A Humorous Look at Asian Culture for Asian Heritage Month
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – In light of Asian Heritage Month in May, nationally syndicated humor columnist Wayne Chan has released The Problem With Being Perfect: From The United Federation of Asian Perfect-ness (published by AuthorHouse). This book is a collection of popular columns Chan has written for newspapers across the country, viewing Asian customs and traditions from a Western perspective.
“Wayne Chan is delightfully funny and amazingly on target. It’s the stuff you may think but would never say out loud. His reflections on everyday life as an Asian American are thoughtful, insightful, warm, and never ever boring! Enjoy!!” – Cheryl Weiberg, Editor-in-Chief, Asian Pages
Called the “Dave Barry” of Asian humor, Chan straddles the divide between traditional Asian and American culture. “One simple tip to help determine how fervently you should fight over the bill: For the most part, the less money you make, the more insistent you should be to pick up the tab,” Chan writes in “Chinese Family Reunions 101,” one of his most popular columns, “This is called, ‘Being in denial.’”
In his highly entertaining new release, Chan shares his comical take on topics such as Chinese family gatherings, acupuncture, Kopi Luwak coffee – made from animal droppings, shopping at the Asian market and many more stories of everyday happenings with a “fish out of water” quality. He has the benefit of having a background in both his Asian heritage and an American upbringing; he can see many Asian customs and traditions and view it from an American standpoint, but he can also comment on American activities and show how it might seem odd to the Asian population. In “A Tale of Forbidden Fruit” Chan writes:
“As a service to our readers, I have taken it upon myself, in a never-ending quest to unravel the secrets of Asian culture, to seek out and uncover, at some personal risk to myself, the mysteries of Asia’s forbidden fruits. That’s right – I’m here to tell you about all the weird fruit they have on sale at my local Asian market … Let’s take the pomelo, for example. A pomelo is the largest fruit in the citrus family. The term “large” is an understatement. How big is it? A typical pomelo is roughly the same size as a full grown golden retriever. I once saw a pomelo fall off a fruit stand and roll down a grocery aisle forcing women and children to flee in horror from the marauding citrus boulder rolling towards them. A family of four could live off of one pomelo for a week and a half. In some countries when you file your taxes you can claim your pomelo as a dependent. It’s that BIG.”
Chan is currently a finalist in the most recent “America’s Funniest Humor!” Writing Contest by HumorPress.com, one of the internet’s highest-ranking humor contest sites, for his submission of “A Tale of Forbidden Fruit.” He’s previously earned several other honors from HumorPress.com.
One unique aspect of the book is that many of the accompanying cartoons were drawn by an artist that shares the same name as the author; the “other” Wayne Chan.
About the Author: Wayne Chan is a humor writer whose syndicated columns appear in a number of newspapers around the country. Chan holds a B.A. from the University of California, San Diego, and a Masters from the University of Redlands. His most fervent wish is to see the San Diego Chargers win the Super Bowl.
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