- It makes you feel really, really,
really bad about yourself,
especially when you don't have anything
to feel bad about.
("Unify")
- There are people that internalize the message
that Asian people that don't belong somewhere,
then tell other Asian Americans that
their dreams are stupid.
- It's less about, I think, big moments
and more about little moments,
in which people don't realize that they're doing
or saying something that points a big
metaphorical finger at your face.
- Since middle school,
probably the most common thing I've heard is
those jokes about you're an Asian,
you must have a small penis because that's funny.
Here's what I have to say to that,
"You're not gonna see my penis,
"so it doesn't matter."
- When I decided to make the career change
from being a programmer to being in entertainment,
someone very close to me said that
I had absolutely no chance of succeeding
because there are no Asians in entertainment.
If I were to see the person that said that to me,
I would say, "And yet, here I am."
- So, when I was three or four,
my mom was teaching me Urdu,
and my nursery school teachers called her
and told her to stop teaching me
because they thought it was interfering
with me learning English.
If I had the opportunity to talk to those
nursery schools teachers now,
I would definitely tell them that they were wrong.
You can be bilingual and be American.
- One time I was listening to Taylor Swift in a car,
and a friend of mine said that Taylor Swift
would be beautiful if she didn't have Asian eyes.
If I could see that friend now, I'd say,
"You're an idiot."
- Two years ago I was at a football game,
and this USC fan comes up to me and says,
"Hey man, can you do my math homework for me?"
And I was kinda in shock,
didn't really know how to respond to that
'cause you don't really expect anyone
to go there.
Joke's on him, I'm bad at math.
- In high school I opened up my lunch box
and pulled out a fork and a knife,
and some kid said to me,
"Oh you eat with a fork and knife.
"I thought Indians only ate with their hands
"because everyone in India is poor."
At the time I think I was just kinda taken aback,
and I didn't really say anything.
If I could say something to him,
I would say, "I hope you've learned a lot more
"about the world since then,
"and how fun eating with your hands can be."
- It's scary because I know that this doesn't apply
to just me.
- When I was younger I used to try
really hard to fit in,
and to hide the Indian part of me.
I would really urge younger people not to do that.
- What does matter is my validation to myself.
- Open your eyes, man.
The world is full of possibilities.
("Unify")