Jimmy O. Yang on the Asian experience, safe spaces and more during the 2021 Homecoming Comedy Show

The University of Maryland’s Student Entertainment Events (SEE) presents the Jimmy O. Yang Homecoming Comedy Show poster on Instagram. (@see_umd/Instagram)

Jimmy O. Yang had the University of Maryland community laughing till the last joke with his homecoming comedy performance hosted by SEE on Thursday.

The comedian is best known for his roles on the shows Silicon Valley, Space Force and his appearance in Crazy Rich Asians. Yang took to Ritchie Coliseum to perform at UMD’s homecoming comedy show and did not disappoint. Students erupted in thunderous applause and laughter for his stories about his experience in the entertainment industry, his relationship with his new girlfriend, and his guidelines for finding good friends.

Yang mentions his elderly immigrant father, who recently became popular in foreign entertainment and took to Instagram to share his newfound fame. The comedian told the audience about his father’s first post with the caption “all lives matter.” His father, completely unaware of the meaning here in the States, was just looking to spread positivity, said Yang. The audience responded with laughter, but the comedian was trying to point out how people like his father sometimes fall victim to politically correct culture.

He made a point to connect with Asian UMD students on campus by spending a large portion of his set on Asian experiences. Yang spoke about Asian culture and joked about the frustration when non-Asian people confuse Asian people with one another. He also spoke out about Asian experiences in the pandemic and talked about how they have been resilient during this tumultuous time. These bits received lots of applause and were the highlight of Yang’s set.

Yang took risks with his comedy, pointing out how sensitive space college campuses have been.

“You know I don’t do this a lot cause college campuses tend to be a pretty sensitive crowd. I think comedians like [Jerry] Seinfeld said they won’t take them anymore cause they’re afraid of getting canceled. But I like you guys, you've been a good crowd,” said Yang.

He closed on a joke about his musical “n-word” slip-up with his Black friend. The crowd received the joke well and left them in a good mood leaving the Coliseum laughing with friends to continue the rest of UMD’s homecoming festivities.

“I really appreciated the university for putting this on. For a first-time comedy experience, I had a great time,” said Ely Cohen, a freshman physics major.