Asian Americans: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

John Oliver discusses the large and diverse group of people who fall under the term “Asian American”, the history of the model minority stereotype, and why our conversations on the subject need to be better-informed.
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[@byronp2311]

I had a Vietnamese roommate in college in 1972. One day we had a terrific storm and a bolt of lightening struck a nearby building causing a huge BOOM. Hui said that it reminded him of home. I said oh you have major storms there too? And Hui said nonono. The bombs. I kinda had to rethink a few things.

[@davichigbue1835]

That sounds horrifying- I hope he's doing okay now.

[@303elliott]

Wow.. That kinda puts things into perspective.

[@williamwilson6499]

Lightning.

[@CribNotes]

In Pakistan people are afraid of sunny days....because that's when the drones are flying. Imagine being afraid of a sunny day?

[@LL-xv6jc]

have you heard about the khmer rouge in Cambodia? Yea a lot of awful things have gone down in asia

[@akira_ariga]

“There is no nice racism” This right here. I grew up being constantly told by other poc that “at least you have a good stereotype” as they simultaneously made fun of me for not being good at math, and yelling “ching chong” at me. Yeah thanks guys

[@oderaanokwalu-igwebuike3817]

I'm sorry you had to go through that mind-fucking experience.

[@tillydyisegray8312]

😤

[@smokeyhoodoo]

And you came out of it hating white people. Interesting.

[@weirdo1060]

Asian math stereotype is similar to Jewish money stereotype. They are both double edged insults since they imply devious cunning instead of actual intelligence or humanity.

[@smokeyhoodoo]

@@weirdo1060 But youre really just stereotyping white people by saying this

[@sydneyfairbairn3773]

A client told me that his doctor told him he had jaundice from eating Indian food. I told him to go back to the emergency room ASAP as that was a ridiculous diagnosis. He had pancreatic cancer.

[@sachadee.6104]

😳

[@WeepingNoor]

What the fuck? That’s so horrible of that guy to say to someone. Hope that client doing ok.

[@alienartpop]

I know instantly he didnt see my doctor..... he's Indian.... second favorite kind of food after Mexican. Jaundice would more likely come from inadequate American public water works than Indian food.

[@shayron44]

WTF!

[@rajanlad]

I am Indian , if you eat Indian food. Like it might result in diarrhea at the most if you eat non spicy food regularly

[@lynnnguyen6377]

This is why you win all the emmys. Not easy to recognise and then be able to explain nuance so beautifully. Love everything about you JO.

[@kevinchong5424]

“Keep your head down. Make sure you do your job right. And don’t cause trouble. In their eyes, you’ll always be an outsider.” Those are the words I grew up with.

[@jcboyle82]

I can’t express how sad this makes me. I just hope you don’t feel like an outsider today.

[@applejuicyjuice]

I work at a school with 50% Burmese students and they still follow that guide and it hurts my heart.

[@Omnip073n77]

This is likely projected from generations of living in ethno-states before migrating.

[@lia1tan]

Basically my entire childhood and current existence. For the longest time I thought that was just the way things were supposed to be. It’s sad.

[@tylerhackner9731]

I hope you don’t feel that way today. You are your own person and you matter

[@rileym4056]

He also didn't mention the fact that the model minority stereotype completely discounts any Asian Americans that DO 'fit the stereotype'. When Asian people excel academically, people assume that didn't work as hard, and are just 'naturally' more intelligent. It's a true mind fuck

[@goaheadmakemyday7126]

​@sehhi vooty Why did you copy someone else's comment and reply it so a comment that has nothing to do with it?

[@flipreds5155]

I’m literally guilty of this and I never realized it, I’m sorry, it’s really messed up and it does discredit your achievements when we think that it’s expected of you:/

[@seigeengine]

It's worse than that. Even if they do try hard and people get that, that's just what's expected.

[@EvlNabiki]

To add onto that, if you somehow cannot live up to the high expectations, you're more severely penalised, since the bar that is set for you is higher than for anyone else Alongside the undercurrent of "you should be grateful" running through everything

[@graham1034]

Does anyone actually think that though? The stereotype isn't that Asian Americans are naturally more gifted, it's that their parents drive them to insane levels of achievement, often to the detriment of their mental well-being. When an Asian-American kid does well in school the assumption isn't that they're any more (or less) intelligent than other people, it's that they studied vastly more than the average student. In my experience, the main stereotype is of Asian-American parents pushing their children much harder than other parents (for better or worse).

[@berny2191]

The sentence "Filipinos arent dismissed they are overlooked" is one of the most true statement ive ever heard. Whenever someone asks where my family comes from, they guess china, thailand, or even mexico. As a Filipino American, i love this video.

[@GHOSTPLANEtable]

Lol first Filipino girl I ever met I immediately had crush, and ended up dating couple years. But overlooked I attest to firsthand, it astounded me out of my white world.

[@Narutowatcher465]

Quite true, I've been asked if I was Mexican, well tbf we do look similar but I'm just Filipino.

[@victoriaburns1487]

@@Narutowatcher465 Story of my life, too...and JOLLIBEE!!!

[@megshimatsu8615]

The answer is obvious. Southeastern Asians are looked down upon by "fancy Asians." See the Ali Wong clip on her standup.

[@elylioney6390]

Ah, same in Australia

[@thomaschristopherwhite9043]

Overlooking Filipinos is a weird thing. Especially during covid times, Filipinos who populate hospitals as nurses not just in the US but all over the world, have been on the frontlines dying to fight off this pandemic for almost 2 years now. That and your east and south Asian medical professionals who are all doing their best to keep everything together.

[@autumnjacobs1164]

writing sm to take up space ⏮⏭3️⃣6️⃣3️⃣8️⃣🔢8️⃣⏮⏮⏭2️⃣4️⃣🔟🔢⏺🔽⏭⏮⏭3️⃣⏺⏮⏺

[@NurseMJ986]

I appreciate the recognition. Nurses all over the world is true for sure! And still here trying to save the healthcare systems of several first world nations from the US to the UK to Australia/NZ. And Filipino nurses have been in the Middle East since the 80’s. We are in Canada, Ireland, Germany and Switzerland. Pretty much any country where nurses are better compensated, you will find Filipino nurses. It has caused a brain drain back home. But people have to do what they can to survive and have better lives for themselves and their families.

[@rumblefish9]

Because most Americans consider "Asian" as just East Asian and it doesn't help that Ali Wong coined and made popular the term "jungle Asian". We're "jungle Asian" to most Americans which is EXTREMELY racist and elitist.

[@sanseijedi]

Act of Recission 1946. During WWII, the US basically told Filipino men that if they helped fight the Japanese, they would qualify for healthcare. When it came time to honor that promise, congress said that'd be too expensive & paid money to Philippine government instead. Look up 'Repeal the Act of Recission 1946'. Similar to the fight more recently in UK to allow Gurhka troops (fighting for the Queen) to be allowed to actually live in the UK.

[@thomaschristopherwhite9043]

@@sanseijedi I had relatives who were Filipinos but worked as US scouts during WWII. Some got to move to the US others weren't so lucky.

[@likenoothers8751]

I refuse to believe enough people wouldn't answer "Name a Joe" with "Joe Mama".

[@U314Media]

hahahaha love it

[@Chinmay987]

The only correct answer

[@SS-nr2zv]

I was watching this on tv and instantly grabbed my phone to write this comment but looks like I'm too late.

[@TheLily97232]

I did lol

[@Angry5704]

It's because they were interviewing adults, not braindead children.

[@-Subtle-]

When you dismiss Vietnamese or Japanese students who do well as if it's part of their heritage, you undermine the hard work they put forth to achieve.

[@kanodogg]

Our work ethic is built into the culture.

[@tomasxfranco]

You don't dismiss it. You acknowledge the cultural context that enabled that success on a population level.

[@schwig44]

@@tomasxfranco the problem is, that is not what people do. Reread OP's comment, he starts off with "when you dismiss...". That's the issue here, people don't see a Japanese kid's perfect grades and go "wow, I wish our culture had such dedication to hard work and academia" people go "nbd, he's japanese". They dismiss immediately and that is the problem.

[@literarymusings8886]

I am an Asian american I have lived in Mississippi for the last 70 years never have I ever perceived racism America is ONE OF THE VERY FEW nations in history of the world which ain't racist !

[@TheRealMuckluck]

@@tomasxfranco Did we not watch the same video? The point is that attributing the academic success of minorities to their heritage is the same as dismissing their personal achievements. Especially when, as this video *literally* *just* *discussed* , the heritage you're attributing it to is a harmful racial stereotype.

[@colintang3910]

As an Asian American, This hits deep and hard. I have worked very hard in order to fit the "model minority" and multiple people have told me that the conditions I find myself is inhumane.

[@lnguyen119]

As a Korean-Vietnamese or Vietnamese-Korean and a huge John Oliver fan, I do appreciate this bit. It's a cultural and ethnic quagmire to feel between and among cultures. The coverage about defining what Asian American means, and the emphasis of model minority is spot on... We are not a monolith. Thank you for sharing! ✌️💕

[@xxsosbrigadexx12]

I really didn't expect John to sum up our experience with racism perfectly: we're told to accept racism because "at least it's the nice version."

[@geertbeerens826]

That guy from the old clip summed it up as eloquently as I've ever heard it summed up: whatever you infer about someone solely from the color of his skin takes away his dignity, no matter how good or bad the thing you inferred.

[@Spyger279]

Speaking of that, basically the first issue addressed is how broad and non-specific the term Asian American really is. By my quick napkin-math, literally half of the global population is "Asian". It's certainly an important topic! However, when is the same issue addressed with Whites? Obviously it's a MUCH less prioritized topic considering the privileged position most "whites" occupy in US society, but isn't it weird that those of Spanish, Russian, English, and Dutch heritage are generally lumped into the same group? We're a sophisticated society, aren't we? Most everyone has Wikipedia access in their pocket, yeah? Isn't it about time we stop lumping humans together according to the color of their skin?

[@elbukis]

@@Spyger279 And therein lies the reason why effort is made to address the fact that the White Supremacist power structure also effects "White" Americans as well as Blacks, Natives, and every minority group you can think of. The usage of the term "White" for light-skinned people of various European descent is not an accident. Slave owners who feared a multi-racial revolt during colonial times purposefully pushed the usage of that term in order to convince poor, European indentured servants that they were better than African slaves. And it unfortunately ended up working. But yeah, the history of the usage of White as a descriptor of race reveals alot about how White Supremacy has created a ripple effect of policy decisions that have continued to effect World History 500 years (give or take few) after it started gaining popularity to describe light-skinned Europeans as a whole.

[@geterhero]

@@elbukis I was gonna say that that does happen with every race, you’re generally a white man, black man, Asian man, Latino etc and if the need arises the white man can say he’s ancestrally from Germany, the black man (might be able to say) he’s ancestrally from Senegal, the Asian man can say his family is from Laos etc. It is a very general term but that’s how our society works and they shouldn’t necessarily feel alone in that regard… I agree it’s complete bullshit that any one is generalized like that but at the same time I do somewhat see the need for it as an identifier of sorts. Any other usage is completely pointless, like saying Asian people are better academically, black people are better at sports or whatever else, generalizing anyone at all like that for any reason is completely idiotic

[@SEAsiaTraveler]

@@geertbeerens826 But Dr Aruna Khilanani does it.

[@videosearcherwhenbor]

I know that Jollibee bit was supposed to make Filipinos feel seen, but damn, I mainly feel exposed, like "Shit, y'all weren't supposed to see that."

[@strings1984]

You had a mascot that amaZing, I am just supposed it took John this long to put it in the show.

[@mjsicinski]

To be fair, the Chicken Joy is peerless fast food. ❤️

[@tipsyt1909]

That food is legit amazing tho

[@briangrant3332]

Honestly it's past time for America to learn of the awesomeness of Jollibee.

[@eshbena]

No, I get it. America always takes the cool stuff from other cultures, waters it down, and makes a bland theme park for it. You are protective of Jollibee and you are right to be so.

[@EccentricEnthusiadam]

The guy at 25:14 explains it so damn well. But as Andre Gide said “Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.”

[@syk0saje]

thank you for this quote

[@diwataluna]

Ah I need to read other works by Gide

[@coryshannon449]

My great grandparents came from japan to make a new life in America after hearing a lot of wonderful things and hearing stories of its grandeur and opportunity. They did this right before Ww2 and my grandfather grew up in those internment camps. He wasn't okay in the head, ended up being more abusive to his loved ones than his siblings were, and I often think of it as being heavily influenced by that experience in those camps

[@angelawhite5513]

Wow

[@riffgroove]

My brother in law's mother was aged nine when she went into an internment camp. She was 15 when she came out.

[@anaolsen3649]

That is so sad, I hope he got therapy. I do not mean that in in an offensive way. I am a psychology major wishing to end the stigma of getting help.

[@coryshannon449]

@@anaolsen3649 unfortunately no. Suicidal yes but couldn't, do it without it being a problem culturally so he figured he'd convince his children it was their fault if he did actually do it. While doing stupid stunts to try for a record in hopes of dying in a way that was allowed. And disowned his daughters a few times cursed his wife for not giving him a son. So eventually he was alone. He would never have gotten help either. Too proud to tell the doctors about a family history when my mom needed help.

[@anaolsen3649]

@@coryshannon449 Tragic, I understand that there was a different attitude about getting help form therapists back then. However, I am still saddened when people do not get treatment when they are suffering. My heart goes out to those who suffer.

[@Yesnog05]

I'm Japanese-American (half Filipino and half Japanese). Everytime I visit the Philippines and Japan and reconnect with extended family and my roots, I find it very humbling, but at the same time, very lonely as an Asian-Americans are too American to be Asian and too Asian to be American on both sides. Thank you so much for bringing this issue up and educate others in our struggle.

[@milliamp]

You are beautiful and unique though.

[@llmelvisofrtfll]

Totally get how you feel. (I'm 1/3 Viet, 1/3 Filipino, 1/3 Caucasian, fwiw.) When you get both sides of your ethnic makeup saying “you’re not a real (insert ethnicity) here” or "not (ethnicity) enough"... calling a person half-anything is gonna mess with some identity and feelings of belonging. Like since when did 1+1=1, right?

[@Cab00v]

You are a Filipino-Japanese-American. You want to fit in a box? There it is. Though it may be a small box, I'm sure there's other Filipino-Japanese-Americans that will fit in it with you. I find it silly to want to be in a box. To want to fit in with others. The whole idea of the founding fathers of America was to escape identity, and become something new.

[@ericktellez7632]

The problem is that all of the people in the US should seen each other as “americans” that is something I don’t understand from the US, in our case in Mexico we dont have enclaves or groups like that we all ser each other as Mexicans, our government doesn’t even do polls on racial groups seriously we dont have to check boxes for our race during census at all, only nationality.

[@kstar1489]

But you are Asian-American enough to be Asian-American. I think Asian-Americans have made their own identity and space and that’s ok. (And of course I include the different Asian identities as there own like Japanese-American). But yeah it sucks not to be fully accepted by wider societies.

[@kalanaherath3076]

As a Sri Lankan, I greatly admire John for including Maldivians here since that's the closest he ever came to mentioning Sri Lanka on his show haha

[@hunnybadger442]

Ive always wanted to visit Sri Lanka...

[@phreak074]

born and raised in the states and not so good at geography, but i was wondering why the maldivian looked malayalee 😆

[@PJ-cm8ix]

They have mentioned India several times which is geographically closer and culturally as well

[@niroshanaperera7330]

Ayubowan, fellow Sri Lankan =)

[@zab0r]

Sri Lanka is amazing. A buddy and me explored the island in a rented tuk tuk right before covid hit. Such kind and hospitable people!

[@giraffemush]

Thank you!! As a Sri Lankan-Malaysian I’ve always identified as Asian, even when my white friends have tried to tell me that I’m wrong about my own heritage 🙄🙄

[@PhilShnider]

I am a Sri Lankan Filipino, I thought I was wrong to be me. I ended up calling myself a Latino, apologies for bringing my rant

[@GodJustCopyPasteWhatISay]

@giraffemush you must say "Get a map, how tf you gonna tell *ME* ??" constantly

[@islandneni1829]

​@PhilShnider but u are not Latino.😐🤨🤔

[@markd8369]

You are, who YOU are. Don't let anyone try to change that! 🙌🏾

[@Anabeausoleil]

Also Sri lankan. Have been told by East/Southeast Asians that we’re not asian. Have been told by Indians that we aren’t desi. Have been exoticized and stared at for being “different” looking. Have been told by white ppl that we’re the same as Indians. Asia is the largest continent guys…read a book or like google it

[@moyndebs6759]

I'm a Nigerian guy. There's a lot I need to learn from Asian-Americans cos they're a large multicultural group with different amazing things to offer. Now imagine the vastness of mainland Asian Continental itself.🌏

[@rumblefish9]

Cebu in the Philippines has a lot of Nigerian students who are either medical students or maritime students.

[@rubhavanmoida3870]

"Some Hems are worth more than other Hems are worth" - underrated line of John in 2021

[@spameranne]

you beat me to it - what a delightful bit of brain-tickling wordplay that also brilliantly reinforces the point! high fives galore to the writer's room, and much love and thanks to the entire lwt crew!

[@stevensmith6355]

extremely underrated!

[@aronkovacs1386]

I was waiting for this comment

[@sylviatamieanan4088]

The Luke of John's lines

[@h.l6849]

lol

[@SweetAngel8642]

"Jollibee can get it" is a quote I never thought I would ever hear, and now that I've heard, it I'd have to say I agree.

[@simonwyzik8661]

That bee will haunt my dreams

[@lS-qp6zq]

Wow first murderous wasps invading the U.S. Now that. Thank goodness John Oliver could see the difference :D

[@kimlee6379]

Hey angel 👋

[@Litaonyo]

I dont. Hahaha! Haaayyyy naku.

[@A1w1n]

🤣🤣🤣

[@rerouting]

I'm not a Maldivian American, but a Maldivian who's been a fan of yours since your Community days. Loved the shoutout ^^

[@tang167]

Thank you for telling these stories. I’m a Taiwanese immigrant, have been living in the US for 24 years. I’m showing this video to my daughter because she will not learn this from school. She needs to know that’s how people will treat her and why they do so. I lived in NYC for 20 years. I used to feeling safe walking around in Manhattan, but it felt different after pandemic. At the beginning of the pandemic, a grocery deliver person pulled up her turtleneck to cover her nose and mouth as soon as she saw me open the door. I said thank you, she didn’t answer. Just staring at me with the look of scare or disgust or a bit of both. My Taiwanese face meant virus in her mind. I’m definitely worried about worse racism against Asian Americans in the future.

[@titanimarklee]

“A coalition is not a monolith.” -what an important concept.

[@hanakim8813]

cool

[@lloydgush]

Unless they don't agree to a medical procedure, then they must be a monolith.

[@alandolawson1924]

I saw this comment the moment he said it, weird

[@AceofDlamonds]

@@lloydgush could be a monolith in terms of getting their info from the same source.

[@lloydgush]

@@AceofDlamonds Yes, the same source which is a diverse disconnected group of people who aren't "in a big club and you ain't in it". Any source that doesn't say exactly what they want said (even if they said it) is the "monolith".

[@kevinlu7553]

Joe Rogan: "asians don't spend anytime on petty bullshit" Me, leaving a comment on this youtube video to prove joe wrong on a Friday night.

[@50jakecs]

Why do people listen to Rogan about topics we know he knows nothing about?

[@alga2368]

@@50jakecs Maybe because he have conviction talking about something he don't know. Or because people like him / identify with him and want to know his opinion.

[@charlesnl7]

You disgrace your ancestors

[@Vyz3r]

@@charlesnl7 Ancestors my ass. Our ancestors did inhumane shit which is worst than just proving Joe wrong.

[@user-zp8xt4qm7g]

​@@Vyz3r A more pragmatic approach would be 'inhumane shit' was committed by all races throughout the course of time. Pigeonholing atrocities to categories and sub groups just serves as convenient political talking points to serve the interests of the day.

[@darkphoenix4568]

I'm a Korean-American. 26 years old. I've grown up from this. This news means a lot, especially in these times.

[@gooby_pls]

sum ting wong monkaS

[@stephengordon2014]

I'm honestly in awe for the way he unfolded such a complex theme! Thank you for the hard work!

[@phredbookley183]

"I can't think of a single reason to beat up a car." *Street Fighter music intensifies*

[@DC-ru5xz]

Don’t beat up cars, beat up racists. Very close to death

[@elodieelvira7913]

Thank you for the nostalgia this comment brought to me

[@Crowley9]

Isn't that Final Fight, not Street Fighter? edit: Ah, it's both. My mistake.

[@Toasty25000]

I was hoping so much for a clip from Street Fighter where you destroy the car hahaha

[@MikeB12800]

@@elodieelvira7913 yeah! Completely forgot about it!!!

[@radosbarner1734]

Ah, my favourite show "Half an hour of existential dread at midnight with Zazu" uploaded again. Just in time, I was about to have a good nights sleep.

[@GuyNamedSean]

I got so confused for a moment because I forgot the re-done Lion King was a thing. Zazu is still Rowan Atkinson to me.

[@ueblay]

incredible

[@brendat.5890]

Nice...

[@queenofbuttercream]

@@GuyNamedSean thank you because I didn't even know why he used zazu's name in vein. Forgot about the re-do

[@joecseko2]

HBO, please stay on this path. These exposes are necessary! Thank you.

[@jeanniemaycrawford4466]

There was nothing exposed, just propaganda and Gaslighting

[@vincechin3417]

This is a fantastic segment. It is a very good introduction to the subject of Asian American history. I appreciate the succinct manner is which Oliver delivers the story and the crisp writing. Keep up the good work.

[@sarahraisingmyvoice]

My favorite moment in middle school was when a boy (whose dad was the conductor of a major symphonic orchestra) asked our English teacher if he could do his biography project on YoYoMa. Our teacher asked who that was and he told her that YoYo Ma is a famous musician...and she told him he was not allowed to write about a rapper. The joys of 2006....

[@donovanlocust1106]

Now I want Yo-Yo Ma to release a rap album lmao

[@benbateman6522]

@@donovanlocust1106 bro saaame, it needs to be a collab with teo cellos

[@michaelyoung4056]

LMAO!!!

[@chebbiereadsandknits672]

Omg. So messed up.

[@h3nta1]

@@benbateman6522 YoYo Ma said he wanted to do a collab with chance the rapper

[@coena9377]

Saying “these weren’t the kind of men you send to jail” in reference to two white murderers is a condemnation of America’s prison justice system that’s far more scathing than anything I could’ve come up with.

[@GiantEagle610]

"These policemen weren't the kind of cops you send to jail..."

[@kevinc8955]

America’s prison justice system of nearly 40 years ago...

[@alfthai]

​@@kevinc8955 while this is technically correct, the black civil rights movement was only around 60 years ago and not a lot has changed. So while you are suggesting this is 'of a different time', time doesn't mean much, and when racism isn't addressed it gets to hang around under the radar. For the record, a civil case followed and one man was ordered to pay 1.5 million in 1987 due to the lost future earning potential of a 27 year old engineer. We're now 34 years out and he hasn't paid a dime as of 2015 (the amount grew to 8 million with interest and charges at the time).

[@sarthakmunda3914]

I once heard an american lawyer say it best, that in America, you have a judicial system, NOT a justice system

[@deeznutz8320]

Where was this when Chesa Boudin did it with that black kid that smacked the 70 year old Thai guy to death in San Fransisco?

[@jwh0122]

4:23 origin of the term Asian American 9:04 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act 11:25 Japanese American internment camps in WWII 12:43 1965 Immigration Act 17:19 murder of Vincent Chin 23:14 targets of geopolitical crises

[@GodJustCopyPasteWhatISay]

@Winston Smith you forgot the bit about the model minority stereotype and it's sociopolitical objective. Maybe you'd like to still make use of it..

[@ikik1648]

I’m Chinese Canadian but I’m glad to see my fellow “niche” AAPI diasporas grow in recent years, specifically our friends in the Filipino community.

[@stan4427]

I agree with John that the model minority myth is used to pit minorities against each other. In college, my Mexican roommate stated I cannot understand the struggles of Latinos because I am a model minority. That was the first time I've ever heard of the term model minority and it was not used in a positive sense; rather, used to create a gulf which makes communication and addressing the struggles of our racial identites wider. We all perpetuate racial identites for ourselves and others; it's a shame when those identites draw lines which every stares at before we really look at each other.

[@ThatBunniBoi]

@American Freedom World Peace Even worse. White people use successful Asian people as “proof” that racism doesn’t exist or that other minorities aren’t trying hard enough. They use Asian people to shut us down and pit us against each other and it needs to stop.

[@jospinner1183]

The model minority myth was crafted to drive a wedge between BIPOC communities and uphold white supremacy. The sad part is that it's worked really, really well for a long time.

[@terrancat]

Luckily when it's used against me I keep my anger on the right target instead of my fellow minorities.

[@literarymusings8886]

Africans king sold poor Africans to Europe and then Britain and America freed them later

[@HGrrrr]

@@literarymusings8886 why you writing this reply on EVERY comment?

[@mstie3252]

This reminded me of conversations I had with friends in high school, way back in the 80s. I'm white, they are Vietnamese and Indian. They told me about how even a "good" stereotype is a stereotype, and just puts you into a category rather than seeing you as an individual.

[@sidneyboo9704]

Well said. Smart individuals :D

[@averysmith5911]

all races have stereotypes, some better than others

[@armstrong.r]

@@averysmith5911 All stereotypes are bad because they are dehumanizing. That's the point.

[@alexanderphilip1809]

They've been americanized culturally to even care about it. Anywhere else in the world they would much rather mind their own business.

[@alexanderphilip1809]

@@armstrong.r no they are not. You havent lived in a multiracial, multireligious multilinguistic society, i have. So just stfu.

[@claram4983]

Just started watching & listening to your KZbin videos. Now I understand why you won all your Emmy's! I'm a new fan, Thank You!

[@jer103]

This whole thing just shows the racial stereotypes our society uses. Whether you are Asian American, black, white, or any other color that we are all human beings and need to treat each other with kindness, respect, and love.

[@jsjuhbdn]

The answer to "name a well known Joe" should clearly have been "Joe mama"

[@nkosimataka5565]

I second to this, be better John

[@noahluppe]

i was shooketh when he didn't say that

[@takashi.mizuiro]

ikr it should’ve

[@sk31370n]

69% - Joe mama

[@aquilegia9734]

Joe the Plumber

[@tristanchik4432]

Nothing more therapeutic than a British man explaining systemic racism on a Monday afternoon.

[@SerenityM54L2SAM5L5N1]

If you go to these partisan and extremely biased sources to learn about systematic racism, you're probably so indoctrinated and radicalized to a point where you aren't realizing that you're being misled. It's like asking a bird on how to kill off birds. Or letting foxes build a henhouse.

[@phreak074]

woke af british dude 🤔

[@justinianthe1st790]

@@SerenityM54L2SAM5L5N1 Okay fascist

[@justinianthe1st790]

@@SerenityM54L2SAM5L5N1 Also Bidens your president and Chauvin the killer is going to prison Cope

[@destyon9966]

I hate the UK but this British dude is chill

[@tammystratford7079]

Thank you for doing everything you do, John. You and your team are amazing. I appreciate the education.

[@techobb]

Thank you for doing videos like this and shedding light on this rare topic. I’m more motivated to succeed as an immigrant and live my life as a model-American.

[@bigswings2414]

I will say this as a Asian American. Not only is the “model minority” myth bad for Asians ourselves, but also for other people. There are many Asians who embrace this stereotype and unironically think that black and brown people are either lazy or just complain. A lot of older Asians tend to think this way in my experience.

[@rodolfomolesini7990]

Can you say it now as a European-African??

[@lindabb7064]

It's called internalized racism.

[@ruonanzhao5508]

Lets be honest black people discriminate against Asians too even though they are a minority being discriminated themselves.

[@nonyabizness.original]

as john said, this is an example of pitting groups against each other.

[@goodguy...badrep.]

@@ruonanzhao5508 I thought the stereotypical situation involved an Asian person following a Black customer who is accused of stealing? Weren't the LA riots caused by an Asian woman shooting a 15yr old Black girl in the back of the head because she *thought* she was stealing a carton of orange juice, even though she had cash in hand?...the judge declined to sentence her and gave her probation and a $500 fine...for murder.

[@okiwangko]

I didn't think John would one day talk about Jollibee's mascot, but here we are.

[@sensor.mellow]

Our moment has arrived sis 💅

[@marisolaquino719]

Really? Haven’t you seen some of his past shows. More of like if he’ll ever, but more like when

[@VanVeniVidiVici]

I thought he'd do it during the McDo episodes but oh well.

[@ethantemple506]

It’s about damn time Jollibee got their due respect

[@ProfPsycDad]

THE BLINKING OH GOD THE BLINKING......

[@5683saraswati]

You are amazing John Oliver! You touched on the major aspects of the Asian American experience.

[@anouarkrassimovich7481]

I love your content. Smart, funny. It always makes me laugh (great delivery) AND i feel it makes me think and learn. Thank you so much.

[@alg9330]

He didn’t mention this, but Vincent Chin was actually murdered the night before his wedding, when these two white guys saw him at a bachelor party with his friends.

[@luhuang5256]

That and Vincent Chin also worked in the American auto industry.

[@scruffmcgruffthecrimedawg5661]

Don't forget that blacks tend to despise Asians for being model citizens

[@r01dtox15]

*RIP* 🙏

[@alga2368]

@@scruffmcgruffthecrimedawg5661 Are you black? Or are you giving your opinion about something you don't know to create more conflict???

[@scruffmcgruffthecrimedawg5661]

@@alga2368 dont have to be black to understand statistics

[@rclementine77]

As a Filipina, I got emotional just being included in this conversation. The experience under the "Asian American" umbrella is not universal

[@Q_QQ_Q]

but whites want asian wife is a thing .

[@andrewokamoto]

@FromHeadtoHeart Tigers? that's racist

[@paddor]

lol have you ever been to SEA? It really is like that there. The darker your skin, the more people look down on you. It’s fucked. But the movie is accurate in that way.

[@paddor]

An emotional pinay. Eh di wow. Ano pa new ate? Lol I just had to

[@kismet8010]

Musta

[@TazChham]

Being Cambodian American I complain about this all my life. Thank you for bring it to the public.

[@patriciabulleigh3382]

thank you, some of this has educated and clarified many of my confusion over, much of the difficulties Asian Americans have.

[@LuvJenniiTompul]

“Where are you from?” “Here.” “No, where are you really from?” “I was born here.” “Oh.” 😳... “Where are your parents from?” It’s like a persistent and never ending deja-vous loop.

[@literarymusings8886]

Africans king sold poor Africans to Europe and then Britain and America freed them later

[@Maryyeung12894]

I usually ask where are they from then sometimes they are shocked that you asked. Then they tend to stop asking you because they so confused/taken aback.

[@vedantpatel4590]

@@michaelpowell9164 ya I'm from the south too it's so weird!

[@wzt9376]

@@literarymusings8886 wtf are you rambling about.

[@jtjc7705]

but.. where are you really from? Just asking because you must be a sister from another mister :3 -it's the internet, I should clarify this is a joke both being J T

[@UnsolicitedContext]

I legitimately had a conversation with a Med school classmate who said something along the lines of ‘if I’m not a doctor, as an Asian man, I’m not anything in America.’ That wasn’t even coming from his parents who had embraced his previous career as a teacher, but was completely internal, because he felt he needed the prestige to have a place.

[@joseescobar9751]

Damn. That’s so sad…

[@satyathota9546]

Dude that’s just a reflection of the Asian immigrant mentality (not assuming he is one, but that mentality comes from immigrants)

[@Deoxys911]

@@satyathota9546 And from prejudiced immigration laws and pro-Asian propaganda made in response to the same bigotry that led to the aforementioned laws in the first place.

[@Samperor]

He is making an excuse.

[@joseescobar9751]

@@Samperor what makes you think that?

[@binboy1312]

this video HIT oh my god i feel so understood. the model minority myth is so harmful, and i fit it perfectly, which is frustrating in a whole new way. every time i worked my ass off in ap classes and got all 4s and 5s on those exams, the success was dismissed because "you're supposed to be smart anyway." and my ex friend who is hispanic was complaining about hispanic stereotypes and when i brought up the model minority thing, she got angry because "at least your stereotype is good." i get what she means but it sucks that this is the viewpoint so many have. i was terrified to apply to colleges with that race since my mom always warned me that they'll throw me out for being asian. i get asked monthly where i'm REALLY from. i've been called slurs and had kindergarteners scared of me bc they thought i ate dogs. it sucks to see these things get completely ignored and it frustrates me to no end when people claim that asians have it just as easy as white people because no we don't. we're still below them no matter what. i hope this video helped some people realize how frustrating our existences can be as well.

[@gwensimmons_gigi1629]

John as always you’re hitting that nail on its head with your sledgehammer. Great op-ed piece! Thank you...

[@justodet]

I had to hold back tears when the 'perfection' thing hit. My parents are from Asia and I nearly killed myself trying to be as perfect as my stereotype. Luckily I broke a circle of not talking about mental health, but so many children of Asian parents are struggeling with this.

[@jasonfernandes2197]

exactly! Being caught in the middle of so many different expectations and so many limitations and so many pre-judgements can make life unbearable.

[@michaelyoung4056]

Yep, I had to go to therapy to resolve this.

[@ArmchairBruneianRants]

The “perfect son”. FML. 😔

[@ritab5153]

im so glad that you were able to break that chain, @dearjessie. You are setting up future generations for success AND happiness.

[@destroyer-fr4dz]

This just proves that the model minority idea is true, except it is a veil in many cases for emotional abuse or neglect and high expectations for the sake of societal success.

[@BeelzebozoTime69]

My wife is a Korean adoptee. She was regularly beaten up in the 70's by other kids blaming her for what happened to their dads in Vietnam. Meantime a friend of our's who's also a Korean adoptee was pulled over by a cop who tried to speak Spanish to her.

[@rgderen88]

Sounds about right.

[@youngsuit]

im korean. growing up in a white town in pennsylvania i had to walk on eggshells cause the whole town knew my family and where we lived. when i moved to california, it suddenly switched to me being profiled and randomly pulled over

[@bubbagump2704]

@@youngsuit Sorry to hear that, hope it improves.

[@Ellron23]

@@youngsuit devils advovate: what makes you say you're being profiled?

[@youngsuit]

@@Ellron23 it kind of goes into what is being discussed in this segment. whereas where i grew up there were almost no asians whatsoever, they were generally middle class, like restaurant owners, or upper class. in california you have far more asians in poverty or in gangs. police would ask me what i was up to, what i had in the car, and if it was lowered (a common stereotype was around drag racing). it was not something I had grown up with.

[@mikeparkermikeparker]

The best episode I've seen of LWT. Intelligent, sane and relevant deconstruction of the problem of grouping such a huge diverse set of cultures together into one demographic/racial category. This line of reasoning applies more broadly to the term "Asian" by itself, not just "Asian American", but with an American target audience this segment really gets the message across. I wish every person in the USA would watch this video.

[@anishiagopi5219]

Top Notch Content.Fantastic Research !!!!! Kudos to John Oliver and his team ...Generations are going to thank you for this.Thank You

[@kbl437]

When I was a teenager an old lady came up to me and asked if I was oriental, ya know from the east. I didn’t know what she was talking about because I was born in the USA and never heard about the term oriental as a race, but thought of oriental rugs. Ignorant teenager me was like, I’m a rug? 😅😂

[@ruaoneill9050]

Don't think you were the ignorant one in that exchange

[@wmnpwr98]

The old lady was the ignorant one 🤨 not you,

[@command_unit7792]

@@wmnpwr98 umm...not ignorent just outdated...

[@qpSubZeroqp]

@Juragan Muda don't click on that link. It's a stupid bait to get more views

[@RubelliteFae]

You say ignorant, but you were correct. Calling a person oriental is like calling a lamp drunk. Certain adjectives aren't meant for certain nouns (though I guess this _can_ be done for artistic effect, the artistic effect is only achieved because we intuitively know those words don't normally go together).

[@alvinoveritas2033]

Need a payraise for the Hemsworth joke’s writer, it was smooth

[@JohnWhiteHere]

I demand a firing instead

[@antifableach]

I was going to share this with my father until I realized he'd more than likely hate it. I love it though; good job. Well done.

[@guntotingmonk]

It was truly a thing of beauty.

[@destyon9966]

It’s weird how he didn’t add Central Asia and Middle East lol and Siberia 😭😭😭

[@adetolaakinbiola7103]

Dead joke but I really enjoyed it

[@Joisu121]

This is amazing. Thank you so much John Oliver

[@simplybysuzie]

Excellent episode John Oliver. Thank you and your staff for this.

[@Karim-rv7rc]

This segment hits differently when your name is Karim.

[@elizabethbennet4791]

But are you Maldivan though?

[@shoreside9673]

not one of the 137 but totally hyped to even hear him say Maldives

[@Karim-rv7rc]

@@elizabethbennet4791 unfortunately not.

[@Fahad-gf1wx]

@@Karim-rv7rc Pakistani or Indian?

[@alga2368]

Hey Karim, John like you

[@matthewadams3438]

Plot Twist: Those Japanese cars are still on the road today.

[@bananaempijama]

And are way better than American ones.

[@olivierl2172]

@@bananaempijama thats-the-joke.gif

[@madmachanicest9955]

ya i still drive that model on in 2221.

[@GMAMEC]

Yes, and they saved Americans thousands of dollars.

[@esobed1]

.... If you mean those specific cars that were beat up. that would be hilarious!!! I saw a 87 toyota with 570,000 miles ten years ago... Dont know what happened to it. My Avalon 97 has 333,727 right now.

[@nickwalker2438]

If asked the most popular Asian American I would immediately say my cousin. That dude is super cool

[@djm6683]

not gonna lie, i almost got teary-eyed at the end. I could def relate

[@frankly8087]

Don't believe the model minority myth. Some of us Americans of Asian descent are working very hard to be mediocre just like everyone else. Two generations in, we're doing worse than our parents!

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

I'm not surprised, it's a ton of work and these days hard work in general isn't rewarded. So, anybody depending on hard work to get ahead is probably going to be worse off.

[@KABNeenan]

I felt that in my soul.

[@royhuang9715]

Life in US is getting harder, wage has been stagnant for 40 years. And college degree doesn’t mean a damn thing, need a PHD to stand out.

[@amyqb117]

Loool why did I read this so seriously. Fuck off man😂

[@hardrays]

is that from a standup routine? thats good stuff.

[@Keolli04]

Wow, this episode made me feel seen. Even though I’m a white-washed fourth generation Japanese-Korean American, I never truly felt “American.” Growing up and always having others constantly ask where I’m really from, what kind of Asian I am, or people saying Nihau to my face and walking away has been very frustrating, yet I never felt like it was appropriate to outwardly complain about it. Now that AAPI hate has become more apparent to my generation and others through recent events, I hope these conversations continue and don’t fade into just another fad.

[@crazychinese7315]

@Dwayne D do you even know where Asia is...

[@HaleyJo1992]

@Dwayne D Which part of Asia? And how in the world does another country's racism excuse ours?

[@Acidfrog475]

@Dwayne D Bruh, what are you on about? Who cares? Doesn't excuse racism in the West.

[@tenacious645]

Is someone asking you what your heritage is considered "hate" to you?

[@rysler]

@@tenacious645 It's just fucking rude.

[@lorindariley7248]

Appreciate this piece. He kinda skipped around the issue of Pacific Islanders by just mentioning AAPI, but I think it’s worth calling this out a bit more. Pacific Islander get swallowed up by aggregated Asian American data as well and some of us like Native Hawaiians have the added issue of being colonized. In fact, I would argue that starting the history of Asians in American with early immigration ignores the Hawaiian experience. And before anyone says it’s because he was focused on Asian Americans, the reality is that on so many forms and in so many surveys we are lumped into Asian American category. But much of what is discussed definitely applies.

[@EnJoy-we6de]

This is a wonderful coverage about the Asian American experience. I've said it before, "Last Week Tonight" writers and fact checkers rock! Kudos to John for presenting this subject with passion. Wish there were more discussion about marginalization and erasure of South and South East Asian representation, as Asian Americans. It would have been great to go more in depth about the AAPI term as well. This segment was a bit glossed over. I know there are time limits to the show. Some South East Asian countries like the Philippines, are also part of the Pacific Islands but was packaged, labelled as "South East Asia" and handed off from one colonizer (Spain) to another colonizer (US) in 1898, along with Hawai‘i, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Thus, creating a dichotomy in an already tenuous "national identity" of Pilipinos. There's a lot of discussion about whether Pilipinos are Asians or Pacific Islanders, why can't Pilipinos acknowledge, embrace and celebrate both ancestral lineage as part of their identity? On a brighter note, thanks for highlighting Jollibee. Now you know why the fried chicken is called, "Chicken Joy" :)

[@Narutowatcher465]

Ah yes, been there twice and love their chicken and palabok, would get again.

[@ThrottleKitty]

America to the world: DO CAPITLISM NOT COMMUNISM DAMMIT Japan: Okay, here's some cheap cars Also America: NO THATS NOT FAIR DAMMIT

[@informitas0117]

Toyotas may be seen as boring by some but if you like reliability I'd pick them over most American cares. If only they had cat eyes and sharp teeth as in the ad they showed.

[@natureallmighty]

Exactly!

[@gnrdontcry]

LOL....That is on the spot

[@Fate263]

Nailed it

[@steve1978ger]

... Asia: hey here's loads of cheap stuff US: STOP DOING WHAT I WANT

[@benjamingardner3314]

John Oliver: devoting his life to a comedy show deconstructing the fall out of his ancestors' British Imperialism every Sunday.

[@kil-roy]

nice

[@doctormo]

The imperial deconstruction hour was always on after gardener's question time and before The Archers 3rd omnibus repeat.

[@enntense]

John Oliver playing you like the simp you are because his pay is based on viewership count... Duh..

[@kaizokuo5850]

@@enntense as opposed to most show hosts who make their money when as little people as possible watch? Got it 😂

[@jochem1986]

@@enntense Don't use the word simp, mister red pill. We know you're tough.

[@annacastro2855]

I can’t imagine the pressure Asian Americans who struggle with learning disabilities, or disabilities in general, must feel to be successful. They already have to deal with the road blocks of neurodivergence on top of the “model minority” standards.

[@zexalblazer3314]

I'm just glad a video did such a good job educating such a mass of people

[@eldrinveloso2626]

As a Filipino, I'm willing to be called to any court to provide supporting evidence on how Jollibee can get it.

[@Bernicemarie]

Same here! I am willing and able to show proof 😂😂

[@aznbbygirls]

As a Chinese in America, I can confirm that Black people hate on us because we are successful.

[@Gabowsk]

Is Jollibee the most f**kable bee?

[@stantears]

@@aznbbygirls as a black person in america, i can confirm that most of us don’t care.

[@charleswilliams4247]

@@aznbbygirls Sounds like you have a persecution complex.

[@Vampiro12]

I could've sworn the top joe known currently would be exotic

[@user-ty4jy4cp3r]

I expected Joe mama joke

[@edboimcdedboi2314]

I dunno but the biggest joe is definitely joe mama

[@Pyrozoid]

@@edboimcdedboi2314 right with you on that brother.

[@leonschmidt6913]

I hoped it would be average Joe...

[@LeagueIMO]

The Joe in the video named, Joe Rogan, would also be a pretty good bet

[@elizabethcarmichael7745]

Thank you for this segment

[@0MG.N0]

Funny how, no matter what -ism you cover (racism, sexism, fascism, ...), Joe Rogan absolutely always gives you the material you need.

[@mastergecko1178]

My biggest problem as an Asian American is basically I’m too Asian to be taken seriously by Americans and too American to be taken seriously by Asians, it’s like I’m stuck in this weird limbo lol

[@DizzyBusy]

You are complete as you are. It's alright not be part of a grey zone group. Your personhood is as valid as that of an Asian from Asia, or of a white American (somehow still the default over there, when they weren't even native to the location)

[@kcried1081]

Black Americans have the same issue, but within their own community bc not everyone can be “hood” or love “rap” music. I love Asian culture and I love my Asian American brothers and sisters. But Ik that thier are some, not all but some asains who really can’t stand black ppl even if they are smart and intellectually inclined. I was made fun of by some Asians students in high school on why I didn’t act “black enough” I just laughed it off and tried my best to befriend some of them but some were very reluctant. Not all but some.

[@radiobob1908]

You're definitely not alone there. Margaret Cho, Allie Wong and Joel Kim Booster all talk about that feeling in their stand up specials.

[@damiester1]

@@kcried1081 Asians and the black community have been pit against each other as shown in the video. There are going to be ignorant people in both of these communities unfortunately.

[@kcried1081]

@@damiester1 I agree 100%. I’m realistic about it, we’re not going to win everyone over I wish we could just get it to like 50/50 instead what seems more like 10/90

[@sapaulgoogdmen9542]

First thought: I feel like more people should’ve said Jackie Chan Second thought: I’m part of the problem

[@sambeetle6080]

I feel like more people would've said Lucy Liu. That was my first thought. Or Ken Jeong.

[@sth5033]

@@sambeetle6080 i thought lucy liu immediately, it's such a memorable name.

[@girhen]

I thought of George Takei. Anyway, I'd rather be able to name any Asian than be in the "I can't think of one" category.

[@horace6851]

I got George Takei, I feel proud now. (it was a lucky guess, I just remembered he doesn't have a foreign accent so probably was born/brought early to USA, I know, I'm part of the problem too)

[@coobk373]

Markiplier was my first thought

[@Sleepgarden]

not sure if its a racist term but "bumbling pineapple bun" is one of the best insults I've heard in a while

[@Jeff-0621]

It’s hard to cover such a difficult subject. It can become a mini series with multiple seasons. Thank you Last Week Tonight for producing the video to bring awareness.

[@marcokuhner2445]

That guy really nailed it when he said it’s about human dignity.

[@clintonwashington8609]

In all reality that’s what racism takes from you. Dignity and humanity. 🤦🏿‍♂️

[@Barrelrollz]

He insulted Whites throughout the entire video for laughs, then talked about putting races in a box and human dignity. He's nailing it, truly.

[@Tomtomhonour]

@@Barrelrollz you know where it's from? i'd be interested.

[@aliquidgaming1068]

He's insulting and putting down white people throughout the entire video. Dude is a hypocrit. I'm a black and hispanic man and honestly find it disgusting that this is allowed. The sins of the father don't carry to the son right? So why the fuck do we allow.this to be the case for white people? This is disgusting. Dude also shows constant examples from the past and almost nothing of the present. Im.so done with this shit! We cannot Fucking fight racism with racist tactics. I've also multiple times on other videos asked legit questions about BLM and issues like black on black crimes and real.issies effecting the black community but every time they delete my comments. He doesn't care. And now we even saw multiple BLM leaders step down cause the founder was using funds for personal gain. Even Geroge Floyd mother condemned BLM. Yet he has yet to speak on it at all. Dude is full of himself and a hypocrit.

[@ivonedefigueiredo9301]

@@aliquidgaming1068 As a white South African, I think it is important that the offending race be highlighted as the one that has done the exclusion. Although in principal I understand, and wholeheartedly agree with you, that there is a need to treat all people equally, and that injustices be highlighted, no matter where they are perpetrated, I think we should never forget exactly which (i.e. whose) injustices we are trying to surpass. At this point in world history, too much has been forgotten, which is why we are dealing with the Putin, Bolsonaro and Trump’s of the world, and race and gender equality and fairness are losing ground. Until fairness, compassion, empathy and respect for human dignity is instilled in children in the home and in basic eduction, we cannot forget. When will this happen? Your guess is as good as mine. Indications are, not soon. Remember that John Oliver is a comedian first. What he and his team have been able to do is, and it’s a unique talent, is to inform to a certain degree, and at the very least cultivate curiosity for many many varied subjects. Judging by many of the comments I’ve been reading since he started his show, he is enlightening many Americans, which is kind of sad. In the end, if his comedy attracts an audience which isn’t his usual audience, but includes people with differing views and stances, then that is a small victory because generally people are so divided that they will only listen/ watch news/ documentaries, etc., that don’t cause them cognitive dissonance. On top of that, not all episodes are as good as others, and perhaps the current news on racism towards Asian Americans could have resulted in this episode going out without enough work. I agree, it’s a bit superficial.

[@libelldrian173]

Pornhub has a better ethnic classification system than the US census.

[@erwanne1305]

Nice one

[@unslientminority1063]

They are even sorted by bOOb size.

[@obiwankenobi661]

first time i checked pornhub for research purposes

[@wzt9376]

Touché!

[@Fuctmentality]

@@obiwankenobi661 I'm pretty sure that makes you an adult now

[@0xredrumx078]

I'm Indian American and it wasn't American society or White people who pressured me into going to a top college, it was my mom.

[@duncandoxtator5445]

I've seen many episodes dealing with systemic racism regarding Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanic Americans and I find all of these refreshing to hear as talking points, and agree with the need to address these issues. I'm just wondering when I will see Native American issues represented in this same way.

[@AceofDlamonds]

I think Native Americans are represented "by proxy" when you talk about "Hispanic Americans". Realistically you wouldn't differentiate between a Latin American white person and a North American white if the former spoke perfect American English without an accent. But that's the best most Natives would get, sadly.

[@smokeyhoodoo]

Satan's worldly white system isn't real bud

[@smokeyhoodoo]

Put the bible down and talk to a nephilim. Try to understand why they don't like you. It's because you don't like them. It's because you wear blue eyed charms to protect yourself from our curses

[@sachadee.6104]

@@AceofDlamonds oh? I personally NEVER thought of Native Americans when hearing (or speaking of) hispanic Americans. But... well, I'm from Europe. In my mind Native Americans are the true Americans. They also lived in Mexico and Central- and South America but that's not the same as being Hispanic now, is it?

[@AceofDlamonds]

Hispanic is an often misunderstood term. It refers to everyone from Latin America, regardless of descent or racial mix. Yeah non-Mexican North Americans are quite biased when talking about "native Americans" cause they are usually talking about the natives who formerly lived in their terrotories. @@sachadee.6104

[@Rogers1977]

Asian American here, and I can't tell you how VALIDATED and SEEN I feel watching this. As someone who was bullied a lot (sometimes because of my mixed race), I struggle a lot to explain to people these things.

[@chimingito]

SEEND FDEE and SDEE

[@chimingito]

Formery Ccuhks

[@harshitjain575]

Yeah! No one is going to talk about the obvious bias in ivy league schools against Asian Americans.

[@normanplombe2889]

If a John Oliver show makes you feel VALIDATED...you should think about your life a little more and maybe raise the bar.

[@arkoisagoodboy]

Top median earners in the country. Statistically more likely to get loan approvals, lower mortgage and student loan rates, you're overrepresented in top tier and ivy league schools... seems like you've been getting seen more than the rest of us but apparently not as much as you want.

[@yonggongaming]

As a Korean American adopted by wonderful parents. The first time I celebrated Christmas at age of three, I wished for Christmas to be white because my family was white and the community around me was white. I was bullied for being Korean and at age of THREE I knew I was treated differently. My mom who taught ethics and religion told her students that story to show inequalities are easy to understand and can happen to people close to you.

[@whynottyg7250]

And your point is?

[@mindurownbiz8857]

@@whynottyg7250 If you want to know his point, just read his comment. It's right above yours.

[@kingace6186]

Here are three example of famous, consequential Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders people in US History: 1) Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu (the First Lady of Physics). A significant particle & experimental physicist that was instrumental to the Manhattan Project. 2) Fred Korematsu. A legendary civil rights activist and American hero. Fought against discrimination towards Japanese Americans during WW2. 3) Kalpana Chawla. She was the first Indian woman in space. A national hero in India. During its re-entry, her spacecraft disintegrated & she died.

[@howardphung281]

I am a Vietnamese immigrant, have lived here for more than three decades. I don’t mind people asking me, “Where are you from?” I think it’s nice that my fellow Americans are interested in my origin. However, I get annoyed when I see all Asian Americans get asked the same question as though there is such a thing as all Asian Americans are first generation immigrants. My other observation is that many Americans think of Asian cultures are from East Asia and India and nothing else. These two observations seem minor but they are a reflection that we, Americans, should be more aware of our diversity. Nowadays, I don’t often ask where people come from. I ask about their ethnicity.

[@MollyOckett3]

I do really appreciate him putting things in terms of Hemsworth so I can understand

[@idon.t2156]

Too bad he likes using racial slurs on his own race. Why so racist? Did he get his job because of his skin color, or does he work hard for it?

[@sithpsychopath3189]

@@idon.t2156 foh Nazi

[@gfox-ck5xx]

@@sithpsychopath3189 e's a russian bot.

[@Milubee]

it was a powerful moment indeed

[@JaharNarishma]

@@8848noelle Exactly. Cracker is not about the crack of the whip when forcing slaves to work the fields. Cracker is not a slur at all. I have nt spent enough time reading and talking about racism with well informed sources and people. Racism is structural, it is systemic, it is about power from one group oppressing another group. With the globalisation it's about the west world whites (exchange whites for males and you basically have the patriarchy) oppressing everyone else. How are "counter" slurs affecting the system? It is a small detail, but it seems to be used in debates every once in a while.

[@arvinrajmathur378]

Oh, you're forgetting an important fact: when we do face discrimination, it is sometimes rationalized because we're "privileged"

[@sholem_bond]

"Facing-discrimination-due-to-how-allegedly-'privileged'-you-are-five!" - me, a Jew, holding up a hand for a high-five edit: also, constantly being viewed as a foreigner/having divided loyalties (although this one might be less common for Jews these days, and also, Catholics get this a little bit too, although again, less so nowadays I think).

[@arvinrajmathur378]

@@sholem_bond exactly! And the people telling us how privileged we are are usually white. Worst of all, ever since Indians started supporting Trump, now i have to deal with even more racism from both the left and the right. I've gone to administrators and everything. My institution even tried to recommend me for disability services when I got sick of the racism and double standards and decided to complain. That's how bad the gaslighting is

[@krisclem8290]

One reason I will never agree with most leftists. They argue that racism can only happen to black and brown people. They also don't recognize the idea of privilege depends on the country and the majority in that country.

[@lemontonk]

@@krisclem8290 WHAT HAHAHAHA. I feel like you have this weird skewed idea of what a “leftist” is in your head sir

[@utkarsh2746]

@@krisclem8290 As a starting point maybe understand that this binary distinction of left-right is what shuts down any meaningful conversation? Or that the American "left" is barely left-of-center in any other part of the world. Or atleast hold what you think is the "right" to the same standards of hypocrisy?

[@Frizzleman]

Great video! I learned a lot and I learned I need to learn more.

[@GRC7769]

Great piece. Thank you.

[@kawaiiafangirl]

7:48 "Some Hems, are worth a lot more than other Hems are worth". I'm Filipino and even though I appreciate this segment by John Oliver, I think that line was the one I thought about the most. Lol.

[@ButchBitch95]

honestly same, i'm chinese and japanese and that was the line that made me laugh out loud lmao everything else i already knew, but good use of the platform john!

[@techspider7486]

I knew this line would be criminally underrated. It's perfection.

[@Scendence_]

U.S: "We love Capitalism!" Japan: *Makes cheap cars* U.S: "Fuck..."

[@janmelantu7490]

Clearly we should try protectionism. That always works! It definitely won’t just result in Japanese cars being built in the US.

[@paulgoogol2652]

@@janmelantu7490 It would be quite a throw back enonomically but why not for the funsies? There will be harder labour, more expensive products, more ressource consumption and more local co2 emmissions. All the fun things. Until robots will do the jobs.

[@yqx8103]

And today: US: capitalism! China: capitalism with Chinese characteristics! US: 🧐🤬

[@sniperfreak223]

Not only did they make cheaper cars, they made cheaper cars that were more reliable than the American ones.

[@charlesramirez587]

@@sniperfreak223 that's because our Auto industry is just built for unreliable performance in a scheme to be replaced. The high cost resulted in lower sales but the industry here justified it under regulation and taxes. The US has lost it's manufacturing prowess for multiple reasons.

[@didderjade]

Many, many kudos to John Oliver and his team. This is a well-researched, well-constructed, thoughtfully condensed primer on the complexities of Asian-American history. I hope a lot of non-AsAms (and maybe some AsAms) learned a lot from this.

[@lingli6184]

Thank you so much John for making this program. I have learned so much about the life Asian Americans in the past. Hooray human dignity!