How to American: An Immigrant's Guide to Disappointing Your Parents

by Jimmy O. Yang

Standup comic, actor and fan favorite from HBO's Silicon Valley and the film Crazy Rich Asians shares his memoir of growing up as a Chinese immigrant in California and making it in Hollywood.

"I turned down a job in finance to pursue a career in stand-up comedy. My dad thought I was crazy. But I figured it was better to disappoint my parents for a few years than to disappoint myself for the rest of my life. I had to disappoint them in order to pursue what I loved. That was the only way to have my Chinese turnip cake and eat an American apple pie too."

Jimmy O. Yang is a standup comedian, film and TV actor and fan favorite as the character Jian Yang from the popular HBO series Silicon Valley. In How to American, he shares his story of growing up as a Chinese immigrant who pursued a Hollywood career against the wishes of his Yang arrived in Los Angeles from Hong Kong at age 13, learned English by watching BET RapCity for three hours a day, and worked as a strip club DJ while pursuing his comedy career. He chronicles a near deportation episode during a college trip Tijuana to finally becoming a proud US citizen ten years later. Featuring those and many other hilarious stories, while sharing some hard-earned lessons, How to American mocks stereotypes while offering tongue in cheek advice on pursuing the American dreams of fame, fortune, and strippers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Humor, Audiobook, Biography, Comedy, Biography Memoir

240 pages, Hardcover

First published March 13, 2018

Reviews

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never heard of Jimmy O. Yang. Not a surprise, mostly because I don't watch television/movies. I'm always interested in immigrant stories, and Jimmys is good. He's funny and personable, and he's had one heck of a life. I can't imagine how difficult it would be for me to move to Hong Kong from America. Different culture and language? Forget about it! Jimmy cracked me up repeatedly throughout this book, and made me think. This is one book I'd recommend.

[Caro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was nominated on the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards’ Nonfiction category and seeing it listed there was enough reason for me to pick it up and read it.

I didn’t know who Jimmy O. Yang was but my husband saw the cover of the audiobook and told me he was Jian Yang from HBO’s Silicon Valley, he seemed overly excited that I was reading this book since that is one of his favorite shows.

The author describes his experience emigrating from Hong Kong and into America as well as his career as a comedian and actor. I enjoy reading about the immigrants’ experience, every one of them is unique and yet carry a similar sense of wonder and wisdom. I relate to it and value the perspective of other people who have gone through it.

I did not care for the description of college parties, trips to Tijuana, drug taking, etc., but I read on because there were other sections that were very interesting such as the relationship with his father.

Overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it to fans of the TV show Silicon Valley and readers of nonfiction.

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, it was funny and smart and ended before I was ready to be finished with it. I found myself enjoying it a lot more than I expected to, as I'd never heard of Jimmy O. Yang, or seen anything he's been in prior to getting it.

Lucky for me, it turned out to be a good experience. After reading the foreword by Mike Judge, I learned that Jimmy was born in Hong Kong and moved to the US just before starting high school. He learned English by watching BET, the Black Entertainment Television station and seeing videos by all of the hottest rappers like Tupac, Jay-Z, Snoop Dog, etc.

After college, he started doing stand up comedy, but it wasn't enough to support him. He branched out into acting jobs doing commercials, whatever kind of acting jobs he could to get experience. Then he landed a role on HBO"s "Silicon Valley" playing Jian Yang, and started becoming recognized by some fans. He also later got the hero Dun Meng in Mark Wahlberg's movie about the Boston Bombing "Patriot's Day". Now his book is coming out well done, Jimmy It could be interesting to see what direction his goals and interests take him in next. We will just have to watch him and see.

An advance digital copy was provided by NetGalley, Jimmy O. Yang, and DaCapo Press for my honest review. Date of publication is March 13

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick, entertaining read. Loved the cringe-worthy pictures included in here. The book delivered exactly what was promised. I do wonder *who* this book is for. It's poised as a how-to guide for disappointing your parents, but if you're an immigrant, you probably already have a phd on that subject.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fucking hilarious memoir. I laughed out loud a bunch of times.

Amongst the jokes there is a ton of wisdom in this book about how to navigate Hollywood, strip clubs and racist hecklers.

Perhaps it's because I was also a super minority at an Los Angeles high school about 10 miles away from Jimmy's at roughly the same time, but I found his stories of adolescence super relatable. I also appreciate that the audiobook came with an accompanying PDF so I didnt miss out on photos that were included in the printed book.

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jimmy Yang is a funny person so it is no surprise that his memoir is as full of humor as it is of poignant observations of immigration. I appreciated that the afterward went back to the early chapter about 13 year old Jimmy starting middle school barely understanding English. In the original chapter it is written full of humor but the afterward acknowledges how difficult and horrible that experience it was. I’ll admit I didn’t know much about Jimmy Yang before reading this, but it definitely makes me more interested in the rest of his career. This book is well written and full of witty humor. I especially liked the pieces he added about his family which made it all seem more real.

[Lisa (Remarkablylisa) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So freaking funny.

[Tiff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Common, it's Jimmy, how could you not give him 5 stars for telling his own life story??
Plus he's hilarious. If you haven't watched his stand-up, do yourself a huge favor.
Just started watching Silicon Valley since he talks so fondly about it in the book.

[Brian's Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious But Also Full Of Interesting Stories

4.5 out of 5 stars

I didn’t realize just how much I was going to enjoy this book until I was in tears from laughing on my way into work. I listen to audiobooks in my car and this was absolutely hilarious. So funny (especially the chapter about working with T.J. Miller) that I think people thought I was crazy in my car.

Jimmy O. Yang – better known as Jian Yang on the hit tv-show Silicon Valley came to America as a young child. He spent his early childhood learning how to speak English watching BET. And became a stand-up, not for not-so-normal reasons. How To American tells these stories and many others about the life of Jimmy O. Yang so far.

I knew Jian Yang — aka Jimmy from Silicon Valley. When I saw that he wrote a book I was on board. I did not know he was a standup comedian (I love all things standup related). I also didn’t know pretty much anything about him before reading this. I’m really glad I took the 6 hours to read this one. Jimmy is a hilarious and thoughtful writer – who would make me laugh one second talking about how his dad would insult him and in the next moment would make me think deeply about the people around me.

That’s the thing about this book and Jimmy in general – they are full of surprises. Silicon Valley fans will be happy that there are about 3 chapters around the show along with one really funny one about his interaction with T.J. Miller – “I eat the fish”. But How To American has so much more in it. I loved the stories about his early “rap” career along with the stories related to being a strip club DJ.

How To American was so much more than I expected and I’m thrilled. Jimmy is a fascinating guy and I can’t wait to see where his career takes him.

[Wing Kee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't review nonfiction a lot so I'll need to forgo my normal structure and just give you my thoughts.

I enjoyed the book, O.Yang has a unique voice and his story is one that is familiar to a lot of success stories in Hollywood (eating ramen, barely getting by). But because he's Chinese and he came from where I came from I understood it a bit more of the drive that he had and the trails and tribulations he had to get where he is today. It's an interesting read for me.

I will be honest and say that I don't find this book particularly funny but that's just me.

Onward to the next book!

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I have no idea why I read this. I put it on a suspended hold like a year ago, and I don’t remember why. Okay, Past Self, I trust you. I had never heard of Jimmy Yang, but an immigrant story told by a comedian was appealing.

Video here

The book is funny and serious and very American and very Asian-American, and I find myself rooting and cheering for Jimmy throughout.

Language: Frequent strong language
Sexual Content: Descriptions of strippers/strip clubs; lewd jokes; discussions of sex
Violence/Gore: None
Harm to Animals: None
Harm to Children: None
Other (Triggers): Poverty, racism, classism

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jimmy has navigated a lot of interesting experiences and I'm pleased for his success. Not just in this book, but in his life, he needs to reconsider his frame of reference for every interaction he's had with female human beings. Throughout his narrative we are solely mentioned as hot or not, and how his supposed inability to "score" us somehow relates to his status as a comedian, an Asian immigrant, or with himself. It's a sad, creepy undercurrent to an otherwise charming book. I'm still torn between thinking he had some douchebro editor egging him on to throw weird 80s sex comedy comments in there (though he's kind of from the wrong generation), that the wrong 90s BET comics informed this material, or that it seems to land great with douchebro audiences and so he has no idea how obnoxious and harmful that line of thinking is. I'm not holding him to some crazy high standard: he clearly can have a professional relationship with his agent and fellow actresses, so it was a conscious decision to include all the sexist drivel as if it's funny. Don't care about the strip club DJ stuff, it's the dozens of times he's impelled to mention women he's attracted to but have no other description/characteristics except for the sex with him he over and over laments "they" just won't "give". Issa Rae recently called out the dating hierarchy of black women and Asian men in a far funnier way, and without tying it to some bottom line of fame, acceptance, and success.

His role in Life of the Party as a college boyfriend who's just a cool guy was so unique for many reasons, and not just his race. The couple was a normal equal adult relationship and the parents didn't get into weird protective chastity belt shotgun whatever about their daughter. Jimmy got to be funny as another character, not any "type". And it was hot. From the short mention that gets at the end of the book it's unclear the author recognizes that, but seeing him in the movie really gave me hope in the grind of the the #methree era. Reading his true thoughts in the previous chapters can't be fully forgotten though.

Anyway, I'm a white chick from New England with a 2nd gen Chinese Canadian sister in law/3rd gen nephew and this book's perspective is valuable. I know she is Canadian first, yet had/s similar family and career experiences. I heard about this book plus some fun chat about representation with Phoebe on the Sooo Many White Guys podcast. I'm looking forward to Crazy Rich Asians and his continued success.

[Diego · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is absolutely hilarious. Pretty much reminds me of my Asian friends. His experiences in LA are actually pretty crazy. Great point of the book is to never give up. I need to catch up on Silicon Valley.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's much to relate to here, although Yang's phenomenal success seems to eclipse the dreams of even the most ambitious day-dreaming Chinese tragic entrapped in the accounting job their parents made them sign up for. Yang's success hasn't been overnight, but his tenacity and dogged determination underwrites much of his triumphs.

I did like how he pointed out that Asian accents tend to seen as cringeworthy, rather than, say, charged with the sex appeal of a French or Irish lilt. Too true.

The only thing missing for me was a more big picture philosophical look at Asian culture vs American values. Unfortunately much of this is skimmed over in comedic hyperbole.

[Siobhan Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn't something I'd planned on reading, since other than a small part in Crazy Rich Asians , I'd never seen Jimmy O Yang in anything. However, since it was easily on-hand and my friends had been enjoying it so much, I figured I might as well read it.

This was such a fun and sweet read. It's a great story of immigration and coming to terms with new identities. I loved Yang's sense of humour throughout, but also how genuine he was. This was a sweet book where I found myself totally enraptured in the journey of an actor that I don't really know.

Definitely a nice read, and you don't have to know Yang's work to enjoy the book!

[Ola · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like standup, if you relish learning about how foreign ethnic backgrounds manifest in American society and if you’re a fan of Silicon Valley (HBO), then you’re like me. And if you’re like me, you’re gonna love this book.
The audiobook made me cry with laughter while driving, on a bus commute (must have looked weird) and the ending moved me so much that I almost had tears in my eyes again. No, no spoilers. Just greetings to Jimmy’s father.

[Ms. McGregor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Listened to half. Some interesting anecdotes and point of view as an entertainer who immigrated as a teen from China, but I couldn’t stand the way he talks about women. I finally tapped out after, “I didn’t think it was possible to be friend-zoned by a stripper...” but I thought about it several times before that.

[Sylvia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bet I definitely couldn’t have gotten through the book as fast if I had read it instead of listening to the audiobook.

It took me back to the days when I watched Silicon Valley. I got to know some behind-the-scenes details about it, like the fact that 95% of its audience are dudes. Fair enough ;)

I especially loved the part where he and his dad interacted with each other. His dad’s “life of wisdom” always cracked me up!

[Dennis Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jimmy’s insightful and inspiring journey should be required reading for Americans—many of whom could evolve greatly from empathizing with immigrants and their experiences especially from stories as entertaining, lighthearted and relatable as these.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I really enjoyed this book written by Jimmy O. Yang who is a standup comedian, film and TV actor and fan favorite as the character Jian Yang from the popular HBO series Silicon Valley (although I'm not familiar with the show).
Yang shares his story of growing up as a Chinese immigrant who pursued a Hollywood career to the strong dismay of his parents: Yang arrived in Los Angeles from Hong Kong at age 13, learned English by watching BET RapCity for three hours a day (which in itself is hysterical).
I really loved the advice his parents gave him, and the (obvious) vast difference of Chinese and American cultures.
Ex. American-"Follow your dreams; you can be anything!"
Chinese-"Following your dreams is how you become homeless!"

hahaha! I'll definitely watch his stand up on You-tube!

[Kab · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading most about his return visit to Hong Kong, his personal reflections on identity and belonging. Even tempered with self-deprecation, the rest is a little bit too in the belly of noxious standards of success and masculinity. I would be like his father, though, and have an unspoken devotion and respect—explicit expression of love and pride always comes across as too-American obsessions.

[Emmet Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Occasionally funny but largely empty. Author is better at standup sets than memoir writing, which is perhaps the least surprising observation someone has ever made.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

jimmy o yang thank you for your service to America

[Kaideng Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Pursuing your dreams is for losers. Doing what you love is how you become homeless.”
Imagine growing up in a household where your family tells you that almost every day. That is the life of Jimmy O. Yang, an immigrant from Hong Kong, comedian, DJ, and actor. How To American, an autobiography of Jimmy himself, tells of his immigrant life in America and how he got used to it. His identity crisis between chasing the American dream or being a good Chinese son and how he overcame it. His financial crisis and which career he chose, but most importantly, he learned how to American. Through 10 chapters, Jimmy writes about his experience as a Chinese immigrant struggling to find equilibrium between his nuclear family and the American dream. I absolutely loved this book because first of all, it was extremely funny, and he makes all the sensitive topics sound really trivial and the trivial things to be really important. Secondly, as a Chinese and Asian person myself, I can really relate to the problems he is experiencing growing up in an Asian household. Lastly, I also enjoyed how he described his experience really honestly and I could really feel what he was feeling, whether I could relate or not. I would not recommend this book to people who detest profanity and big people stuff, because the author uses quite a lot of those with gusto. This is the best autobiographies I read since reading Trevor Noah’s Born A Crime. If you loved that book, you would definitely enjoy this book. I recommend this book to all of you, because it is hilarious and it is very relatable, and because we should all know how to American.

[Starbuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

On its face, How to American appears to exist solely for the purpose of entertainment, the musings of a stand-up comedian with an association with Mike Judge's show Silicon Valley. What's remarkable, however, is that the book morphs into something much more insightful and meaningful as you go along. Learning about Jimmy's experience coming to America and his attempt to live the American dream as he imagines it, you get a new, valuable perspective as well as a reminder of what's truly important in life and how much we have to be grateful for in the U.S.

[Mehrsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't watch Silicon Valley and didn't know who Jimmy Yang was, but I love immigrant memoirs. The book is funny and light. It's a little sexist (a lot of his career was in a strip club), but it's also touching. I want more stories just like this and I hope Jimmy keeps opening up about what it's like to be an Asian immigrant

[Maya Osseiran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a hilarious and sweet read. Jimmy Yang is so thoughtful and genuine as he describes his immigration experience and figuring out his identity. This book is filled with wonderful and sweet stories. I eat the fish ♥️

[Vic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of Jimmy's acting and comedy, so after reading his book, I am proud of how far he has come. If anything, he should write a revised version because he has accomplished so much more in the 7 years since this book was published. He had two stand-up comedy specials, a starring role in Interior Chinatown, a supporting role as a love interest for Nina Dobrev... the list goes on.
Jimmy's life story was a quick read but highly entertaining. I chuckled at some parts since some stories go hand in hand with his stand-up material. I should also note that even though I am not an immigrant, I could still fully understand the sentiment of "when people look at me, they see Chinese first." It is a reality all too familiar for minorities growing up in a Western society.
I was not expecting Jimmy to go so deep about his personal growth as an actor while reconciling two cultures that shaped him. He did a phenomenal job articulating his struggles with lots of humbleness and reflection.

[Aditya Lahiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed and binged a book after so long! Maybe it was affection to HBO'S Silicon Valley, or being a new immigrant to the US, or being at UCSD(Jimmy's alma mater 🤣). Whatever the reason may have been, I enjoyed this book immensely. It was funny, wise and poetic, all at the same time. The immigrant struggles, his brutal honesty and the journey were all so pure and I am glad I read this one.

[Soappie Sun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the beginning talking about typical Chinese families and how he grew up as an outsider in the states, but the part of guys bragging of banging girls especially strippers just kind of grossed me out, not interested in that at all.