'Crazy Rich Asians' Star Jimmy O Yang on the 'Almost Therapeutic' Process of Writing His Memoir

On the heels of the crazy success of “Crazy Rich Asians” comes “Silicon Valley” star Jimmy O. Yang’s hilarious but heartfelt memoir “How to American,” which tells his story as a young Chinese immigrant pursuing a career in Hollywood… much to his family’s chagrin.

“Growing up, my dad was ‘get a real job, don’t go pursuing your dreams, that’s how you become homeless,'” Yang told TheWrap. “So, do I pick my family or do I pick my own happiness, and how much does my own happiness depend on my family?”

You already know the answer to that question, but sharing that deep desire didn’t sit well with his traditional parents.

Also Read: 'Fresh Off the Boat' Casts 'Crazy Rich Asians' Actor Jimmy O Yang in Season 5

“My dad thought I was crazy, but I figured it was better to disappoint my parents for a few years than to disappoint myself for the rest of my life,” said Yang, who migrated to the U.S. from Hong Kong with his parents when he was 13. “I had to disappoint them in order to pursue what I loved. That was the only way to have my Chinese turnip cake and eat an American apple pie too.”

It didn’t go much better with his mother, who he said is a “people person” but is also “very blunt.”

“I always have to brace myself when I visit my parents,” Yang joked. “My mom often greets me with a slew of nonconstructive criticisms: ‘Jimmy, why is your face so fat? Your clothes look homeless and your long hair makes you look like a girl.’ After 30 years of this, my self-image is now a fat homeless lesbian.”

The decision to get his life experience on paper for the world to see clashed with a couple of what he calls his “Chinese Rules”: “1) Respect your parents, your elders and your teachers. NEVER talk back or challenge them under any circumstance, and 2) Family first, money second, pursue your dreams never.”

Also Read: 'Crazy Rich Asians' Nears $150 Million, and It's Not Just Because of Asian Moviegoers

But pulling up memories for the book was, “almost therapeutic” for him.

“Certain stories, like my mom leaving when I was 15-years-old to go back to China because she didn’t quite assimilate like we did, that was a moment that was very sad in my life,” Yang said. “But also, maybe now the emotions come from the fact that she is back in this country and we do have our family back together. And it’s all fine. I turned out to be OK, for the most part. I think. But it kind of reminds you that it doesn’t matter how tough times are, maybe when you look back at it, it’s just another anecdote.

“Hopefully people can draw some parallels to that maybe in their own experiences.”

Yang was shooting “Crazy Rich Asians” while completing “How to American,” and he remembers how the combined experiences felt.

Also Read: 'Crazy Rich Asians' Sequel in Development With Jon M Chu Planning to Return

“I just felt so proud to be Asian,” he said. “It doesn’t matter about ‘Asian-American’ because I saw other Asians — Asian-Australians, from U.K., from Singapore — we were all just there, doing the best that we could. Our whole journey of our life took us to that moment, right there in Singapore. I was so proud of everything.

“The book is about how I tried to fit in to be an American; that experience made me feel so proud to be Asian that I wanted to be more Asian again, instead of trying to change myself to assimilate into this culture that I ended up growing up with. A lot of people go on this journey of finding themselves and then eventually realize that their true self wasn’t on the outside but it’s always been there. It’s going back to what you know.

“And there’s some comfort in that. … now that the movie is a success, that story and that journey means that much more to me.”

From 'The Cheat' to 'Crazy Rich Asians,' a Brief History of Asian-Americans in Film (Photos)

The widely-lauded romantic comedy "Crazy Rich Asians" is creating buzz for being both great and also the first major studio film since 1993's "Joy Luck Club" to feature a mostly Asian-American cast. The history of Asian-Americans in movies has spanned more than a century, before the inception of color film. Here is a chronological look at films starring Asian-Americans from the past -- and the future.
“The Cheat” (1915) Asian men are rarely painted as sex symbols even in contemporary media, but Japanese-American actor Sessue Hayakawa became a veritable heartthrob, especially after starring in Cecil B. DeMille’s silent thriller, “The Cheat.” Though monumental, his role was that of a predatory antagonist, a typecast that stuck with him during the anti-Japanese sentiments of World War II.
Paramount
“The Toll of The Sea” (1922) Anna May Wong, who was born in Los Angeles to a Chinese-American family, became essentially the first Chinese-American movie star. At the age of 17, she had a leading role as the character of Lotus Flower in one of the first color films made, “The Toll of The Sea,” which was inspired by the play “Madame Butterfly.”
Metro Pictures Corporation
“Daughter of Shanghai” (1937) Anna May Wong starred alongside Korean-American actor Philip Ahn, who played a government agent trying to bust an alien smuggling ring in San Francisco. Ahn later became the first Asian-American to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Paramount
“Sayonara” (1957) Japanese-American actress Miyoshi Umeki starred in “Sayonara” as one-half of a scorned interracial marriage in the midst of the Korean War. Umeki won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role, becoming the first and only Asian-American actress to do so.
Warner Bros.
"Flower Drum Song" (1961) This turducken of a film is a movie adaptation of the musical that was based on the 1957 novel written by Chinese-American author C.Y. Lee. The film was set in San Francisco's Chinatown and the cast was flanked by Japanese-American actor James Shigeta and Chinese-American actress Nancy Kwan.
Universal Pictures
“Enter the Dragon” (1973) Bruce Lee’s most notable film was released six days after his death in 1973. In addition to critical acclaim, the martial arts movie was inducted into the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally significant." Though Lee died young, at the age of 32, he became a symbol of cool strength and surmounting the impossible.
Warner Bros.
“Star Trek: The Motion Picture” (1979) George Takei played Hikaru Sulu aboard the USS Enterprise in the first installment of the “Star Trek” film franchise. The role was reprised by John Cho in the more recent slate of “Star Trek” films.
Paramount
“The Karate Kid” (1984) Even while the titular “Kid” changed throughout the franchise, Mr. Miyagi was the constant. California-born Pat Morita got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the humble and patient karate master.
Columbia Pictures
“The Joy Luck Club” (1993) The 1993 film based on Amy Tan’s novel is often named these days as an antecedent to “Crazy Rich Asians” -- a big studio film with Asian-American leads. It also featured breakout roles for actresses Ming-Na Wen and Lauren Tom.
Buena Vista
“Mulan” (1998) Mulan was the eighth Disney princess, the second Asian Disney princess, and the first to, well, not technically be a princess. Ming-Na Wen voiced the titular character in the Disney animated film that took place in Han China, while BD Wong voiced General Li Shang. Mulan's sung lines were supplied by Filipina actress, Lea Salonga, who previously lent her voice to the "Aladdin" soundtrack.
Disney
“Charlie’s Angels” (2000) Lucy Liu has had a robust film and television career, from “Ally McBeal” to “Kill Bill” to “Elementary.” One of her first big movie roles was as Alex Munday, an overachieving spy with a diverse skill set, in the 2000 “Charlie’s Angels” film.
Columbia
“Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” (2004) A modern day stoner comedy starring two Asian-American leads (John Cho and Kal Penn) may seem absurd -- but that’s exactly what this film is. Subverting stereotypes and utilizing humor that didn’t solely rely on race, “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” told the epic journey of two guys just trying to satisfy their munchies.
Warner Bros.
“The Big Sick” (2017) Kumail Nanjiani both co-wrote and starred in this Oscar-nominated film. Though technically a romantic comedy, Nanjiani exercised more solemn themes in the movie, which explored his Pakistani upbringing and his real-life relationship with his wife Emily V. Gordon.
Lionsgate
“Crazy Rich Asians” (2018) This opulent film marks a watershed moment in Asian-American film history -- a marriage of an older and revered generation of actors such as Michelle Yeoh, as well as an ushering in of new talent which includes Constance Wu and Awkwafina. And like “The Joy Luck Club,” which came before it, both the film’s director and the novel it’s based on are Asian-American as well.
Warner Bros.
“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” (2018) Very rarely do we see a well-rounded love story involving an Asian-American character on screen, and even less so that depict teenagers. In Netflix's new film, "To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before," star Lana Condor (from "X-Men: Apocalypse”) plays Lara, an endearing adolescent who finds her world upended when the letters she’s written to her crushes are mysteriously released.
Netflix
"Mulan" (2020) This Disney animated film is getting the live-action treatment with a cast led by Chinese-American actress Liu Yifei as the titular character, as well as prominent non Asian-American performers Donnie Yen and Jet Li. The film will also feature Asian-American actors Jason Scott Lee and Rosalind Chao, the latter of whom starred in "The Joy Luck Club."
Disney

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Study up ahead of the raved-about rom-com

The widely-lauded romantic comedy "Crazy Rich Asians" is creating buzz for being both great and also the first major studio film since 1993's "Joy Luck Club" to feature a mostly Asian-American cast. The history of Asian-Americans in movies has spanned more than a century, before the inception of color film. Here is a chronological look at films starring Asian-Americans from the past -- and the future.

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