- [Woman] When you look on TV, and you see someone that looks like you, you get excited, right?

(bright music) - [Man] I wanted my people to be proud.

I wanted them to look at it and say, "You know, all the values that we share as a people have helped me to excel at this."

Embrace your culture.

And I think that's one of the most important things about our cultures is the values, the human values.

If you embrace that, the sky's the limit.

You know, you can accomplish so much.

- [Woman] People do not realize how hard it is to be an artist.

It's a little bit easier now because of social media.

- Sure.

- Yeah, but it is still, like, it is tough.

(inspiring music) - How's it look?

- Oh my God, it's beautiful.

Wow, I don't recognize myself.

(both laughing) - [Woman] With laughter, it actually, for me, comes from pain.

Like going through trauma, even being a first generation here in America, there's so much to talk about.

But if I would just stay serious, I don't think that would help me elevate in life, so comedy really came into my life as a therapy.

(bright music) - [Cook] Being Filipino, we work hard.

We are ambitious.

We don't need to be told twice.

It's just within our culture, how we were raised.

I think we owe that to our parents.

- I like that.

- [Cook] That's very Filipino, by the way.

- And then the giant one is in my Auntie's dining room table.

- You have the giant one, we all have the giant one hanging at home.

- [Man] Yeah, there's barriers, but I'm here to break them down, so that people like you could continue to do the great work that you do and to showcase our community.

Whether it be social media, or doing your own program on TV, we're only gonna be able to understand different people in different communities with you telling your story, or me telling my story.

And then we will be able to break down those barriers that the people don't understand.

We have a lot to tell, who we are and how we make up part of the American fabric.

- [Man] It's just been fun.

We got a lot of friends and we kind of grew up together, right, since junior high.

We opened so many restaurants and sushi bars together.

And it's about eating, going out, right?

And if I'm not working or if I get a day off or time off, we just go eat.

We go somewhere and kind of support our friend.

(inspiring music)