specials. Our first season includes Paul Kim, Atsuko Okatsuka, Kevin Yee, Joey Guila, Robin Tran and Amy Hill.

I decided to ask them all 8 questions. Next up is, Joey Guila.

1. On a scale from 1 to 5, how would you rate your childhood and why? (With 1 being the perfect All-American childhood and 5 being completely and utterly traumatized.)

I would rate my childhood a 2, almost perfect except my Pop was a Playa! Growing up in the 70’s was amazing, I miss eating Chicken Adobo and watching Soul Train.

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to produce a one hour special for the super talented Dwayne Perkins called Take Notes. (If you want to check it out, it’s on Netflix). It was a fun and great project to work on. That’s why when director/producer Quentin Lee and I were trying to figure out our next project, doing a stand up series featuring Asian Americans made sense. Comedy InvAsian is what came out of those conversations.

Comedy InvAsian, a six-part live stand-up series featuring some of the country’s top Asian American comedians as well as talented newcomers, each performing one-hour specials. Our first season includes Paul Kim, Atsuko Okatsuka, Kevin Yee, Joey Guila, Robin Tran and Amy Hill.

I decided to ask them all 8 questions. Next up is, Amy Hill.

1. On a scale from 1 to 5, how would you rate your childhood and why? (With 1 being the perfect All-American childhood and 5 being completely and utterly traumatized.)

In the midst of my childhood, I thought it was HORRIBLE.  My mom was an immigrant Japanese war bride with thick accent who insisted on putting Japanese food in my lunch.  I went to an all-white elementary school with a white collar population.  My dad was blue collar Finnish American with a mid-western Finn attitude and accent who struggled to keep a job.  We were super poor and I was shunned by most kids and disliked by some teachers due to the my mixed heritage.  As I grew older and learned how the others lived, my parents and my family was closer to being All-American than any of the others. Thus, I give my childhood a “1”.

2. Tell us about the moment you knew you wanted to be a comedian/actor.

After moving to San Francisco to study theater, it was the heyday of improv and sketch comedy and I fell in love with it.

3. How did your parents react?

My parents were always supportive.  I think they were concerned that we might not succeed in life, being biracial, so whatever we did was great.

4. If you weren’t a comedian/actor, what would you have been?

A drama queen?

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to produce a one hour special for the super talented Dwayne Perkins called Take Notes. (If you want to check it out, it’s on Netflix). It was a fun and great project to work on. That’s why when director/producer Quentin Lee and I were trying to figure out our next project, doing a stand up series featuring Asian Americans made sense. Comedy InvAsian is what came out of those conversations.

Comedy InvAsian, a six-part live stand-up series featuring some of the country’s top Asian American comedians as well as talented newcomers, each performing one-hour specials. Our first season includes Paul Kim, Atsuko Okatsuka, Kevin Yee, Joey Guila, Robin Tran and Amy Hill.

I decided to ask them all 8 questions. Next up is Robin Tran.

Here is a quick bio and video:

Robin Tran came out as a transgender woman in 2015 and has been writing about her experiences ever since. Based out of Orange County, Robin has performed all over Southern California, and she has won first place in three separate comedy competitions.  In 2016, she released a self-funded half-hour comedy special on YouTube entitled “Santa Doesn’t Like Every Kid.”

1. On a scale from 1 to 5, how would you rate your childhood and why? (With 1 being the perfect All-American childhood and 5 being completely and utterly traumatized.)

A 4. My dad was (is?) an alcoholic. My mom suffered from undiagnosed depression (until the past few years). My sister constantly berated and abused me. My earliest memories are eight people living in a tiny two-bedroom apartment (my parents, sister, me, aunt, uncle, and two cousins) and I had to share a crib with my cousin. We lived in poverty. My dad constantly threatened to leave the family. Etc. You get the idea.

2. Tell us about the moment you knew you wanted to be a comedian.

I was watching Chris Rock’s “Bigger & Blacker” and it was the most inspiring thing I’d ever seen. The special that made me feel like I can actually *do* stand-up comedy though was Louis CK’s “Shameless” from 2006.

3. How did your parents react?

They told me that it was a good hobby but eventually I’d have to quit and find a new job. They held this mindset until that NBC News article came out about Comedy InvAsian. Now they don’t want me to work anymore and think that I’m going to be famous. (Actually, they already think I’m famous, but I don’t have the heart to break it to them that I’m so not.)

4. If you weren’t a comedian, what would you have been?

Either a men’s rights activist or dead lol.

5. How funny are you in real life?

I’m very funny in small groups of 2-4 people. Very shy in groups of 5 or more people.

6. This isn’t a question, but a statement. Make me laugh.

I used to wear a fedora in college because I really wanted to excel as a straight white guy but I ended up being none of those three things.

7. Tell us about your worst troll or heckler and how you responded.

Some guy was just muttering angrily under his breath during my set and said “BRUCE” a couple of times (referring to Caitlyn Jenner) and I said “how does it feel that half of the country wants me dead and I still have more friends than you do?”

8. What advice would you give to young Asian American comedians?

Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do it. Representation is increasing. Watch shows like Fresh off the Boat to be inspired. Also, you’re unique, so always remember that. A lot of people will give you advice as to the *one way* there is to make it. “Get up this many times a week.” “Don’t do this or that or you’ll burn bridges.” All I can say is, figure out how to “make it” your own way, because everybody has a different road, and everybody has different goals/destinations. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to impress your comedian friends. Branch out outside of your local community. Use the Internet and social media to increase your following. And lastly, take a break when you need to.

Robin will be performing on Saturday, February  25, 2017 at 7:30 pm at the Japanese American National Museum. Click here to buy tickets.

Follow me on Twitter @ksakai1