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Blasian, Michael Yo, presents his uniquely personal comedy on his debut stand up special, "Blasian." In this special, he discusses growing up half Black and Asian in Houston, TX. Check it out for free on Amazon Prime!

Michael Yo on "Blasian" Tour

Michael Yo is the first and only blasian comic, and he's currently on tour!

Michael with his parents

Michael was raised in Texas, where he got started on radio.  He then got recruited by Miami's #1 station, Y100.  He did that for years before getting an offer from E!. He moved to Los Angeles and was a correspondent on Extra and E! News. He has appeared on The Insider and The Talk on CBS, as well as The Wendy Williams Show. Then Chelsea Handler (of Chelsea Lately) dared him to do stand-up. Fellow half Asian, Jo Koy (Filipino/European American), has been his comic mentor. They even did a podcast (The Michael Yo & Jo Koy Show) together for a few years.

"[Jo] told me that I had great stories about my parents and that is where comedy comes from, real life. Not about people writing jokes but what really happened in your life. Growing up in the situation I am from, that is automatic comedy. Having [an Asian] mom, we all know Asian moms and how they say the craziest things no matter who is around and it can sound racist at times. But they don't think it is racist and they are just honest people, you know what I mean" So, I talk about the crazy things my mom says about other people." 

Michael doesn't like kimchi (김치) and doesn't speak Korean, and he didn't really connect with his Asian side until he started doing stand-up.

"I can honestly say that stand-up has really made me connect more than I ever have because telling the stories about my mom. My stand-up is all about my dad, my mom, how I grew up, dealing with racism, and finding my identity. So, the whole show is about that. Me and my mom have always been super close, and I feel that telling these stories, Asian people are starting to come out and relate to it. I find it weird because I didn't connect to it while I was going through it, but it is more that I'm connecting to it now."

"Blasian", his new comedy tour about growing up biracial, started in San Francisco on December 31, 2018. It was released on digital and on-demand platforms on November 27th and is available on iTunes and GooglePlay. His tour continues in Sacramento on January 11, 2019. 

Michael is an actor, stand-up comedian, and television host. Currently, he is a co-host on the Bravo series, Play by Play, and hosts The Michael Yo Show on Sirius XM's Entertainment Weekly. The Michael Yo Show premiered on September 4th via satellite on channel 105 through the SiriusXM app.

Selected Sources
* Houston Chronicle, "Houston-born comic Michael Yo releases special about growing up biracial", November 1, 2018.
* HalfKorean.com: An online community for mixed-race Koreans, "Interview with Michael Yo", August, 16, 2013. 

Photos courtesy of Michael Yo/Metro Public Relations.

Blasian Comedian to Star in Autobiographical Sitcom

A TV show, inspired by Michael Yo's life, co-written by and starring comedian Michael Yo, is being developed. The self-proclaimed "Half-Black Brother with a Korean Mother", Michael Yo, was born "Michael Yo Simmons" to a Korean mom and an African American dad with a PhD in Nuclear Physics. 

The untitled comedy centers on a young couple's life that is made more complicated when the guy's over-achieving African American, PhD scientist/ex-Military father and scheming Asian mother show up to help them take care of their newborn baby and adjust to their new surroundings. Yo married Claire Elise Schreiner on February 14, 2016 and recently became a father to Oliver Yo Simmons. He came up with the idea for the family comedy when his parents visited to help with their new grandchild. Yo will also be an executive producer for the show.

Selected Sources:
* Deadline, "Michael Yo To Star In Autobiographical Family Comedy In Works At Fox", November 5, 2018.
* Coming Soon, "Michael Yo Developing Autobiographical Sitcom for FOX", November 6, 2018.

Blasian Featured in Netflix Show

The first ten episodes of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina was released on October 26th. The series is centered on Sabrina Spellman, a half-witch half-mortal. I'm a huge Netflix fan and was super intrigued by the trailer for this new show. In the trailer, I spotted a diverse group of witches in black dresses with lace collars. A brunette and redhead led by a brown-skinned beauty, they are the Weird Sisters, a trio of witches who have developed a sisterhood forged in their bond as orphans. In the trailer, the leader of the Weird Sisters, Prudence Night tells Sabrina, "You're gonna die, half-breed." This seems ironic when you realize that two of the actresses portraying the Weird Sisters are actually half-Korean. Adeline Rudolph (the brunette) is German-Korean, and Tati Gabrielle (the leader) is Korean-African American. 

Tati Gabrielle (birth name: Tatiana Gabrielle Hobson) was raised by her Korean American mother. Her father, a former basketball player from Ohio, is involved in the entertainment industry as a director and producer. She modelled as a child and graduated high school with a 3.7 GPA. She majored in Drama and French at Spelman College. She moved to Los Angeles and earned roles in the CW's The 100, Hulu's Freakish, and TBS's Tarantula. She was cast as Prudence in March 2018. 

Tati's mom was adopted from Korea and raised in Virginia by an African American family. She raised Tati to stay connected to her Asian roots, and the diverse Bay Area of California was a great environment for a mixed kid. Now Tati's starring in a show that is being lauded for its ethnic, racial, and sexual diversity. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is arguably one of the most strongly feminist television shows today, with women fighting against dominating patriarchal leaders in both the mortal and witch worlds.  

A Christmas special episode, A Midwinter's Tale, will be released on December 14th, and the second part of the first season is scheduled for release on April 5, 2019. Experience Tati Gabrielle's fierceness in this spellbinding  show!

Selected Sources:
* Mochi Magazine, "Actress Tati Gabrielle on Girl Power and Finding Identity", October 12, 2018.
* Status Magazine, "Tati Gabrielle Unveils the Magic of her Artistic Journey", October 1, 2018.

Two Blasian "Asias" Strive for Fame

A new show about a Blasian in search of fame aired on Lifetime in the summer of 2014. Raising Asia is a docuseries that debuted on July 29. Season 1 included 13 episodes that aired through September 9. The show follows the daily life of Asia Monet Ray, a nine year old dancer, and her family. Asia's father, Shawn Ray (African American) is a former professional bodybuilder who was inducted into the IFBB Hall of Fame of professional bodybuilding in January 2007. Her mother, Kristie (Alvarado) Ray, is of Filipino and Mexican descent and was a fitness model and bodybuilder.

Raising Asia is a spin-off of Dance Moms. Dance Moms, currently in its 5th season, follows the Abby Lee Dance Company's Junior Elite Competition Team of 9-13 year old girls. Asia was discovered via YouTube and was selected to appear on the reality show, Abby Lee’s Ultimate Dance Competition, and placed 3rd in the competition. She went on to appear in season 3 of Dance Moms, which led to her getting her own show.

Asia Monet Ray is not the 1st blasian Asia on reality TV.  Back in 2007, Asia Nitollano appeared on The CW's The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll. The 9 episode series followed 9 finalists auditioning to join The Pussycat Dolls. The Pussycat Dolls were an American pop girl group and dance ensemble founded as a burlesque troupe. The contestants lived together during the series and were groomed by the group's founder, Robin Antin. The girls were judged on their vocal and dancing ability. During the season finale of the show, Asia Nitollano was chosen to become the newest member of the group and performed with The Pussycat Dolls. Here's a clip from Asia's performance with The Pussycat Dolls.

Asia is the daughter of Joe Bataan (born Bataan Nitollano), a Latin soul musician born to a Filipino father and an African American mother. “My father was Filipino, my mother was African American, and my culture was Puerto Rican,” Joe has said. Asia's mother is Puerto Rican. Asia only performed live with The Pussycat Dolls only twice. Soon after her selection as the 7th Pussycat Doll, Asia decided to pursue a solo career and is working on her solo album, although she is unsigned. She is also a professional dancer, formerly of the New York Knicks City Dancers. Since the airing of the show, The Pussycat Dolls have disbanded.  

First Blasian Contestant on AsNTM2

Marie Nakagawa with the flags of Senegal & Japan

Season 2 of Asia's Next Top Model featured blasian contestant, Marie Nakagawa, of Japan.  Born to a Senegalese father and a Japanese mother, Marie has often been mistaken for a non-Japanese due to her mixed heritage.  She was often bullied by her peers during her childhood in Tokyo.  In her Intro video for AsNTM, Marie discusses the difficulties she experienced as a blasian child in Japan.

Filmed in Malaysia, Asia's Next Top Model (cycle 2) premiered on January 8, 2014 on STAR World Asia and Fox Asia.  Sixteen women from across the Asia-Pacific region participated in the televised contest.  prior to her elimination.  Marie was in the bottom 3 in Episode 2 and was the first to be given a second chance.  She was the first call out, selected for best photo in Episode 4, Episode 7, and Episode 8.

Episode 4: The Girl That Embraces Change

Episode 7: The Girl Who is in the Spotlight

Episode 8: The Girl Who Makes a Splash

Marie posted the following on her Facebook page on January 22, 2014, discussing her desire to help Japan recognize the diversity of beauty.

"Japan really needs to realize that FASHION should be equal to any races and I'm hoping that Japanese fashion industry will be more open mind to those colored race as well. Trust me, I am giving my all to change Japan for all those young girls looking up to Japanese Fashion Industry Which They only Have Either white or light Skin tone Damn too skinny and cute Eyes Big Girls That says and Represent and Being told as the definition of World's Standard BEAUTY" Which IS Totally not. Their only to BE Admire.
We Live in Japan, but we ALSO Live in the World.
non of US in the World IS Same. We all Have Different skin color, we all have different eye color hair colors and everything and WE ALL DIFFERENT that's exactly why we should accept the beauty each other and we NEVER EVER have to set the definition of beauty by skin color or the size of the eyes or big teeth Small teeth skinny or Chubby or whatever the reason Stupid Which we should Never Compared to and by Judges.
DIFFERENT AND WE ALL BEAUTIFUL IN OUR OWN WAYS."

Blasian to Star in Nick At Nite Pilot

Nick At Nite has announced a new show called Instant Mom.  The show will star Tia Mowry and is about a 25-year-old party girl who marries an older man with kids and becomes an “instant mom”.  Sydney Park has been cast as the eldest child and only daughter, Gabrielle (Gabby).

Syd & mom, Kelly

Sydney was born in Philadelphia, PA on October 31, 1997 to a Korean American father and African American mother.  At the age of 6, using the moniker "Syd the Kid", she became the youngest person ever to perform stand up comedy at the world famous Hollywood Improv.  She has also displayed her comedic talents on America's Got Talent and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  As an actress, she has appeared in the That's So Raven and CSI: NY.  In 2011, she starred in her one-girl show Young, Gifted, Half Black at the Upright Citizen's Brigade at the age of 13.

Instant Mom will premiere on Sunday, September 29, 2013.  Check it out at Nick Mom TV.  

UPDATED
Monday, September 2, 2013

Two New Blasian Reality Show Stars Debut Today!

A new reality TV show featuring two blasians premieres Monday, September 3 at 11 PM ET/PT on Oxygen.  The ethnically diverse cast of Oxygen's Girlfriend Confidential: LA includes Eva Marcille (Puerto Rican / African American), Nikki Chu (Jamaican / Chinese / Canadian), Denyce Lawton (Korean / African American), and Kelly Marie Dunn (Korean adoptee).  The new series follows these beautiful and successful friends, as they help one another navigate the tumultuous waters of love and celebrity life against the backdrop of the Hollywood entertainment industry.

Eva, Nikki, Denyce, & Kelly

Nikki Chu is a high-profile design diva.  She is a dynamic interior and product designer and practices her love for art with her own company, Nikki Chu Design.  She is considered the virtual “it girl” of style.  The name "Nikki Chu" is synonymous with all that is fabulous.  Nikki Chu is a brand in which luxury has no limits and her style is in a class of its own.  Her flare for interior design has been showcased on E! Entertainment, HGTV, VH1, and the Fine Living Channel.  Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Nikki is of Jamaican Chinese heritage.

 

 Nikki with her mother and father. 

Denyce's "Made in Korea" tattoo

Actress Denyce Lawton is best known for starring in the series, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.  She has been the face of many advertising campaigns and has a number of television and film credits.  Born in Seoul, South Korea, Lawton is the middle child of three children, with an older half sister, who is full Korean, and a younger brother, who is also Korean-African American.  Her parents met when her father was stationed in Seoul with the US Army.  As a child, she lived a military life, traveling around the world.  She has lived in Germany, Kansas, Japan, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Washington, DC.

 
Denyce with her mother and father.

Selected Sources:

* Oxygen, "Girlfriend Confidential: LA".

* HalfKorean.com: An online community for mixed-race Koreans, "Interview - Denyce Lawton".

The Newest Blasian Reality TV Star...

Dina Ruiz Eastwood!

Dina Eastwood began starring in a reality television series on the E! network about her life called Mrs. Eastwood & Company in May of 2012.  The show focuses on the lives of Dina, wife of actor/director Clint Eastwood, and their daughters, Francesca and Morgan.  Mrs. Eastwood manages the six-person a cappella group Overtone, who also live with the Eastwoods in their Carmel-by-the-Sea, California mansion.  The season finale aired on July 23rd.

Television news anchor Dina Ruiz* was assigned an interview with Clint Eastwood in 1993.  Three years later, the couple married in a surprise private ceremony planned by the groom.  Following the birth of the couple's daughter, Morgan, in 1996, Dina left her anchor spot at KSBW-TV.

While in South Africa with her husband for the filming of Invictus, Dina discovered Overtone.  The group sang the soundtrack for the 2009 film.  Dina was so impressed by their talent and potential that she relocated the entire sextet to California and has been managing them ever since.   

In the Spring 2007 issue of Carmel Magazine, Dina spoke about growing up multiracial. –
" I was the darkest kid at my elementary school.  I used to get called 'nigger' in grade school.  I had a real problem with my looks until I was about 20.  Now everyone is mixed.  It's no big deal.  My dad is black and Japanese.  And my mom's Irish, German and English."

LEFT: Dina's dad, Michael
RIGHT: Dina's mom, Mary Lou

* Although Dina's family name is Hispanic, she is not Hispanic at all.  Dina's father was adopted by a Portuguese American / Puerto Rican family named Ruiz.

Selected Sources:
* E! Online, "Mrs. Eastwood & Company".
* Dina Eastwood, Twitter.
* Carmel Magazine, "The Simple Things: Dina Eastwood Prefers Substance Over Style", Spring 2007.

Blasian Reality TV Stars

Lou Jing – who gained fame as a reality show contestant in China – got me thinking about Blasians on reality TV.  There haven't been that many.  While Asians are rare, half Asians are few and far between.  Half-African American, half Asian reality stars are even more infrequent.  There have been 3 blasian reality stars – Melissa Howard, Lisa Wu, and Kimora Lee.

Melissa on Real World (2000) and with her daughter (2011)

Melissa Howard (Filipino-African American) became the 1st blasian reality star in 2000 on MTV's Real World: New Orleans.  She went on to appear in other reality TV shows, including Real World / Road Rules Challenge and Battle of the Network Reality Stars.  Now Melissa Beck, she is married to Glassjaw guitarist, Justin Beck, and has a daughter, Shalom Mazie.

Melissa's parents – Maurice "Shorty" & Narcisa "Mercy" – at the MTV Studios

Lisa Wu appeared in the first two seasons (2008-2009) of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.  Her mother is of Afro-Caribbean descent, and her father is Chinese.  

Lisa Wu's parents

Previously married to R&B singer Keith Sweat, she was married to NFL linebacker Ed Hartwell, while on the show.  They divorced in 2011.

Lisa Wu and her sons Jordan, Justin, & EJ

Kimora Lee – better known as a model and former wife of Russell Simmons – has starred in the reality television series, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane, since 2007.  The most famous blasian reality star, she details her daily life with her three children and her husband, model/actor Djimon Hounsou.  

Kimora and her mother, Kyoko Perkins

With a Korean-born Japanese mother and an African American father, Kimora was often a target of bullying and teasing as a child because of her height (5'10" by age 10) and her mixed heritage.  Her mom enrolled her in modeling classes when she was 11 years old, and Kimora was discovered at the age of 13.  

Kimora married mogul, Russell Simmons, in 1998.  They officially separated in 2006.  She has been with Djimon Hounsou, a Benin-born Oscar-nominated actor, since 2007.

Kimora and her children, Kenzo, Ming, & Aoki

While there are many who view reality TV as a less-esteemed genre of television, it can be an excellent platform to share varying perspectives and provides exposure to different types of people and ethnicities.  Reality television is a unique opportunity to potentially see and connect with people who have similar stories.

Selected Sources:
* Melissa Beck, tumblr.
* The Real Housewives of Atlanta, "Lisa Wu Hartwell".
* Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane, "Kimora Lee Simmons".

First Blasian on TV

Alisa Gyse is a bit of a hero to me. She was Kinu Owens on the 1990s television series, A Different World. In 8 episodes between 1990 and 1993, Alisa was the Japanese-African American love interest of Dwayne Wayne. As a Korean-African American, seeing someone of Afro-Asian ethnicity on TV was amazing. She was the first half-black half-Asian character I had ever seen. It was thrilling to see someone similar to myself portrayed in such a popular vehicle.

A Different World, Episode: "Everything Must Change" (1990)

Kinu's blend of Asian and black features and identity pervaded her presence on the show. It went beyond her physical characteristics and made its way into the way she dressed, talked, and even cooked. She had a Japanese name, spoke the Japanese language, and prepared Japanese meals. Yet, she was still an African American character on an African American show. I could relate.

In 1990, Alisa backed up Sammy Cahn ― legendary lyricist, songwriter, and musician ― in a live performance piece. In an interview promoting the show, she noted that she had been to Japan three times. She said, "When I was going to Japan, I wondered what my relatives would think of me." "I'm half Japanese and half black, and the Japanese can be a very purist society. I wondered if they'd be old and traditional. They were the most wonderful, hospitable people. I got closer to them in a shorter amount of time than to some of my relatives I've known for years."

Alisa also acknowledged her luck in earning her first acting role in A Different World. "They were looking for someone who is black and Japanese!" she said.

Soloist in Sammy Cahn's "Words & Music" (1990)

Of her experience in Cahn's show, Alisa said, "I think Americans are ready and willing to be entertained by any race. Here I am, the only black person in the Sammy Cahn show, singing songs that are not from my heritage, but I love the songs, and I'm sure people enjoy my performance, and it has nothing to do with my being black or Japanese - or purple!"

Here are a few screenshots from Alisa Gyse's time as Kinu Owens on A Different World.

Selected Sources:

* Chicago Tribune, "On with the Show", December 3, 1990.

* Internet Movie Database, "Alisa Gyse-Dickens".