The month of May typically brings a heightened awareness of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage, with events and celebrations across the United States. But for a growing community of comedians and enthusiasts, the spirit of AAPI celebration extends far beyond a single month. The Asian Comedy Fest, now in its sixth year, has steadily grown into a significant cultural institution, one that uses laughter not only for entertainment but also for a cause, creating a year-round echo of community and support. This year, the festival made a substantial leap, becoming bicoastal with events in both New York City and Los Angeles.
From Humble Beginnings to a Bicoastal Reach
The festival’s journey began modestly in New York City. Ed Pokropski, a co-founder and Korean American adoptee, explained how the idea for the festival took shape. “We’re in New York City, which is the capital of comedy in many ways. While being here, part of the stand-up structure is that it’s often beneficial to produce your own stand-up show. That can be as small as producing an open mic at a bar, running it, getting some of your comic friends to come out and do a show, maybe charging $5, or even nothing. That’s kind of part of the cycle of things.”
This grassroots approach quickly gained traction. The first full Asian Comedy Festival took place in early 2020, just before the global pandemic brought everything to a halt. “It was a two-day festival with a lineup of stand-up comedians and some improv people,” Pokropski recalled. “It was really our first time dipping our toe in to see how it would go. We sold out every show, which was really great, and it was still small-scale. We were really excited about how it kicked off.”
When the world slowly reopened in 2021, and against a backdrop of increasing anti-Asian hate, the festival adapted. It moved to a remote, streaming format with limited in-person attendance, ensuring its continued presence. This period also solidified its commitment to charity, a core tenet that continues today. “There was a lot of anti-Asian hate happening in New York City, so it felt like a real down time for the community,” Pokropski said. “I partnered with the people I worked with on the first Asian Comedy Fest, and then brought in one of our executive producers now, Yao King. I brought him in because he had so many connections to the community in terms of nonprofits, small businesses, and other valuable parts of the community. So, we decided to have this comedy festival to raise money for a nonprofit.”
By 2022, the festival was able to return to in-person events in full force, expanding its scope to include a multi-day format with various types of Asian acts. This past May, ACF celebrated its most ambitious year yet, expanding to Los Angeles.
“It was huge to be able to tap into new audiences and new performers,” Pokropski remarked on the bicoastal expansion. “We could only catch them if they happened to be running through town. Now, we were able to be like, ‘We’re here. We’re in your backyard. Come on out. Do the show, please.’ It was really amazing to be able to do both coasts of the U.S., in very heavily Asian-populated areas where the community is very strong in many ways. Bringing this idea of performance comedy into one centralised event still felt very unique at this point.”
A Platform for Voices, Established and New
Central to the Asian Comedy Fest’s mission is its role in elevating AAPI comedic talent. The festival brings together a mix of household names and emerging performers. This year’s lineup included icons like Margaret Cho, alongside talents such as Ronny Chieng, Youngmi Mayer, and Andrea Jin. Pokropski explained the approach to talent selection.
“We try to stay active in the comedy community, whether that means online or in person, and knowing who’s ‘popping off,’ who’s doing big things, who’s right at that threshold of not being a household name yet but making big strides.”
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The festival also maintains an open submission process, welcoming performers from across the globe. “A good portion of the performers we put on stage are from these submissions,” Pokropski noted.
“Sometimes it’s people we’ve had on before, sometimes it’s people we might reach out to and book anyway, but they submit, like a lot of other performers. We get people who are very green, but some people are very experienced. We get a wide variety of people, and it’s so inspiring that each year we’ve gotten more and more submissions.” This open door has seen submissions grow from around 60 in its early days to over 200 this year, a welcome challenge for the organisers.
For Pokropski, providing this stage holds deep personal meaning. “It means the world to be able to show people that this talent exists, to show people that we’re out here in many different parts of the country too. It’s not just the coasts, it’s not just New York City and LA. It’s big cities like Chicago, Philly, and Atlanta, but it’s also small cities and places in Texas, for example. We get so many different communities from around the country. I think that means a lot to put more voices out there so people know, which is true for any group.”
Comedy with a Cause: Supporting the Community
The philanthropic heart of the Asian Comedy Fest is perhaps its most distinguishing feature. Every year, after ticket sales and expenses, all remaining proceeds are donated to an AAPI-focused nonprofit. This year, the festival partnered with The Asian American Legal Defence and Education Fund (AALDEF).
Pokropski elaborated on why this mission is so important: “I think for us, it was… my fellow executive producers, Kate Moran and Yao King, and I, we got into this knowing we weren’t looking to turn a profit. We were looking to bring people in the community together. I think the nonprofit leg of it, especially coming out of COVID and that really tough time, was crucial.” He highlighted past collaborations with organisations like Welcome to Chinatown, which provided meals for AAPI seniors, demonstrating the festival’s ground-level commitment to community welfare.
The charitable aspect helps broaden the festival’s appeal. “Someone might say, ‘Oh, I don’t really follow or watch a lot of comedy,’ but they’ll think, ‘Oh, this sounds fun, and I like food, I like snacks, I like to give back to the community.’ Again, it’s a way to bring more people into the fold. If we can partner with a new nonprofit each year, it extends our reach and acknowledges that so many people in the AAPI community are doing amazing things. It’s nice to be able to highlight that in some way.”
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Choosing AALDEF for 2025 felt particularly timely. “I think we were trying to ‘meet the moment,’ so to speak,” Pokropski explained. “There were a lot of worries or conversations about AAPI and Asian immigration, immigrants in general. Anytime the topic of immigration is big in politics or in current environments and situations like that, it seemed like something that was on top of everyone’s mind.” He added, “Any sort of legal education fund is important for everyone to understand their rights in any situation. So, it was a group we already had some prior knowledge of and had been thinking about. It made sense for what people were talking about.”
The Challenges and the Enduring Spirit
Building and expanding a volunteer-run festival is not without its hurdles. “It’s always getting ticket sales up, getting the word out, finding places to get coverage, getting online press, and staying consistent and letting people know this is out there,” Pokropski admitted. “It’s always a challenge when you’re trying to remain consistent. Sometimes bringing out new people and asking, ‘How are we changing it up this year?’ is a big part of every festival’s challenge.”
Another challenge is in communicating the festival’s broad appeal. “We’re trying to make it clear that yes, this is based around supporting AAPI performers in the community, but we’d hope, like any group, that it’s something available for every community to help support and come join us,” he noted. “We try to throw a great show and a great party, and we want that feeling, that atmosphere. We want it to feel like everyone is welcome and we’re having a good time.”
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Despite the challenges, including a tough year financially where the festival incurred a loss after covering costs, the core mission remains unchanged. “We always understand that we went into this knowing we would most likely either break even ourselves as organisers, and sometimes we lose a little money, but we always still want to have something to give to the nonprofit,” Pokropski stated. This unwavering commitment underscores the festival’s true purpose.
The 2025 festival, with its bicoastal expansion and the presence of comedic icons, marked a significant milestone. “It went great,” Pokropski concluded. “The performances and the community were still there. All that remains constant; all that is the reason we do it. Being able to feel that and see that, I mean, it still was the thing that I walk away with and go, ‘What an amazing year,’ honestly.”
The Asian Comedy Fest stands as a vibrant, ongoing celebration of AAPI identity. It shows how comedy can be a powerful instrument for social good, building community, and amplifying voices that contribute to the rich cultural mosaic of the United States, extending the spirit of AAPI Heritage far beyond the confines of a single month.
Feature image by Kim Newmoney
