Jo Koy is a stand-up comedian who has had a lot of success thanks to his Netflix comedy specials.
As a half-Filipino, Koy draws heavily on his heritage and family for inspiration. And, to give back to his culture, he has used his success to represent his race and ethnicity.
And his efforts have not been limited to stand-up comedy and comedy specials. In his memoir, Mixed Plate: Chronicles of an All-American Combo, he included recipes for some Filipino dishes, such as lumpia and chicken adobo.
Here’s a look at Koy’s pride in his heritage and his efforts to represent it.
Jo Koy Discusses Representing His Ethnicity
Koy was born in the United States to an American father and a Filipino mother. He had little knowledge of other Filipinos in the comedy circuit when he was younger.
But, like many comics of minority ethnicity, he encountered many difficulties in his early days in the business.
“When you come to Hollywood, they have no idea what they’re looking at—as horrible as that sounds.” “What is your backstory?” We don’t understand. “What are we going to do with you?”
Koy juggled up to three part-time jobs at the time and took whatever gigs he could get, including ethnic theme nights like “Wonton Wednesdays” and “Asian Invasion.”
He didn’t stand out as a comedian for a long time. It wasn’t until he began telling stories about his mother while mimicking her mannerisms and accent that he began to be recognized.
In a few more years, Koy rose to become one of the world’s most well-known comedians, with his own Netflix comedy specials and memoir.
He previously stated that he wanted to write the memoir to tell people about his journey to success despite the challenges that his mixed-race background presented.
“I’m not trying to congratulate myself. When asked about his book, he said, “It was a long road.”
“When I finally got to this point in my career, all I did was look at my manager.” “I was like, ‘Man, I want to tell people about this struggle and how difficult it was to get here.'”
In addition to writing about his struggles, Koy discusses his ethnicity and roots extensively in his book.
In addition, Koy filmed his special, In His Element, in the Philippines. When speaking with Good Morning America about it, the comic said he shot it in the Philippines to share his culture while motivating his son.
“I get to talk about being Filipino, but I never get to show the world what it looks like,” he explained.
“When I was a kid, I didn’t have any TV inspiration like that.” And I wanted that to be the catalyst.”
In honor of his contribution and Filipino American History Month, San Diego has designated Friday, October 16, 2020, as “Jo Koy Day.”]
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