Comic takes on Asian identity

“Do you use chopsticks in the shower?” Comedy Central comedian Eliot Chang joked about stereotypes.

Hosted by the Asian Pacific Student Coalition and Sangam, Chang spoke to a laughing crowd of over 100 people in the ARCH auditorium on Thursday night. Although Chang’s headlining routine consisted of jokes ranging from sexuality to Facebook to vegans, it was rooted in the event’s theme of Asian-Pacific American identity.

College junior Andrew Lum, incoming vice-chairman of APSC and treasurer of Sangam, said the goal of the event was to “show students there are different ways to express your Asian-American identity.”

The event showcased this variety, beginning with talent from Penn’s Asian-Pacific American community, including performances by Penn Masti, the Excelano Project and Simply Chaos. Stand-up acts by Chang and comedian Grant Gordon followed, and the event concluded with a discussion titled “Asians in the Media,” which was led by Chang.

Chang — who,­ when asked what kind of Asian he is, said, “I’m half-Asian, half sexy motha fucka … on my mom’s side” — has appeared on E!’s Chelsea Lately and Spike TV’s Crash Test. He also does comedy shows at universities and conferences but always concludes with a serious discussion on Asian-Pacific American identity.

Although he impersonated a variety of ethnic stereotypes during his comedy act, Chang explained during the concluding discussion that television and film portray a more inaccurate portrayal of the Asian-Pacific American community than any other ethnic group.

In addition to the stereotypes, “very rarely do you see an Asian on TV with cultural awareness. They always assimilate into another culture,” Chang explained.

Chang also emphasized the importance of not relying on media portrayal and taking pride in one’s culture. Pride is “important because it’s intangible. People cannot take that away from you unless you let them.”

College freshman Chang Won Lee was not expecting a comedy act to be coupled with such a serious discussion. “I came here expecting a really great comedy routine, which I got, but I also appreciated the more serious discussion on Asian portrayal in the media.”

Wharton junior and former Vice Chair of Development of APSC Janani Ramachandran said she was impressed with the turnout and the success of combining both a comedy act and a serious discussion in one event.

And if you would like to learn more about Chang, he claims “You can just google Asian comic and that’s me. There’s like four of us.”

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