Yesterday’s post about using comedy to break down racial stereotypes, was picked up inadvertently by Vietnamese-American site Hot As Pho as part of a feed it features.

On there, I found this clip below of Anjelah Johnson who is half-Mexican, half Native-American, joking about her trip to a manicure salon staffed by Vietnamese people. And the accent that she mimics is so freakishly spot-on – I have heard, and have friends who speak exactly like that.


(via YouTube)

The post where this was highlighted posed the question: Racist or Funny? You decide.

Personally, I don’t think it’s racist at all because the portrayal is accurate and funny, and there is no malice in the parody. Now if she was using that accent, whilst putting down Vietnamese people then I would have a problem with it.

Ah but then, some of you may say,

But you are not Vietnamese. Of course you don’t find it offensive.

To that I say, I can just as easily laugh at a parody of the Chinese accent for exactly the same reasons that I mentioned above: it’s funny and it’s not demeaning. Behold: Russell Peters in a clip that has probably made its round past the Chinese community globally. In this clip, Russell who is Indian, jokes about bargaining with a Chinese shopkeeper.

Classic stuff. :)


(via YouTube)

Bonus: also check out Anjelah here making fun of her “own” people.


(via YouTube)

Bonus 2: also from Hot As Pho – the “Average Asian“. It’s in a similar vein with Dat Phan’s take on silly Asian stereotypes.

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