- I started comedy about, like, I'd say, like, about 10 years ago.

Let's just be generous with that.

And I was, at the time, the only Asian person, East or South Asian person, going out to mics and doing stuff and not the only woman.

- [Speaker] Oh my God, you were.

- I still, I mean, kind of- - [Speaker] I think you- well, Ritu moved and then John is still here.

But like, yeah, even as far as like Asian people in general, like I definitely was very alienated and I don't know if you guys are aware, but people still really like to be racist, turns out.

Crazy.

- Really?

Believe (indistinct).

I had no idea.

I know.

Yeah.

So people are, you know, especially like 10 years ago starting in comedy here, being like, usually one of the only women, definitely one of the only women of color, only Asian woman, I dealt with a lot of just really awful things being said at my expense on stage, and then people having to be like, "Oh, well they're just joking."

And I'm like, what they said is awful.

Like, you know what I mean?

And for some reason, and specifically, I feel with people making racist jokes about Asian people, that still seems to be almost somewhat accepted and okay to do.

Like, we see some of those brilliant minds in comedy still doing an accent or making a joke about a nail salon or whatever.

And you know, and it was really hard to keep going at the beginning.

Like, thankfully, I was just crazy enough and delusional enough and loved it enough to like, not let it deter me too much.

But there were nights that I would leave open mics crying because people would just be so awful, you know?

And just also like, yeah, just a lot of stereotypes and a lot of, like, racial implications that were going on.

- [Announcer] A slice of the community is made possible by the support of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.