0:05 I like these ones where you have to go back to your high school brain. Uh go back to your little high school brain and I want you to name different Asian ethnicities that you were seeing around at the time and what you envied about them. I have I have a double split on one of them. >> So, one was I was so envious of Vietnamese in the beginning because it's real those all the Vietnamese I know were multiple generation. And I'm like, man, they're like so assimilated and like um I was like, dude, that's crazy. They're like almost like like they're like like the way Japanese Americans are. Like fourth generation, fifth generation. >> Oh, okay, okay. >> Everyone I knew was like that. Right, yeah. >> Vietnamese? Wow. No. Then I go to Monterey Park and I'm like, what the literally just got here.
0:56 My classmate just got here. I'm like, [clears throat] that's crazy. So, you were envying how well like Americanized the Vietnamese 50s >> Yeah, like all the Vietnamese dudes I knew was like like Jeff Bui, Nick Wynn, whatever. >> Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. >> to Monterey Park and I'm like, I'm like, what the ████ now? Yeah, it's like complete flip. I'm like, what happened to the Jeffries, dude? Where are they Where are they at? Yeah. Where's Jeff Bui at? I used to be really envious of Korean guys because uh they were they felt like they were more dominant in the car scene, at least that I could see, observably. They just had hell of nice ████ I was just like I couldn't wrap my head around how they had the money for that stuff. >> Oh, yeah. There were a lot of OC rich Koreans, huh?
1:46 Yeah, and when the GQ style was in >> Oh, they had all the name brand. Perfect, bro. They had Hugo Boss, they had Yeah, they have all that. >> like I couldn't pull it off as well as them cuz I was just hella darker. So, it didn't look right. But these dudes with their milky ass skin and like flowing hair and they just had all the best brands. Their cars were ████ tight and they rolled in big ass groups. So, I was just like, damn, how do you get make something like that, you know? Yeah. I was hella envious of Korean dudes back then. Now I don't think Filipinos are way cooler. >> [laughter] >> I feel like Filipinos were like at the peak of swaggery. They were but it was like a more It was a more like urban swag. Oh, it wasn't like luxury swag. Cuz that got cooler, right? >> high school, the urban swag was cool and
2:37 it was a Filipino dude and you know, he was like cool with all like like the gangsters and ████ but he would always have like the coolest like chains and and like the coolest brands. I'm like, I've never even heard of this before. Like his his style was like hella cool and he like hoops, you know? But then there was this other kid that I grew up with well in high school I grew up with he's a Japanese guy and he was like varsity uh basketball player and he played with like our team was like really good. They won like CIF and ████ and all that. But what I was jealous of was he had a like a little I didn't know what J League was at the time. And it was like the Japan I was like, damn, this dude got a whole community of like Japanese dudes that he grew up with playing hoop and like, you know >> five Yeah, and I was like, man, that's ████ cool. I was like, I've never seen anything like that, especially in
3:27 in like that passing area and I was like, man, this has been under my nose the whole time. If I knew, I would have ████ wanted to play J League growing up. But now you're like on the outside >> Yeah, and I'm like, damn, there's I there's no way I could I could make it on the J League teams. I don't They're pretty good, too. And they've been hooping since they're little and I was like, damn, I wish I was I was a part of something like that. >> were a lot of non-Japanese that joined, too. Yeah, there were a lot of Oh, yeah. I just had no idea. But but seeing how like uh that community was cool was because he would we would like go hang out at different like cities and go to different parties and he would just everybody would know him from J League and ████ You're like, damn, dude, he's that so connected. But crazy as a kid >> For real. >> to be see someone get recognized like that >> Well, it was also just like especially for Asian kids. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. a Asian kid like that, you know? And they were all like Asian kids like me who were like had similar
4:17 interests. Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Man, like where the ████ were you guys growing up? They're good at a non-Asian thing. Yeah, exactly. And like to me at the time I was like, oh, I just, you know, never knew this was a thing, so I remember for me I was like, damn, I want to be in something like that. >> [laughter] >> I thought Filipinos were the most uh like flexible at Cerritos High School. Cuz it'd be like it it'd be like uh cuz there's like Philip I would see Filipinos with like cornrows, right? And then they walk by the black kids and everyone's like, yep, we approve. And then there was We approve. >> Yeah, we approve. And then there's like the Filipinos that like hung out with like Mexicans cuz they were like in gangs. And then there's the Filipinos that hung out with Asians. I felt like they were like the most easily assimilated into every group. gritty cool. But then what once the what
5:09 was cool became clean and rich, their income and families are like skewed like crazy. You can have some like super broke ass Filipinos and super rich ones that are all hanging out together. But then like when you saw Korean people, like all of them were rich. Is that how the ████ that happened? >> [laughter] >> Another stupid thing I was envious of was that I was uh I always thought Vietnamese guys back then in like the 90s were like the tougher ones because they were ████ nuts. And I think like Filipinos as like, you know, whether they were like uh want to be gangsters or whatever, they weren't they truly most of them were not down. No. Fashion was down. You know they they look down, they look like they're going to ████ ████ up but they really don't want to. But um but Vietnamese guys before you can even say something, they're in the mix. Violent, yeah. Don
5:59 Bosco Tech for summer school, the Vietnamese guys were the ones who bullied me day one. And it's like a 5-ft Vietnamese guy, too, that's like bullying everyone and you're just like, man, this guy my size, yeah. But then you just know they're kuku. So, I didn't want to ████ with them. I was like, oh ████ Cuz now it doesn't work to like look badass cuz Vietnamese guys sometimes They're not intimidated. >> don't look they're not intimidated. They don't even look like they're going to do ████ but they'll ████ you up for no reason. I was like, [laughter] god damn, bro. They'll just make something up so they can fight with Yeah, I thought that it's like I I'm just breathing. Yeah. >> He's just ████ with me, dude. >> so impressed and envious of that because Filipinos for the most part had a lot of theatrics down for like why you don't mess with them. Yeah. >> Or they were just good ambassadors where you didn't feel like messing with them. But then Vietnamese dudes, the ████ Yeah, Vietnamese.
6:49 >> [laughter] >> I was like, what? What's the point? I was always envious of like how fun and warm other Asian like especially Southeast Asians when you go to their parties or birthday parties and like the way their families operate. Like it's more relaxing and welcoming and and it's hard to explain cuz like it's not that Japanese aren't but I feel like Southeast Asians know how to have a good time. And when you come in, there's like less rules. So, like there's no like um there's like yeah, like you're gambling with uncles and like that would have never happened like in our families. Like the adult ████ is adult ████ That's true, yeah. And then like they're like getting drunk and like enjoying life and like when you come in, it's just like do whatever you want. You want to sing, you want to eat, you want to do
7:40 whatever. And then like it's not like organized fun, you know what I mean? Like so much where it's all controlled and well-mannered. You get to like let loose and enjoy yourself. >> in Japanese family? Yeah, dude, it's boring. No. What do they What do they do for >> Do more than the fun time. >> [laughter] >> A Japanese party is everyone shows up on time. >> [laughter] [snorts] >> on on the dot. You might have some activities that you do. Yeah, and everyone leaves at the same time. Like if if the party ends at like nine, you just it ends at nine. But also like this is my childhood, right? I'm not talking about like teenage and above parties. I'm talking about like you go to these families home like and it's and then, you know, even Chinese I thought were more fun cuz you would go to like a Chinese restaurant and you have like
8:31 from grandma to kids to everybody and it's a big ████ loud group. >> So, Japanese people when they're kicking it, they're it's not loud? In the It can be. No, no, it can be but it's >> [laughter] [laughter] >> It's like hella controlled. Like I don't know how to explain it, man. It's like they're never relaxing and like Masato, you tell joke now. It's really mild. It's it's really really mild. Yeah. [laughter] This is This is so funny. I have a laugh in the bathroom. You have to go in the bathroom and like, that was so >> [laughter] >> They have to excuse themselves. So then in your setting of growing up, that must have been triple bad when you ruined it for your parents by saying they were unwelcome guests. Yeah, yeah,
9:21 [laughter] yeah. Cuz it's already a uptight party. They double down on it. And then also we were religious with no alcohol. Cuz like when I went to Japanese Americans, like they're ████ fun cuz like yeah, I mean it it felt like a normal like you're at a white >> Yeah, they're just white now. It's just regular. Yeah. And then and then to see a lot of other parties from different kinds of families That's that's what I thought I saw that was the biggest difference. Filipino party as a as a young person, did you see how that ████ was like? Yeah, like 180. Well, cuz Southeast Asians, I feel like they do like Mexicans do this too, where it's like a 2-year-old's birthday, but like the whole town is coming. And it's it's and everyone's doing like drunk ████ and it doesn't matter, right? Whereas
10:12 like a Japanese party, I feel like oh it's a kid's birthday party, then it's like a it's like a clean baby shower with no adult ████ Like I think adults party their own way. They go to the Izakaya after work and they get drunk. >> Oh, right, right, right, right, yeah. But if it's for kids, then it's like >> Kid themed the whole way, huh? Yeah. But then I got to see like when you go to a Southeast Asian or Mexican or whatever, like everyone's partying together from grandma getting drunk and the kids like on the bouncy ball like on the bouncy room and whatever, and then everyone's having fun together, you know what I mean? It's not like adults watching the kids and then like okay, now it's time to go. That's true. Yeah. Yeah, it's more integrated. Yeah. And then there's no like rules of like uh like being reserved where um I don't know like let's say they
11:03 offer you food, right? In a Japanese family, they're like oh no, it's okay, or maybe I'll take a little bit, right? But then if you go to like a Southeast Asian party, they're like hey, did you eat yet? Oh ████ you better ████ get this, you better try that. And then like I don't know, like they they they hand you a beer, you're like 14 years old, and you're just like okay. True, at those parties it's like everything's icebreaker, everything. Yeah. Like there's no like tiptoeing around nothing. And it's so I just it just felt so much more warmer. Like you're immediately back and forth three times before you say yes. >> For real. Yeah, that's true. There's no like over polite manner ████ of like oh no, it's okay. I just I just I ate, I'm sorry, you know. Yeah, but it's so built in. Okay, if you insist after like three times. Seriously. Sitting around a ████ boring like couch and ████ you're like so, what's your story? And
11:54 it's so vanilla, bro. And it's like what the ████ And then you go to like a like a like a Southeast Asian party, like they come in, and then you're like oh I'm only 15, and they're like well here's your ████ beer. >> First beer. And then like they're like playing like cards in the back. Dominos. 8-year-old man, and you're like 13 years old, and you put money in, and Yeah. And they show you the ropes of anything you want. >> Yeah. You can walk up, and they'll be like get come here, sit down. Yeah. And they're like oh you never tried this, and then like they have all this different food, right? So they're like come and try ████ eat this, now ████ eat that, you know? And it's like Yeah, so I think there's like um a difference of how adults interact with young people versus like I feel like a Japanese party is like adults and adults are together, and then like they're just like watching kids Forever my vision of
12:46 what Japanese party is is what this fool's doing. >> [laughter] >> Pin the tail on the donkey. Perfection. >> [laughter] >> OR TWO OF THEM. YOU MISS DONKEY. >> [laughter] >> IT'S PROBABLY LIKE WHAT BART would do with his birthday parties. It sounds just like that. 15 minutes of pick up [laughter] stick.
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