We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bernice Ye. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bernice below.

Bernice, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

My project is called “Fine Imports.” It’s a global entertainment platform and community-based movement with the vision of celebrating immigrants and cultures around the world. It starts as a live comedy show in the very early stage but goes much bigger. It’s about changing the narrative of immigrants from “aliens” to “fine imports”, it’s about providing a platform to elevate much-needed yet underrepresented voices, and it’s about creating a community where different cultures break barriers, connect, and mingle with each other.

Fine Imports has been a long-time vision of mine. A little background about myself will give some context as to why I am so passionate about it. I am a standup comedian, actor, and producer, but this is a life I would have never dared to dream of growing up. Born and raised under China’s one-child policy, I was already a disappointment to my family simply for being a girl. It was a painful childhood, but it gave me the strength to never give up the fight as an underdog. Although I loved art and dance as a child, my family didn’t allow me to pursue anything creative. After graduating from “The Harvard of China” (Peking University), I came to the US to pursue my Master’s Degree in Computer Science at Purdue University, but more importantly, my freedom.

During my 18 years living in America, although I saw so many other first-generation immigrants around me, (after all, we compose almost 15% of the American population), our stories are rarely told authentically. A foreign accent is often taken as “less intelligent”, while in reality, it just means we are at least bilingual. Missing pop culture references in conversations is often perceived as lacking a good sense of humor. Even in the IRS tax form, the official term for someone who isn’t a permanent resident or citizen is “alien”. In return, immigrants often feel we can’t fit in and we are alienated. The irony is, America is a country of immigrants. We choose to come to America, leaving our homeland and family behind, because we believe in the American Dream and we love this country.

Through doing stand-up comedy, I also understand the unique challenges and barriers for first-generation immigrants to tell our stories to the American general public. First, we had to learn a second language, establish ourselves and raise our families in a new country. After all that hard work, who has the time and incentive to start a new creative endeavor where we don’t see many people like us succeed? Second, there’s a chicken-and-egg problem with the content created for immigrants. For example, in comedy clubs, we don’t see many comedians share experiences that are relatable to us, so we don’t show up; but when immigrant comedians perform at comedy clubs, our target audience is not there. Third, we were not provided with the same opportunities by the industry gatekeepers. Because if you have worked in this industry for a long time, and you look at someone like me and hear my accent, it’s easy to assume that I’m not relatable to the middle of America, I’m not a “safe” choice. All these are the exact reasons why I wanted to provide a platform and a stage where the unique and authentic voices of first-generation immigrants are not only heard but also celebrated.

Fine Imports is not just a noble cause, there’s a huge demand and market from the underserved community. When I wasn’t given the same opportunity by comedy club bookers, I decided to create my own path. I started touring in my own RV, and I proved to the bookers who gave me a chance I can slay anywhere, whether in a small town in rural America, or a metropolitan city. When I started to post my comedy on social media, I gained a massive following in the US and around the world. After receiving a Grant for Artist Program Award from Washington State Artist Trust, I started producing my own comedy show in rural areas of Washington. When I brought in diverse talents, aka, my fellow “Fine Imports” in front of a predominantly conservative crowd, it was so well received the show sells out every single time. And whenever I had an immigrant in the audience, they were overjoyed after the show, “OMG I never come to stand up because I don’t understand it… but yours, I relate to everything you said, and I was laughing the whole time.” It further validates that while there are not enough voices like mine, they are sorely needed.

When I moved to LA, I took what I learned about producing shows and created “Fine Imports” in January 2023. With hard work and passion, the two shows I’ve had so far were sold out. Not only did the audience have a great time, but I also noticed that people resonated with my message and started calling themselves “Fine Imports”. Fans have started to spread the word, returning for more shows and bringing friends. Each time I receive kind words and generous donations to encourage me to keep going.

Fine Imports is not just a show, it’s a community and a movement; It started in LA, but I plan to take it on tour, in the US, and around the world; It starts with comedy, magic, and dance, but it can become a platform and network that elevates creative voices of all kinds of “Fine Imports”, including film and TV, and more.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Born and raised in China, I never imagined being a stand-up comedian growing up. I mean, the art form of stand-up comedy did not exist in China back then. Since I was a child, I’ve always been a “rebel”. I was not afraid to speak the truth, even when it wasn’t popular – and that didn’t go well in China at all. Painful childhood, but it gave me the strength to never give up the fight as an underdog. Although I loved art and dance as a child, my family didn’t allow me to pursue anything creative. For me to express myself, I had to first beat the odds of 4 out of 300,000 students to get into the #1 university in China. I came to the US by myself to pursue my Master’s Degree in Computer Science at Purdue, but more importantly, my freedom.

It wasn’t until after working in the tech industry for 15 years that I discovered my talent and passion for stand-up comedy.

After I was promoted to a leadership position at Hulu, oftentimes I found myself feeling so proud of and grateful for my team members that I wanted to make a speech, but I had this visceral reaction of being uncomfortable and feeling fake. I hired a career coach and we dived all the way back to my childhood and unpacked a “story” that I told myself:

When I was a kid, my mom would take me to her work lunches, and on the spot, the kids were asked to make a toast to all the adults. To me, I never liked these lunches and didn’t have anything nice to say to these people, and my mom would shame me after in front of everyone saying that I was terrible at public speaking. So for a long time, not only did I think was terrible at public speaking, I also had the association of public speaking and being phony and dishonest. But now that I can look at this story as an adult, I realize that it wasn’t that I’m bad at public speaking, if anything, I have a strong opinion about speaking the truth.

The coach suggested I try ToastMasters. At each meeting, they have a Humorous Speech Contest that people can spontaneously join, so I challenged myself – and I won every single time. Looking around the room, I was also the only one for whom English was a second language. Through that, not only did I gain confidence in public speaking, I learned that I was naturally funny. At the same time, Netflix Comedy Specials had become a thing, and I realized the things comedians talk about are the thoughts I was having in the shower, but I thought were too weird. In 2018, I set a New Year’s Resolution to just do one open mic at the end of the year, but because I started to say my goals out loud, I had my first showcase in March and never looked back. That November, I was also accepted to perform at the Northwest Women’s Comedy Festival in Oregon, which was unheard of for someone so new.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Two years ago, in the wake of the pandemic-induced lockdown, I encountered a pivotal moment that truly showcased my resilience. It was a time when comedy clubs were reopening their doors, and I secured what was, at that point, the most significant opportunity of my career—a series of five weekend shows at Nate Jackson’s Super Funny Comedy Club in Tacoma, WA. Renowned comedian George Lopez had dubbed it “One of America’s best clubs,” adding to the weight of the occasion.

While many comedians had taken a hiatus during the lockdown, I had diligently honed my craft by writing new material and performing on virtual platforms. As a result, when the comedy scene began to regain momentum, I swiftly gained recognition among local audiences, garnering success at various clubs, including weekdays at Super Funny Comedy Club. Filled with confidence, I eagerly took the stage for the first show, only to experience a crushing disappointment—I bombed spectacularly. The weekend shows attracted a different crowd with heightened expectations, and as an Asian woman in a predominantly black comedy club, I didn’t conform to the perceived mold that the audience had anticipated.

The wave of devastation washed over me, and I longed to retreat from the spotlight as the audience left the venue. However, I had a second show scheduled for the same night. Standing outside the club, I found myself grappling with a whirlwind of emotions, unsure of my next move. Deep down, I knew that my appearance was something I couldn’t change. What I did know was that I had relentlessly worked to reach this point, armed with a belief in my comedic abilities and an unwavering sense of deservingness. Yet, perhaps I had naively assumed that the audience would automatically embrace me, when in reality, they needed more reassurance that they could relate to my unique perspective.

With a newfound calmness, I embarked on a process of introspection, meticulously dissecting and reorganizing my set—a painstaking exercise in self-improvement. Armed with a revitalized approach, I returned to the stage and delivered an exceptional performance. Throughout the weekend, I methodically analyzed each set and scrutinized every facet of my delivery. This transformative experience not only earned me the respect of the headliner but also forged a significant mentorship with Nate Jackson, the esteemed club owner.

In retrospect, that seemingly insurmountable setback became a catalyst for personal growth and professional development. It reinforced my determination to continuously refine my craft and reminded me of the power of resilience. Today, I carry the lessons learned from that pivotal moment, drawing strength from the challenges I have overcome as I continue to pursue my comedic aspirations.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

In my view, to support artists, creatives, and a thriving creative ecosystem, society can:

1. Recognize and value the arts, appreciating their impact on enriching our lives (we are currently heading toward a lot of contents, specially digital, are free);
2. Provide accessible resources, such as funding programs and affordable studio spaces.
3. Foster collaboration and community-building among artists through networking events and mentorship programs.
4. Incorporate arts and creative subjects into education curricula to nurture future generations.
5. Engage in active consumption and support of the arts by attending live performances and purchasing artwork.

In addition, it is crucial to enable artists to have direct access to their audiences, eliminating biased gatekeepers and allowing for the upliftment of diverse and emerging voices. By empowering artists to connect directly with audiences, we can foster a more inclusive and equitable creative landscape.    x  

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.berniceye.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernicecomedy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BerniceComedy/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/berniceye/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/bernicecomedy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bernicecomedy
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bernicecomedy
• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BerniceComedy
• GoFundMe for Asian Chicken Salad Music Video: https://gofund.me/e04ec52f

Image Credits
Nicole Casaletto Photography Richardson Reigart Keida Mascaro Kevin Ryan