Bowen Yang delivers a powerful message on Asian Hate Crimes on SNL — WATCH

Miu von Furstenberg 3 Min Read
Bowen Yang delivers powerful message on Asian Hate Crimes on SNL

Saturday Night Live cast member Bowen Yang offered a powerful message during the most recent episode’s Weekend Update segment, urging the world to “do better” with regard to the anti-Asian sentiment that is currently prevalent in the United States. Watch the clip below.

“Things for Asians in this country have been bleak for the past two weeks and all the weeks before that since forever. There’s a lot of work to do and I found some posts online with action items everyone can take to help,” he said.

“Here are some that I found super helpful: six ways you can check in on your AAPI friends and tell them they’re so hot… Amplify these Asian voices who want more Paneras in north Brooklyn. Call your senators and demand that they know about the lesbian characters in ‘Sailor Moon.'”

He continued, “What can I say to help how insanely bad things are? If someone’s personality is ‘punch an Asian grandma,’ it’s not a dialogue. I have an Asian grandma, you want to punch her, there ain’t no common ground mama. I see my friends donating and I tell them, that’s great, but I also tell them ‘do more.’ You’re ordering from Chinese restaurants? Great. Do more. Let me know when you feed your white kids chicken feet. You cried during ‘Minari’? Congrats. I was sobbing into my boner for Steven Yeun. Do more! Why are you telling me that you tipped your manicurist? Let me know when you get on your knees and scrub her feet while she looks at your phone. Do more!”

Yang added, “I can’t address any of this without bringing up class or gender or imperialism. I don’t even want to be doing this update piece. I wanted to do my character, Gay Passover Bunny, but it’s too smart for the show. I’m just a comedian, I don’t have the answers, but I’m not just looking for them online: I am looking around me.”

He also pointed toward a GoFundMe for an Asian woman recently attacked in San Francisco that raised more than $900,000 that she then gave back to the community.

“In Mandarin, there’s a cheer that basically means ‘fuel up.’ I don’t know what’s helpful to say to everyone, but that’s what I say to myself. Fuel up. Do more. it’s the year of a metal ox which basically means a car, so everyone get in, buckle up, it’s no pee breaks, we ride at dawn, grandmas.”

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