#EmmysAintSoWhite: Aziz Ansari garners a bunch of Emmy nominations

A scene with the "parents" from the Emmy-nominated episode Parents from "Master of None."

ACTOR and comedian Aziz Ansari was nominated for Emmys in a number of categories for his hit series Master of None - which might best described as Friends with friends of color.

The Netflix production, which Ansari created with Alan Wang, was nominated in the Best Comedy Series category.

Ansari was also nominated for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. In addition, the heralded episode Parents, won nods in Best Writing in a Comedy and Best Direction of a Comedy.

In the heartfelt episode Parents, the lead characters - two single Asian/Americans living in New York City, acknowledged the sacrifices made by their immigrant parents, touching the heartstrings of a generation of Asian/Americans.

"It's been really incredible," Ansari told Vulture. "I think the show has definitely resonated with a lot of people who are like, 'I've never seen this perspective,' and a lot of South Asian people and people of color have said the nicest things about our show. I do feel like it's an underdog show, in a sense. For us to get the recognition like this is really super-flattering. We're really excited."

Actress Michelle Ang from Fear the Walking Dead was also nominated for outstanding actress in a short form comedy or drama series.
In the more esoteric categories, Quest Crew, made up mostly of Asian/American dancers, were nominated in the Best Choreography for their performance in America's Best Dance Crew. 

In the same category, Vincent Rodriguez III's performance in "A Boy Band Made Up of Four Joshes" in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was cited. If you haven't seen it, here it is:

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was also picked for the categories of Best Original Music & Lyrics for "I'm Going On A Date With Josh's Friend"/"Settle For Me;" Best Title Theme Music and Best Editing.

The nominations for the 2016 Emmys is noteworthy for its diversity and the many more opportunities for actors of color, which stands in stark contrast to the all-white nominations for the Academy Awards acting categories.

With the new version of Roots and several hit programs starring -- not just "featuring", but "starring" -- minority actors, such as The Good Wife, Blackish and Empire, the selections for nominations made it easier to make the nominations more racially diverse in more categories.

Constance Wu, from the groundbreaking comedy Fresh Off the Boat, was overlooked by the members of the industry despite being widely praised by critics and fans. Her nuanced depiction of Jessica Huang and comedic timing is perfect. Too much one way or the other and she could be accused of stereotyping or lampooning. But she is able to negotiate that fine line.

The Emmy's award ceremony will be held on Sunday, Sept. 18, at the Microsoft Theater, and will air live on ABC, with Jimmy Kimmel acting as host.

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