but then it’s not, like, about them being Asian.

-It isn’t. Yeah. -They’re just Asian.

And then they have a life, and they have a story.

And then people – I don’t know if people really understand

how rare that is for us, for my community,

the Asian community, that that...

For us to have a family that’s not there

because they’re Asian

and because of a representation

is so kind of low

that it is a kind of meaningful thing

to see a family that’s just being a family

and having family issues that are not really...

So, therefore, it’s kind of even more universal

than an Asian show

that’s super Asian specific.

And it’s nice that way. I mean, we really...

As an audience member, I’ve craved it,

and so it’s nice to be involved in it.

I was in Margaret Cho’s show in the 90s.

-That was “All-American Girl.” -I think that was

the first Asian family. -First Asian-American family.

-Yeah. -Yeah. And, so, you know, my...

When I compare the experience that I had on Margaret’s show,

Margaret struggled a lot, and not...

and not for any reasons that were related to Margaret

and Margaret’s stardom or talent.

It was a different time,

and Margaret was kind of, in some ways, shoehorned

into a kind of corporate idea of what Margaret could be.

And Awkwafina is allowed to really do her thing.

Awkwafina has taken the initiative

to hire writers around her

and surround herself with many women writers

and with people of color as well as directors.

And I think it shows in the final product.

We don’t flinch about all of the things

that we’re describing in the show

that are either specifically Asian

or related to being Asian because they’re all

kind of from and created by the people

who really know what those things are.

It comes from an authentic place.

-It does. -Right. It’s interesting

’cause I remember Michelle Yeoh said

that, you know, after “Crazy Rich Asians,”

which was really beautiful – she said,

“We have no problem laughing at ourselves,

but laugh with us, not at us.” -Yes, absolutely.

And there was a history of us

being laughed at or derided or whatever that took us...

It has taken us a long time

to even teach people that there’s a difference.

You know, the difference between those two things.