Eddie Huang was a guest this morning on NPR’s Morning Edition.
The outspoken celebrity chef and author explained why he wrote a critical piece about his upcoming show Fresh Off the Boat for New York magazine and a more detailed story for Vulture.
Huang admits its been difficult for him not to write the show and see others interpret his story and his book for a mass audience.
He talked about a scene in which the writer’s wrote about his grandfather castrating a hog on a stick.
“I was like, ‘Wait a second, who came up with the idea that my grandfather castrates hogs with a stick?’ They were like, ‘It’s funny! It’s Asian! You guys slaughter pigs and it’s savage!’ This is yellow peril. I was like, ‘My grandfather sold buns on the street. … We stand for something. My family, they need to be respected.’
Don’t get Eddie wrong. He likes the show. He thinks it has huge potential to expose America to new voices and diverse stories. At the same time, he wants to encourage viewers to have conversations about the program and the story lines.
“And I think I’m pretty clear in the article telling people you have to come, you have to talk about this, because the article, the conversation, Asians coming out — when the voices are heard, they have to adjust,” he said.
You can hear the entire interview below.
