--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being an Asian person on SNL,' when…" description: "\"Being an Asian person on SNL,' when people are like, 'Why did it take so long?' It's sort of a question that doesn't fully understand the idea that the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/bowen-yang-10885_comedy_being-an-asian-person-on-snl-when-people_1470819.jpg" --- # Being an Asian person on SNL,' when people are like, 'Why… ![“Being an Asian person on SNL,' when people are like, 'Why did it take so long?' It's sort of a question that doesn't fully understand the idea that there is no developmental experiential process for a queer Asian person to get into comedy in a way that feels inevitable.” quote by Bowen Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/bowen-yang-10885_comedy_being-an-asian-person-on-snl-when-people_1470819.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/bowen-yang-10885_comedy_being-an-asian-person-on-snl-when-people_1470819.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/bowen-yang-10885_comedy_being-an-asian-person-on-snl-when-people_1470819.jpg) > “Being an Asian person on SNL,' when people are like, 'Why did it take so long?' It's sort of a question that doesn't fully understand the idea that there is no developmental experiential process for a queer Asian person to get into comedy in a way that feels inevitable.” [Bowen Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bowen-yang/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Queer Asian comedians face unique barriers due to lack of representation and cultural expectations, making their path to comedy feel improbable. **In simple terms:** Representation gaps hinder Asian queer comedians. Key Takeaway Champion diverse voices in comedy. Themes representation identity comedy Mood hopeful determined Type advocacy inspirational When to use this quote - Comedy writing - casting decisions - industry panels Key Concepts Cultural studies media studies Questions to Reflect On - What steps can the industry take to improve inclusion? - How does visibility affect aspiring comedians? A Different Perspective Progress is being made, though slowly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asian Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asian-person-1491117/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/long/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Person Snl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-snl-2048554/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Process Queer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process-queer-5336104/) [Queer Asian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/queer-asian-1653000/) [Snl People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snl-people-616034/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [Margaret Cho is definitely one of the people, like just watching or hearing her stand up back in the days when stand-up albums were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bowen-yang/margaret-cho-is-definitely-one-of-the-people-like-just-watching-or/) [Bowen Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bowen-yang/) > [Winning an Emmy was the best-worst thing that could happen to a first-year person on 'SNL.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-redd/winning-an-emmy-was-the-best-worst-thing-that-could-happen-to-a-first/) [Chris Redd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-redd/) > [I'm kind of the crisis communications person at 'SNL.' 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You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-santos/the-fact-that-i-m-able-to-portray-these-complex-fully-realized-queer/) [Nico Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-santos/) > [I never thought in a million years I'd be involved in a project that celebrated the fullness of my identity of being queer and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-santos/i-never-thought-in-a-million-years-i-d-be-involved-in-a-project-that/) [Nico Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-santos/) > [I want to show people out there that there's such a huge spectrum of people within the queer and Asian community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nico-santos/i-want-to-show-people-out-there-that-there-s-such-a-huge-spectrum-of/) [Nico Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nico-santos/) > [I would say it wasn't until my fourth season on 'SNL' where people or my agent was saying, 'You're an actor.' I never thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hader/i-would-say-it-wasn-t-until-my-fourth-season-on-snl-where-people-or/) [Bill Hader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hader/) > [People are always nice, so I can't complain. My name used to be SNL! More and more, people call me by my name.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-armisen/people-are-always-nice-so-i-can-t-complain-my-name-used-to-be-snl/) [Fred Armisen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-armisen/) > [The good thing about 'SNL' is that it's the same people every week that you're working with, and we've all become so close and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-wiig/the-good-thing-about-snl-is-that-it-s-the-same-people-every-week-that/) [Kristen Wiig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-wiig/) > [The comedy community has embraced us, wholeheartedly. 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Now, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandip-gill/years-ago-there-was-one-asian-person-in-a-soap-and-the-entire-asian/) [Mandip Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandip-gill/) > [Even if he is your friend, never, ever call an Asian person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/even-if-he-is-your-friend-never-ever-call-an-asian-person/) [Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/) > [I know when I was growing up in New York, whenever I turned on the television, I never saw a face that looked like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yunjin-kim/i-know-when-i-was-growing-up-in-new-york-whenever-i-turned-on-the/) [Yunjin Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yunjin-kim/) > [Growing up, there were stereotypes being put onto me as an Asian person that I had no control over, and that made me extremely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-zauner/growing-up-there-were-stereotypes-being-put-onto-me-as-an-asian/) [Michelle Zauner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-zauner/) ## More by Bowen Yang > [I was 8, and I was probably too young for it, but that's when I started to watch SNL.' That's when I got a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bowen-yang/i-was-8-and-i-was-probably-too-young-for-it-but-that-s-when-i-started/) [Bowen Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bowen-yang/) > [You know, you might not think that Wigglytuff can, like, throw a thunder or lightning-type move at you. But, oh, just you watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bowen-yang/you-know-you-might-not-think-that-wigglytuff-can-like-throw-a-thunder/) [Bowen Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bowen-yang/) > [Podcasts feel about as accessible and ubiquitous as books or articles or anything like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bowen-yang/podcasts-feel-about-as-accessible-and-ubiquitous-as-books-or-articles/) [Bowen Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bowen-yang/) > [I used to be very anti-bath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bowen-yang/i-used-to-be-very-anti-bath/) [Bowen Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bowen-yang/) > [It's nice to have social media, but it's not the same as going to a party.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bowen-yang/it-s-nice-to-have-social-media-but-it-s-not-the-same-as-going-to-a/) [Bowen Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bowen-yang/) > [I'm absolutely looking at my career differently, but it's still really important to some sense of connection to where I came from, which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bowen-yang/i-m-absolutely-looking-at-my-career-differently-but-it-s-still-really/) [Bowen Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bowen-yang/) > [I wonder if there's space to queer the nomenclature in fitness. Maybe we call a goblet squat a Dannii Minogue instead? Just an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bowen-yang/i-wonder-if-there-s-space-to-queer-the-nomenclature-in-fitness-maybe/) [Bowen Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bowen-yang/) > [And I would go on all these college tours. And I was thinking about where I would want to go. And at the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bowen-yang/and-i-would-go-on-all-these-college-tours-and-i-was-thinking-about/) [Bowen Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bowen-yang/) > [A lot of different people under the queer umbrella come together but Like there's something inherently queer about the heist genre, in some way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bowen-yang/a-lot-of-different-people-under-the-queer-umbrella-come-together-but/) [Bowen Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bowen-yang/) > [I think the sooner you take responsibility for what reaction you want to get out of an audience, the better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bowen-yang/i-think-the-sooner-you-take-responsibility-for-what-reaction-you-want/) [Bowen Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bowen-yang/) > [My dad every now and then will toe that line and be like, You could try women!' And I'm like Don't. 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This is a gift God gave me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-morgan/i-ve-been-funny-my-whole-life-this-is-a-gift-god-gave-me/) [Tracy Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-morgan/) > [“Laugh and grow strong”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-loyola/laugh-and-grow-strong/) [Ignatius of Loyola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-loyola/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. 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