What's up, everybody? It's time, once again, to meet the Angry Reader of the Week, spotlighting you, the very special readers of this website. Over the years, I've been able to connect with a lot of cool folks, and this is a way of showing some appreciation and attention to the people who help make this blog what it is. This week's Angry Reader is Peter Jae.
Who are you?
Peter Jae AKA Pedro.
What are you?
I'm a Korean American actor, writer, and all around wannabee artist.
Where are you?
Currently I'm in NYC gearing up for the opening of our movie, Ktown Cowboys, Friday, March 18th. But I reside in Los Angeles. I moved out to LA back in 2009 from NY to further pursue my acting career.
Where are you from?
I'm born in Brooklyn, lived there until I was about 8 then moved to the Bronx where I was raised. I also spent some time in Queens. I have a lot of family out there.
What do you do?
I'm an actor and also work in stunts. I'm also a writer and preparing to pitch a screenplay that I've been writing for quite some time now. It's loosely based on my upbringing in the Bronx. I also bartend and work security to help maintain my masochistic lifestyle.
What are you all about?
I'm just a confused, creative, lost soul, trying to figure it out. Despite my appearance, art has always been part of my life. I went to a specialized Music & Art & Performing Arts High School that actually saved my life, kind of like those inner city movies -- Dangerous Minds, Freedom Writers, etc. I would've been the token Asian kid played by Dante Basco. Then I went to FIT and worked in menswear designing clothes for a while. Then I ran my own greeting card company, kind of like a hood Hallmark. But then I found my passion in storytelling. I'm inspired by stories. It's how values and cultures get passed on from generation to generation and helps shape the future. I want to be involved with any aspect of storytelling, whether it be acting, writing, directing, producing, etc.
What makes you angry?
Racism and ignorance makes me angry. I don't want to beat a dead horse but what happened at this years Oscars was very disappointing. I'm not even mad at Chris Rock in particular. But it showed on a larger scale, how racism in America is only perceived as a black and white thing and how Asian Americans are still perceived in this country. People love to throw us under the bus and when we get offended it's like we don't have a right to get upset. As if we should have a better sense of humor or we don't have a right to be offended because haven't earned the right because we're still perceived as foreigners in this country. It's 2016, people! More than that, I'm angry for the lack of support we have for each other. I hate that we love to complain in our living rooms but don't want to get proactive when it comes to going out there and making our voices heard. There's power in numbers. We need to realize that at the end of the day, everything is a business. The more we support each other, the more power we have and the more respect we'll receive. I don't care if you're Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Cambodian, Laotian. At the end of the day, we need to support each other and fall under the Yellow banner. And beyond that, I hope that all of us as minorities can unite. Like I said, there's power in numbers and we all need to stick together to represent.