An American-born Cantonese speaker navigated cultural dissonance after moving from Pasadena to Hong Kong at age four, experiencing both belonging and clash. A household steeped in Cantonese pop and '70s disco created a mashup of influences that shaped humor and worldview. Returning to the US for a Bachelor of Science at Boston University broadened social perspective and honed the ability to connect across diverse backgrounds. Stand-up and advertising converge through the need to read people and culture, and embracing hybrid identity became the source of sharper comedic insight and creative work.
I used to run from my Asian identity. As a Westernized Chinese guy growing up between cultures, I thought the Asian part of me was less "cool" - especially through the lens of Western media. But now, I run to it. I've learned that the contradiction of being Cantonese-speaking, Hong Kong-raised, and also very American is where the best comedy lives.
I was born in Los Angeles to Chinese parents. In Pasadena, we were one of two Asian families on the block. When I was 4, my family moved to Hong Kong. All of a sudden, I was in a city where everyone looked like me - but the cultural clash didn't go away. Hong Kong is a remix city. The movies, the music, the food: Everything borrows from somewhere else and spins into something new.
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