Five TV episodes celebrating Asian American Thanksgivings

The award-winning Thanksgiving episode of Master of None is a classic.

ThanksgivingThanksgiving is arguably the best holiday on television for Asian Americans. The big meal and all the traditions that revolve around it provide ample fodder for both comedy and drama.

Thanksgiving around my house and I'm sure -- most Asian American households -- always includes comfort dishes from the homeland to make the meal a true family celebration. I know its almost a cliche, but for our family, it means adding pancit and lumpia to the alrady laden table or adding bagoong to the string beans to give it that extra salty kick. Besides the roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce, the Thanksgiving table is often joined by pancit, lumpia and rice. You got to have rice.. In larger celebrations, the turkey would play second fiddle to the lechon (roast suckling pig).

RELATED: The truth about Thanksgiving

The aromas waft throughout the house all day for family and for any visitors who might pop in to be met at the door by that Filipino greeting, "Have you eaten yet?"

After stuffing yourself and everyone has moved to the living room to watch football or holiday movies.

Netflix is making the first three episodes available on its streaming network this holiday. The final two shows haven't been syndicated or picked up by anyi of the streaming networks but you can view them on YouTube for only $1.99.

Master of None, “Thanksgiving” (Season 2, Episode 8)

If you want to split hairs, this is technically not an Asian American Thanksgiving, but it features Aziz Ansari, which is good enough for us. If nothing else, holidays are opportunities to reflect on how you and your loved ones have changed from year to year. Riffing on the idea of holidays as markers of time, this Season 2 episode of Master of None tells the coming-out story of Denise (Lena Waithe), over seven holiday meals. “Being gay isn’t something black people love to talk about, Denise tells her friend, Dev (Aziz Ansari), during the 1998 holiday. “Some black people think being gay is a choice, and when they find out that their kid is gay, they try to figure out what they did wrong.” You see all of Denise’s big life changes during these meals, as well as the big shifts that her mother, played by Angela Bassett, goes through. 

Lena Waithe and Aziz Ansari won the Emmy Award for best comedy writing for this episode. 

Fresh Off The Boat, “Huangsgiving” (Season 2, Episode 8)

This episode begins with a classic Thanksgiving showdown scenario: grown-up sisters engaging in hostilities as they each attempt to prove to their mother that they can host a better version of the holiday. Jessica and Louis have a good game plan, with homemade cranberry sauce and Cornish hens replacing a big turkey, but, as is often the case during big family events, things go awry. 

And to add that extra Asian touch, Jessica's mother declares the turkey to be “dry but edible.” The ultimate compliment.

Gilmore Girls, “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving” (Season 3, Episode 9)

The episode gets to the heart of what Thanksgiving is all about — this idea of celebrating with family and friends, and obligations. That’s why Lorelai and Rory get roped into not one, not two, but four Thanksgiving dinners, and each one offers a different vignette. They know to expect religious music and tofurkey at the Kim household with Keiko Agena playing Rory's best friend Lane. They experience Sookie’s first married Thanksgiving with Jackson, who, because of a compromise, cooks up a deep-fried turkey feast, much to her dismay. They essentially double-date at Luke’s Diner. Lorelai gets into an argument with her mother during dinner. There are two passionate kisses. It’s the unpredictable nature of Thanksgiving in a nutshell.

Dr. Ken, “Thanksgiving Culture Clash” (Season 1, Episode 8): 

Molly gets a Japanese tattoo, which sparks a culture clash between Allison and Ken over their Japanese and Korean heritages, respectively, and makes for a memorable Thanksgiving dinner experience, all of which is documented by Dave for a school project. Meanwhile, Julie invites the staff over to her place to avoid being alone, but Damona and Clark try to get out of it due to other plans.

This episode is available for purchase here.

The Filipino American family, the Chans, made their debut on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's Thanksgiving episode.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, "My First Thanksgiving with Josh," (Season 1, Episode 6)

The first-ever depiction of a Filipino American family occurred on this musical rom-com Thanksgiving episode written by FilAm writer Rene Gube (who also plays the cool priest, Father Brah, in the series) The menally-off Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) tries to impress her boyfriend Josh Chan's (played by Vincent Rodriguez III) extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins  by cooking a bowl of dinaguan, a Filipino dish best described as a pork stew cooked in vinegar and pig blood. Complications ensue because Rebecca's rival for Josh's affections is also invited to the family fesat. They compete with each other for the Chan family's affections. Rebecca gets to do a rap  called "I Do Good Parent" featuring Amy Hill and Alberto Isaac as the parents, Lourdes and Joseph Chan.

This episode can be bought for only $1.99 here.

________________________________________________________________

Celebrity-laden PSA introduces Filipino American History Month

SCREEN CAPTURE / YOUTUBE

Vincent Rodriguez III, star of 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' goes over a quick history lesson of the Philippines.

ASAM NEWS

A new funny but educational PSA has been released by actor, writer, and director Charlene deGuzman to commemorate Filipino American History Month.

DeGuzman brought together a who’s who of Filipino American celebrities including Vincent Rodriguez III (Crazy Ex-Girlfriends), ), Ginger Gonzaga (True Lies, I’m Dying Up Here), Tess Paras (Just Add Magic), Jason Rogel (Kevin from Work), and Eugene Cordero (Tacoma FD).

DeGuzman, wrote and starred in the Duplass Brothers’ SXSW favorite Unlovable. The video highlights Filipino history, culture, and contributions to society as well as pop culture.

“Growing up, I never saw any characters on TV that looked like me,” deGuzman says. “It is my hope to bring more Filipino representation to TV and films so the next generation can see what’s possible and believe in their dreams.”

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.

______________________________________________________________________

Groundbreaking 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' has series finale tonight

ASAM NEWS

One of the most creative shows on broadcast television and groundbreaking shows for Asian Americans is coming to an end tonight (April 5) after four seasons.
The series finale of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend airs tonight on The CW. Starring Rachel Bloom as the neurotic Rebecca Bunch and Vincent Rodriguez III as Josh Chan (Rebecca’s man crush and ex-boyfriend) the show is notable for being a television rom-com with singing and dancing thrown in for good measure.

It’s also stands out for casting an Asian American as a romantic lead several years before Crazy Rich Asians broke ground for the same thing on the big screen. Entertainment Tonight called Rodriguez III the first Filipino lead on American television. It’s a distinction the actor does not take lightly.

“It’s meant a great deal to me, especially since my dad didn’t want me to do this,” he said to ET.

Groundbreaking moments on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

• Why you should watch Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
• CEG introduces TV's first Filipino American family
• Why TV needs more 'Asian bro's'
• 'The Kiss' finally occurs on CEG
• A Filipino American Thanksgiving depicted on TV

“He wanted me to be a businessman. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps, to be who he wanted me to be so he wouldn’t have to worry and could have someone carry on his name and business, but I didn’t want to do that. I knew I was gay at a very young age. I was bi first and I’ve always appreciated women, but I realized at a point that I’m really attracted to men and I’m probably going to marry a guy.”

He married his husband, Greg Wright during the first week of filming the first season.

While the show never achieved strong ratings, it generated a loyal following. Its cast has even toured the country in concert.

Paste Magazine this week published a tribute to the program, 10 Ways Crazy Ex-Girlfriend changed TV.

Two of the notables to make the list were rethinking the male romantic lead and fighting for equal representation.

Taping the last episode hit Rodriguez III hard.

“It was very, very, very emotional. It’s a few layers: Us as actors saying goodbye to these characters that we’re going to miss, us as people saying goodbye to getting to play and be together on set, and also saying goodbye to each other as these characters, which is its own powerful and resonant force,” Rodriguez III told ET. ” I have my own mourning to go through as Vinny saying goodbye to Josh.”

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend airs tonight at 8 p.m/7 Central on The CW.

______________________________________________________________________

TGIF Feature: 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' Season 2 gag reel released

THE NEXT EPISODE of season 3 doesn’t air until January 5th, so here’s a Crazy Ex-Girlfriend gag reel from season 2 to hold you over until then. 

Look for Vincent Rodriguez III, the Filipino American southern California bro and Rene Gube, the hip priest.

Also, it turns out that the cast can also mix-up Rebecca Bunch with Rachel Bloom so you’re not alone in that. It makes you realize how "normal" these performers are in real-life.

_________________________________________________________________________________

A recipe for making an American Thanksgiving a Filipino/American tradition

A Filipino American Thanksgiving made its historical debut on network TV in the first season of 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' when main the character Rebecca Bunch cooked dinaguan (pork stewed in pig blood) for her boyfriend's Filipino family.

THANKSGIVING is upon us and that usually means visits from relatives and friends. Our family, like most Asian American families like this tradition because it means family gatherings center around the latest gossip and -- food.

Who can forget this historic first? A Filipino American Thanksgiving dinner made its network debut in the TV in 2017 in the first season of "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" featuring Josh Chan's (Vincent Villanueva III) family. Besides the turkey, there was panic, lumpia and dinuguan. That last dish, (my favorite) pork cooked in pig's blood and vinegar, was prepared by Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) who was trying to impress her boyfriend's family.

As a nod to our American tradition, we can't pass up the traditional roasted turkey. Mashed potatoes are a must, but it's not a sin to have rice instead. Or, as a nod to the mixed cultures, both rice and mashed potatoes, not in the same bite, of course

Lots of that turkey gravy over the turkey or rice,  Yum.

However, there is always an Asian twist to the meal. In my case, I mean a Filipino twist.

We reserve the lechon (roast pig) for other holiday feasts like Christmas, Easter or New Years, or somebody's wedding or graduation or any other time weak excuse to have that delicious roasted baby pig with potato-chip like crackling.

What family feast would it be without lumpia, that Filipno take on the Chinese spring roll, except a properly made lumpia is made with the paper-thin rice wrap. I remember my mom experimenting and experimenting with making the perfect rice tortilla-like wrapper. 

Finally, she perfected it. She made it on an upside down pan heated over high heat, much like a French crepe. Her version included a filling of ground pork, chopped up shrimp, chopped up chicken, green onions, chopped cabbage and  bean sprouts. Sad to say, I haven't been able recreate the recipe or technique ... yet.

For my far-flung family (or, anybody else who reads this blog) I can share one quick, easy recipe for your holiday meal: My version of green beans. It involves the use of bagoong, that pungent Filipino shrimp paste. You can usually obtain it in Asian markets.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 TBS of peanut oil
• Dash of red pepper flakes
• Green beans. Amount varies according to how many are at the table. Prepare as you like, tips cut off or cut into two-inch pieces. You can also use Chinese green beans.
• Bacon. Two pieces of thick cut bacon. Cut into quarter-inch slices. Add more bacon if necessary for larger amount of green beans.
• Half a yellow onion, quartered and then cut in half again.
• Bagoong. 1 TBS. Filipino shrimp paste. There are so many varieties on store shelves. I usually buy the one that says alamang from Pangasinan. It is not so odorous as other brands but still delivers that high-salt burst.

STEPS

1. Par boil as many green beans as you want to serve. (If using Chinese green beans, skip this step.)
2. In a wok, add tablespoon of peanut oil
3. Add chopped bacon (or pancetta) stir fry until crisp. Remove from wok, set aside.
4. Add unions and red pepper flakes. Stir fry.
5. Add bagoong. Start with a tablespoon but you can add more if you like. Ahh, this is when the house begins to smell like a Filipino house. Stir fry.
6. Add green beans, stir fry.
7. Return bacon to wok, stir fry.
8. Serve ... with love.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow me at Threads.net/eduardodiok, @DioknoEd on Twitter or at the  blog Views From the Edge.

_______________________________________________________________________________

TGIF FEATURE: Josh Chan is in for a nightmare season on 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'

CW/ Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Josh Chan (Vincent Rodrigue III) and Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) try their best to be a happy couple.

I HOPE JOSH CHAN doesn't have any pet rabbits. Josh, our good ol' Filipino/American bro starring in the CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, is in the crosshairs of his vengeful ex-girlfriend ready to go into full Fatal Attraction mode.

The character, Josh Chan, American TV's only Filipino leading man, is played by Vincent Rodriguez III. Josh walked out on his wedding with Rebecca, superbly portrayed by award-winning actress Rachel Bloom. 

In the motion picture Fatal Attraction, the spurned love interest boiled the pet rabbit of the detective who was attracted to her and then rejected her.

The last time we saw our hapless hero Josh Chan, he had just freaked out over his upcoming wedding to Rebecca and he was entering a monastery to consider becoming a priest.

The jilted bride, the mentally unbalanced Rebecca, is out for revenge as we can see in the just released trailer for the show's third season.

"My hair is dark, so I look evil, and I'm wearing white, which is ironic," Rebecca tells a conference table of her co-workers in the new season 3 trailer, after swirling around in her office chair in an on-the-nose movie-villain move.

"I have a plan to destroy Josh Chan," she tells her girlfriends, who clap with approval.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, described as a romantic-comedy musical, is one of the most unusual series on television. Not only is it's heroine slightly off-balanced, in its first two seasons, it featured Josh's Filipino/American family - an historic first.

The show, which features original musical productions advancing the plot, will turn from a quirky romantic comedy to something more dark, releasing for full display Rebecca's unbalanced mental nature.
______________________________________________________________________________


Pray Josh Chan. Pray.
_______________________________________________________________________________