How to American

February 1, 2018
Comedian and actor Yang, a Chinese American Hong Kong-born immigrant who learned English from BET, grew up hearing from his dad that following his dreams would be the fastest way to end up homeless. And yet he'd later turn down a job in finance, his college major, after realizing he'd rather take a shot at a creative career and fail than never try at all. Yang's funny and breezy memoir details years spent paying his dues at open mics and fumbling through auditions (he includes a list of all 101 that preceded his breakthrough role as Jian Yang, on Silicon Valley). He considers how portraying immigrantsJian, or real-life hero Danny Meng, in Patriots Dayconnected Yang more deeply to his own experience, while acting as a member of the fully Asian cast of Crazy Rich Asians lifted the weight of otherness to a freeing effect. Embracing his multifaceted heritage while believing in America's boundless opportunities, Yang inspires with his hard work and assertion that the American dream is real, and he's a product of it.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)