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- [00:00]
Host 1
This is an Iheart podcast.
- [00:04]
Host 2
This episode is brought to you by WhatsApp. Your personal messaging is also your personal space. Completely private. That's why it's nice to know that on WhatsApp, no one can see or hear your personal messages. So the calls with your mom, chats about the latest work drama, late night voice messages, and all those photos and videos of your dog. Every personal message stays private because no one, not even WhatsApp, can see or hear your personal messages. WhatsApp message privately with everyone.
- [00:36]
Host 1
This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. May is mental health Awareness Month, and Talkspace, the leading virtual therapy provider, is telling everyone, let's face it in therapy, by talking or texting with a supportive, licensed therapist at Talkspace, you can face whatever is holding you back. Whether it's mental health symptoms, relationship drama, past trauma, bad habits, or another challenge that you need support to work through. It's easy to sign up. Just go to talkspace.com and you'll be paired with a provider, typically within 48 hours. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule. Plus, Talkspace is in network with most major insurers, and most insured members have a $0 copay. Make your mental health a priority and start today. If you're not covered by insurance, get $80 off your first month with Talkspace when you go to talkspace.com and and enter promo code SPACE80. That's S P A CE80. To match with a licensed therapist today, go to talkspace.com and enter promo code SPACE80.
- [01:37]
Host 2
You're listening to Comedy Central.
- [01:44]
Comedian/Teacher
That's right, people. We've got our own month. And in honor of AAPI Month, I'm gonna teach you about the most underrepresented demographic of all time Asian Americans in sports. And I don't just mean the heavy hitters like Jeremy Lin, Michelle Kwan, Tiger Woods. Yeah, we're claiming him. You got a problem with that, take it up with the U.N. instead, I want to focus on the underdogs who blaze the trail for all the other Asian American athletes to come. People like Wally Yonamine, the Japanese American who played not one, but two professional sports. And unlike Michael Jordan, he didn't suck at one of them. Also, he never became a crying meme. Why are you sad? You're Michael Jordan. First in 1947, Yonamine became a running back for the San Francisco 49ers. But in the wake of World War II, he faced a ton of discrimination. Even while he was playing, when he would get tackled, the opposing team would punch and kick him. Do you realize how insane that is? I mean, it's football. Everyone's going home with brain damage already. You don't need to force it. After a wrist injury in 1951, Yonamine decided to switch to baseball. He moved to Japan to play for the Yomiuri Giants, where He was an 11 time All Star and became the first American player ever to be inducted into the Japanese Baseball hall of Fame. Crazy thing is, Yonamine faced racism in Japan too. But this time because he was American. At games, the fans would chant yankee go home. Which is normally something you expect to hear only at Red Sox games. Or honestly, any place in Boston that serves alcohol. But enough about baseball. Let's talk about something people actually watch. The Olympics. In 1948, Victoria Manalo Draves became the first AAPI Olympic champion. But being Filipino, she also faced a lot of discrimination. In fact, when she was younger and she used a public pool, the town assholes would drain the water after she swam in it. Which isn't just racist, it's idiotic. You're gonna double your water bill just because you're afraid of catching. Being Asian, you can't even get that from a pool. You have to share the same straw, dumbasses. But against the odds, Manalo won her gold medal in the women's 3 meter springboard. And she was cheered on by diver Sammy Lee, the first Asian American man to win an Olympic gold medal. That's right, the first two AAPI gold medals at the same games. It was like Asian Christmas, which is just Christmas. But not every Asian who broke the color barrier had a happy ending. In 1948, Larry Kwong became the first non white player in the NHL when he joined the New York Rangers. But they only put him on ice for a minute and he never played in another game again. Which sucks. But breaking the color barrier is like losing your virginity. Even if you only did it for a second, it still counts. Another great first happened in 1927 when Walter R. Chu became the first person of East Asian descent to play in the NFL. And because his last name was Archew, he earned the nickname Sneeze. Sadly, this was before athlete sponsorships were a thing, so he couldn't even get that sweet, sweet Kleenex money. Eventually, he retired from the NFL to compete in a safer sport. Wrestling. Proving that Asians can roll around without balls in someone's face just like everyone else. But let's Move on to my personal favorite sport, basketball. The first non white player of any race in NBA history was Japanese American Wataru Misak. In 1947, he was the first draft pick of the New York Knicks, and they even promoted his skills to sell tickets. But shocker, he faced a lot of anti Japanese sentiment and only ended up playing three games. It was so bad, he decided to go back to school to get his engineering degree, which I respect. He was basically like, oh, you don't like me being Asian? Well, I'm gonna be extra Asian now, bitches. But sports isn't just about the athletes. There's so many other people who've made history without destroying their joints. People like Kim Ng, who became the general manager of the Miami Marlins, making her the first female GM in any major American men's league. She worked her way up the ladder facing racism and sexism. It's the surf and turf of discrimination. So now you know. There's been so many unsung Asian sports heroes in history, don't bother thanking me. My meager teacher salary is thanks enough. And yes, this is all gonna be on the final. All right, all right, settle down everyone, because today we're learning about something that's blowing up all over the world. No, not climate change, okay? I don't teach boring stuff in this classroom. I'm talking about K Pop. It's why your cousin suddenly speaks Korean more fluently than English. And believe it or not, K Pop used to be something that only Koreans knew about. The rest of the world wasn't always into it. Like how there was a time when white people didn't know about yoga. The first group to really break through internationally was the Kim sisters. Seokja, Eja and Minja started singing as children during the Korean war for American GIs. They sang, they danced, and they played 20 instruments. I can't even name 20 instruments. Saxophone. In 1959, they got a contract to perform in Vegas. Ed Sullivan was taping a show there and they managed to book a performance on the show. There was such a hit, they got asked back 20 more times. Do you know how great you have to be to get asked back to anything 20 times? I don't even get invited to join LinkedIn that much. Unfortunately, the growth of K Pop hit a bump in the road soon after when South Korea fell under the dictatorship of President Park Chung Hee, who started banning music. They even created blacklists of songs that radio stations couldn't play. Everyone's end of year Spotify summary just said your most played song was the national anthem. But Korean artists kept making music that challenged the status quo. Like folk singer Han Dae Soo, whose albums were banned for anti government messaging. Or rock guitarist Sin Cheong Hyun, who, the story goes, defied the dictator's request to write a song in his honor. And let's face it, wanting a song to be written about you is classic dictator behavior. Right after military parades and having a weird haircut, everyone tells you looks great. By the 80s, the dictatorship had loosened. And by loosened, I mean the dictator was assassinated. But whatever, it made listening to radio fun again. Outside music was allowed back in the country, and two of the most influential genres became hip hop and R and B. Black artists from Michael Jackson to Run DMC reshaped the musical landscape of South Korea. It inspired performers like Deuce, DJ Doc, and Sir Taeji and Boyz, who are the earliest examples of K pop as we know it today. They even made it into the movie soundtrack for Three Ninjas Kick Back. You didn't think we'd be watching a movie in class today, did you? Yeah, well, I didn't think I'd still have a hangover. But sometimes life surprises you. This was a big moment for Korean pop music, even if the song was being played over a scene set in Japan. But give them a break, okay? They're the three ninjas, not the three cultural sensitivity experts. The next big step towards today's K pop was in the 1990s, when major music studios started putting performers together in boy and girl bands. That's right. Korea was doing that long before Simon Carwell's nips ever started poking through his T shirts. That's a no from me, dawg. It's no surprise this new wave of K pop blew up around the world. It featured complex melodies unlike any other pop music and always had next level dance choreography. To this day, those remain the signature elements of K pop. That and being Asian very important requirement. This new generation of K pop stars became so successful, the government started to take notice and soon launched a program to promote Korean music around the globe. They saw K pop as a way to boost Korea's cultural strength and economy without having to do a squid game. But one of the biggest K pop sensations was a surprise no government could predict. I'm sorry. I know it took you 10 years to get this out of your head, but we gotta talk about it. Gangnam style was the first video to break apart billion views on YouTube. It was so popular, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon praised the song, saying the arts was the path to cultural understanding. He said that about condemn style. That's like if they played Baby Shark during a war and all the soldiers started laying down their weapons and hugging each other. Since then, the rest of the world is more into K Pop than ever before. From girl groups like Girls Generation and blackpink to artists like Clint. But let's get to the group you've been waiting for. The reason you all enrolled in this class in the first place. BT Motherf. S Three letters. So important. The rest of the Alphabet doesn't even exist anymore. They've dominated the charts. They've generated billions in revenue. They made it okay to eat butter again. They even increased tourism to South Korea. I mean, I'm glad my fans aren't that devoted, because then they'd have to travel to Australia, which, trust me, you don't want to do that. BTS is, without a doubt the biggest group in the world. You can tell by their fans. The BTS army is the second largest military after the US and they've droned zero weddings. BTS might be on hiatus, but there's so much new K pop we can enjoy while they're gone. And now you know how it got to where it is today. Oppaganm style. Ah, F. Now it's in my head again. Get it out. Get it.
- [11:08]
Host 2
This episode is brought to you by WhatsApp. You know, privacy isn't just a feature on WhatsApp. It's built into everything WhatsApp does. Your personal messaging is also your personal space. Completely private. That's why it's nice to know that no one can see or hear your personal Messages. Not even WhatsApp. So the calls with your mom, chats about the latest work drama, late night voice messages, and all those photos and videos of your dog. Every personal message and call stays private like they should between you, your friends and your family. Because no one, not even WhatsApp, can see or hear your personal messages. WhatsApp message privately with everyone.
- [11:49]
Host 1
This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. May is mental health Awareness Month, and Talkspace, the leading virtual therapy provider, is telling everyone. Let's face it, in therapy, by talking or texting with a supportive licensed therapist at Talkspace, you can face whatever is holding you back, whether it's mental health symptoms, relationship drama, past trauma, bad habits, or another challenge that you need support to work through. It's easy to sign up. Just go to talkspace.com and you'll be paired with a provider, typically within 48 hours. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule. Plus talkspace is in network with most major insurers and most insured members have a zero dollar copay. Make your mental health a priority and start today. If you're not covered by insurance, get $80 off your first month with Talkspace when you go to talkspace.com and enter promo code SPACE80. That's S P A CE80 to match with a licensed therapist. Today, go to talkspace.com and Enter promo code SPACE80.
- [12:52]
Comedian/Teacher
Hello class. Thanks for coming, although you really had no choice since if you don't come to school in America, your parents get arrested. Today we're gonna learn about some of the great Asian veterans in US History because Asians have served in the US Military for almost as long as America has fought in wars, which is basically the whole time. America loves war so much, it wants to have its babies and then send those babies to go fight in the next war. Anyway, first up is Augustin Feliciano, who fought in the War of 1812, which happened in Letitia's guy doesn't actually say so. Nice going, morons. Feliciano was the first Filipino to serve in the US Navy, but before he sailed with the Navy, he sailed with pirates. That's right, American history has Asian veterans and Asian pirates. I'm blowing your freaking mind today. What's next? Asian werewolves? No, that's beneath us. Let's fast forward to America's Civil War. The first one, not the one currently happening every day in your Twitter feed. The Civil War is where Chinese American soldiers began to make their mark. Of the roughly 200 Chinese Americans living in the eastern US at the time, 58 of them served in the war. That's 58 out of 200. Can you calculate the percentage from that number? It's easy. You just cross out the zeros, you move the decimal point over, you flip the whole thing, you multiply by 100, you pull out your phone and use a calculator. Math is easy, especially for me, a teacher. One of the most distinguished Chinese Civil War vets was Joseph Pierce. He rose in the ranks to Corporal, the highest rank of any Chinese American in the Union army, which I can also relate to because I am the highest ranking Asian at the Daily Show. Though sadly, I do not have as many confirmed kills. And yeah, there were white soldiers in the 1800s who were taking orders from an Asian guy because those guys were hashtag allies and they didn't even need to brag about it on Instagram. Alright Julia, we get it. You taught your dog Cantonese. But not every veteran got what they deserved. Edward de Quhota was a Chinese immigrant adopted by an American ship captain who fought in the Civil War and then served for another 26 years. But get this. America still refused to make him a citizen. Do you believe that? I mean, this guy risked his life in the military for almost 30 years. Most citizens never do anything close to that. They automatically get citizenship just by getting pooped out of their mom's butt. That's right. I threw in some sex ed for free. You're welcome. Let's move on to World War I and one of his greatest Asian American heroes. Lao Tsing Kee. He was a runner, which means he ran messages to the front line, all while dodging gunfire and flamethrowers. That's right. This guy risked his life to send messages. I hope this makes you grateful for texting. In fact, I wish this was still how we had to send messages. You'd probably think twice if you had to run across a battlefield to give someone a picture of your dick. Now let's turn to World War II. We saw Asian American heroes like Daniel Inoue, who fought in the 442nd Regiment, a unit made up completely of soldiers of Japanese descent and one of the most decorated regiments in military history. During a combat mission in France, Inoue escaped death when a bullet to his chest was blocked by two silver dollars. Try doing that with bitcoin, you crypto bitches. Daniel Inouye is why I carry two silver dollars in my breast pocket at all times. Wait, where are they? Oh, yeah, I got that vending machine Coke. Okay, nobody shoot me until I can get to the bullion exchange. Even after his military service, Inoue went on to serve 50 years in Congress. So congrats to him on finding the only job worse than combat. But maybe the biggest Asian badass to come out of World War II was Captain Nieves Fernandez, a Filipino school teacher who became a guerrilla warfare fighter and led a squadron that killed over 200 Japanese soldiers. You hear that, class? School teachers can become guerrilla assassins. Do not mess with us. Ow. Goddamn it, Sharp. The last veteran we're gonna learn about today is a living legend. And not how that term is usually used. Like if your friend Jake wins a stupid flip cup tournament. I mean, an actual legend. Tammy Duckworth. She served as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in Iraq until 2004, when her aircraft was hit by a rocket propelled grenade. She lost her legs and partial use of her right arm for her sacrifice. She was Arnold with a Purple Heart. I don't know why it's purple. I guess whoever designed it was a huge Prince fan. But her service didn't end with the military. She went on to become the first Thai American woman and disabled woman elected to Congress. She also became the first woman to bring a baby onto the Senate floor. Although it definitely wasn't the first diaper. Those dudes are old as shit. So class, in conclusion, from now on, when you think of Asians in American history, don't just think of railroads and that guy from Breakfast at Tiffany's who isn't actually Asian. Think of Tammy Duckworth, Lao Xing Ki, and Nieves Fernandez who kill billed half an army. Speaking of which, I gotta go tend to this neck wound. Knowing how cheap these school districts are, I probably have lead poisoning. Class dismissed.
- [18:14]
Host 2
Explore more shows from the Daily Show Podcast universe by searching the Daily Show. Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount plus.
- [18:33]
Host 1
Paramount Podcasts. This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Talkspace, the leading virtual therapy provider, is telling everyone let's face it in therapy. By talking or texting with a supportive, licensed therapist at Talkspace, you can face whatever is holding you back, whether it's mental health symptoms, relationship drama, past trauma, bad habits, or another challenge that you need support to work through. It's easy to sign up. Just go to talkspace.com and you'll be paired with a provider, typically within 48 hours. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule. Plus, Talkspace is in network with most major insurers and most insured members. Have a $0 cop. Make your mental health a priority and start today. If you're not covered by insurance, get $80 off your first month with Talkspace when you go to talkspace.com and enter promo code SPACE80. That's S P A CE80 to match with a licensed therapist today, go to talkspace.com and Enter promo code SPACE80. This is an iHeart podcast.