“Fresh Off the Boat” premieres Feb. 4: A new Asian American family takes the spotlight

“I need white people lunch,” exclaims young Eddie Huang midway through the pilot episode of ABC’s upcoming family sitcom, “Fresh Off the Boat.” “That gets you a seat at the table, and then you get to change the rules.”

Having just moved to the suburbs of Orlando from the cultural enclave of DC’s Chinatown in the mid 1990’s, he was quickly ostracized in his new, mostly Caucasian school for his ethnic-looking lunch and felt like a true minority for the first time.

“I never realized how rough it was back then [to be a minority],” Hudson Yang, the young actor who portrays Eddie, tells us. “Eddie had to do weird and crazy things to deal with it.” The 1990’s were a much simpler time than today, and without the internet or social media to escape his bubble, Eddie desperately wanted to not only fit in, but also be seen as a force to be reckoned with.

This attitude runs parallel to the expectations the Asian American community has for the freshman sitcom, set to debut as a mid-season replacement with a two-episode premiere on Wednesday, February 4, 2015, and the third episode airing in its regular timeslot on Tuesday, February 10, 2015. Two Asian American-led shows were recently cancelled: fellow first year ABC sitcom “Selfie,” and TBS’ “Sullivan and Sons,” which lasted three seasons. While there are still a few shows out there with strong Asian American characters, “Fresh Off the Boat” represents the first time in 20 years that an all-Asian family has taken center stage in a network sitcom (the last being Margaret Cho’s “All-American Girl” in 1995). From the announcement of its pickup by ABC to the release of the first trailer, Asian Americans wondered if this was finally their chance to get a seat at the table.

IAN CHEN, CONSTANCE YU, HUDSON YANG, RANDALL PARK, FORREST WHEELER

“Fresh Off the Boat” has generated positive buzz leading up to its premiere from both critics and community members. Advance screenings of the pilot were met with praise, and even cynics left the screenings with wary optimism, including its own executive producer and subject matter, Eddie Huang, who recently published a strongly worded op-ed about the production process (though he did conclude with his own reluctant stamp of approval).

A lot of the praise goes to the cast, led by Randall Park, a long underrated comedic force recently thrust into the limelight for his role as infamous North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un in “The Interview” (and himself a Kollaboration alum), and Constance Wu, a relative unknown who may be the series’ secret comedic weapon. The show is also supported by a strong writers room, led by executive producer Nahnatchka Khan, whose last project was the critically acclaimed “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23,” and includes Kourtney Kang, who was a writer-producer on CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother,” Sanjay Shah, former writer-producer on “Cougar Town,” and Ali Wong, writer-actress-comedian (and past Kollaboration host).

“I’m not kidding when I say that we might have the most diverse writers’ room in television,” claimed Randall during a press junket. Taking a few moments in between takes to chat, Randall admitted that he does feel the pressure to do right by Asian Americans, especially as a Korean American playing a Taiwanese immigrant, but in the end, his goal is to tell a great story. In his defense, he’s been working hard to make sure that he does the part of Louis Huang justice. In fact, Randall has been taking Mandarin lessons to work on his scenes with Grandma Huang, the show’s other comedic secret weapon, as well as his own Chinese accent.

CONSTANCE WU, HUDSON YANG, FORREST WHEELER

Accents obviously feature prominently in “Fresh Off the Boat.” Mr. and Mrs. Huang are both first generation immigrants in America, and while Randall and Constance are perfectly able to speak perfect English, for their characters, English was an adopted language. It’s to the show’s credit then that the accents are used as character traits and never as the joke, as many commenters feared after watching the trailer. Authenticity was a huge focus in portraying the Huangs, and showrunners Melvin Mar and Nahnatchka Kahn went to great lengths to keep an honest and relatable perspective while avoiding the trappings of stereotypes.

In the end, it’s the characters and the smart writing that really make this show shine. If the first two episodes are any indication, the show finds its footing right out of the gate and never lets off the accelerator, attacking touchy issues like the racial slur “chink” while also letting loose a few inside jokes (“Who knew Asians were into karaoke?”). Randall Park is in great form as Louis, the boundlessly optimistic patriarch of the Huang family, whose belief in the American dream has brought his family to the exotic suburbs of Orlando. Constance Wu, who many believe will become the series’ breakout star, is amazing as Jessica, the Stephen King-loving matriarch just trying to make the most of her family’s new situation. Hudson Yang brings his New York swag to the hip-hop loving Eddie Huang, and Forrest Wheeler and Ian Chen absolutely kill it in their scenes as the younger Huang siblings.

The real, grown up Eddie Huang may have some misgivings about selling his family’s story to network TV, but the truth is he may have given Asian Americans the most precious gift of all, a seat at the table.

FORREST WHEELER, IAN CHEN, RANDALL PARK, HUDSON YANG, CONSTANCE WU

Fresh Off the Boat premieres Wednesday, February 4 with two episodes at 8:30/7:30c and 9:30/8:30c, and begins its regular time slot of Tuesdays at 8/7c on February 10.

Photos courtesy of DISNEY/ABC TELEVISION GROUP © ABC

Spotlight: JETT, Kollaboration Seattle 5’s Winner

Meet JETT, our grand prize winner of Kollaboration Seattle 5, or as she is known outside of her musical career, Bridget Hermano.

Continue reading “Spotlight: JETT, Kollaboration Seattle 5’s Winner”

Saving Innocence Summer Benefit Concert: Join the Fight Against Human Sex Trafficking in the US

PSA – Saving Innocence

Did you know…

At least 100,000 to 300,000 youth are at risk for commercial sexual exploitation annually in the U.S.

The average age of entry into the commercial sex industry in the U.S. is 12 years old.

#SaveInnocence

It’s a difficult subject to talk about. Many of us are aware of the human sex trafficking problem happening internationally, but did you know it’s also a large and growing problem within the United States?

On Saturday, August 2nd, Kollaboration is teaming up with Saving Innocence and Ford Theatres to present the Saving Innocence Summer Benefit Concert, in order to spread awareness on the issue of domestic human sex trafficking.

Enjoy a beautiful summer night at the Ford Amphitheatre for a night of empowerment and music, featuring five of the best indie artists and bands in Southern California. As always, you are welcome to bring your picnic baskets of food & wine.

Saving Innocence, Summer Benefit Concert
Saturday, August 2, 2014
7:30 pm (Doors open at 6 pm)
at the Ford Amphitheatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd E, Los Angeles, CA 90068

Live performances by:
Hana Kim
Lucy Schwartz
Hotel Cinema
Belmont Lights
Jane Lui

Special Guest Jubilee Project will release the trailer of their new documentary “Save My Soul” about human trafficking at the concert.

Online Pre-Sale: $20
General Admission: $25
VIP: $50 (limited supply!)

VIP tickets include preferred seating and a special gift bag.

Please help us spread the word on this issue and the benefit concert.

For ticket information, visit http://bit.ly/SavingInnocenceBenefitConcert
To learn more about the concert, visit http://blog.kollaboration.org/losangeles/saving-innocence/

All proceeds will benefit Saving Innocence, a non-profit organization commissioned by the LA Superior Court to rescue and restore child victims of sex trafficking. Its services include safe housing, medical care, counseling, court advocacy, mentorship, and education for victims. To learn more about Saving Innocence, visit http://www.savinginnocence.org/.

Saveinnoinstagram

Kollaboration Los Angeles to Rock the Troubadour for 15th Anniversary

On Thursday, June 26, Kollaboration Los Angeles will be celebrating its 15th anniversary at the historic Troubadour in Hollywood. Over the past 14 years, Kollaboration has served as a platform for countless aspiring entertainers in the Asian-American community to showcase their talent to the world. This year will certainly be no different.

Demonstrating the diverse talents in the Asian-American community, this year’s group of finalists are muscians from a variety of genres.

R&B group The Primaries will captivate the audience with their unconventional soul, while singer-songwriter and American Idol semi-finalist Julianne Manalo will bring with her the experience of opening for Grammy Award-winner Macklemore. Fresh off their win in UCI’s Soulstice Talent Competition and the LA Regional Harmony Sweepstakes, #FOURTY4B will be serving up a sweet dish of a capella realness. Meanwhile, Julynn Kim will show the crowd why she was scouted by Universal, Warner Brothers, AND Sony Records; and pianist and humanitarian Phanith Sovann will showcase her musical talents and her inner strength, which she developed while living in a Thai refugee camp during the Cambodian genocide.

This year’s event will also feature guest performers Anderson .Paak, whose unique and avant-garde PBR&B sound has taken the music world by storm; and of course The Rhee Brothers, whose soothing blend of indie-rock and acoustic music will remind the audience of their deserving win at last year’s event .

Following the performances, the night will continue with the show’s official after-party where performers, celebrity guests, and attendees will mingle and party to the beats of DJ Kero One.

Tickets to Kollaboration LA are currently on sale at bit.ly/KollaborationLosAngeles2014 for the early-bird price of $10. Pre-sale price will increase to $15 soon and double to $20 at the door. Ticket includes entry to both the event itself and the after-party.

From Far East Movement to Run River North to David Choi—Kollaboration is proud and honored to have been a part of so many artists’ journey to success and stardom. Your support will help us continue with our mission of “empowerment through entertainment.”  We hope to see you there!

Interview with Ruby Ibarra

Despite the growing number of Asian Americans in the rap and hip-hop landscape today, it’s still difficult to come by a female API artist in the industry. But if you do, you’ll undoubtedly come across the name Ruby Ibarra.

Continue reading “Interview with Ruby Ibarra”

KRNFX, DANakaDAN, Style 2 Kill, and More to Celebrate LA Korean Culture at Beats Bistro This Sunday

This Sunday, April 27, in Los Angeles, Kollaboration is co-presenting Beats Bistro – LA Seoul, a celebration of LA’s Korean culture at the Troubadour with live music from KRNFX and DanakaDan plus a special food menu prepared by Kokio Chicken. Continue reading “KRNFX, DANakaDAN, Style 2 Kill, and More to Celebrate LA Korean Culture at Beats Bistro This Sunday”

Kollaboration Alum G Yamazawa Invited to Perform by White House

“You still had to teach me, to never give up. Whether it’s finishing a poem, or surviving cancer. Dad, I promise… No matter what—I will win.”

The man speaking this phrase is wearing a black t-shirt and brown khakis. Simple. Except that he’s also sporting a single braided-mohawk-ponytail dividing an otherwise shaved head.  Continue reading “Kollaboration Alum G Yamazawa Invited to Perform by White House”

Kollaboration LA K-Pop Festival Ticket Giveaway

This Saturday, April 12th is the LA K-Pop Festival. The daylong festival and concert will be held in celebration of the 111th anniversary of Korean immigration to the United States. And we have 6 pairs of concert tickets to giveaway! HINT: One of these pairs are STANDING PIT TICKETS!!!

Not only are we giving away  6 pairs of tickets, but each winner will also receive one Official LA K-Pop Festival tank top! View the complete online merch store here: shop.lakpopfestival.com

Proceeds from LA K-Pop Festival Merchandise sales will be donated to Kollaboration (that’s us!)

ENTER THE CONTEST HERE:

6 winners will be randomly selected to win after completion of the survey. Limit one prize package per winner. Winners will be announced Friday, April 11th, 2014. To collect your prize, go to the Official LA K-Pop Festival Merchandise booth, located in Lot 4 on April 12th. You MUST show photo ID to collect your prize.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS SWEEPSTAKES. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. TICKETS ARE NON-TRANSFERRABLE AND HOLD NO MONETARY VALUE
NO FLIGHTS OR ACCOMMODATIONS

Kollaboration 2014 Kicks Off

Kollaboration – a non-profit with annual showcases featuring performances from local Asian-American musicians, dancers, and other miscellaneous talent – is in the midst of preparing for their 15th year of shows.  Though it originally began in Los Angeles, it has grown tremendously and now has shows in 14 different cities.  Keep up to date with audition information here

Continue reading “Kollaboration 2014 Kicks Off”