FAWK’s Super Show Has Poj Laib Headlining On April 19
By Lianna Matt McLernon
Funny Asian Women Kollective’s latest celebrates the 50th anniversary of Hmong people in Minnesota.
Funny Asian Women Kollective (FAWK) is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Southeast Asian resettlement in the United States with the Hmong (+Friends) Super Show on April 19 at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. In addition to acts by founders May Lee-Yang, Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay, and Naomi Ko, the line-up is full of Southeast Asian women and nonbinary folks performing stand-up, sketches, film bits, and more. Another word to describe these artists? “Poj laib.”
“‘Poj laib’ is a term that can mean ‘bad girl’ or ‘gangster,’” says Lee-Yang. “In the last 15 years, Hmong women have reclaimed the term to mean ‘badass and strong.’ FAWK is committed to spotlighting funny, edgy, unapologetic Asian women and their stories.”
FAWK’s poj laib include visiting guests Los Angeles-based Lin Sun, the first Cambodian comedian to have a one-hour special on Amazon Prime, and Wisconsin-based Ntxawm Kam, who has amassed a following of 61.7k followers across TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram for her comedic videos. They also include local artists Eve Vang, Yingya Vang, Bee Vang-Moua, and special guest Minnesota representative Kaohly Vang-Her.
Duangphouxay Vongsay says, “There’s a misconception that the Southeast Asian creative talent pool doesn’t exist in Minnesota. There is raw talent here, and we work to cultivate it. It’s second nature for us to create opportunities for artistic and professional growth. We’re in the 50th year of our communities being here, and our stories, voices, bodies, and long ass names must take up space. It’s about claiming validity, empowerment, visibility, and joy – lots of joy.”
Laughter Heals
For Eve Vang, being a part of the Hmong (+Friends) Super Show has meant trying a new form of art. “Some people remember me from being an active artist and activist back in the early 2000s when the Hmong community of young folks were just brimming with excitement and passion for representation, expression, and the start of the Hmong social movement,” she says.
Vang continues, “I am trying my hand at comedy this time… because I feel like my material is relatable for anybody who is goal-getting but single, especially among the many Hmong women who have superseded the expectations of patriarchy and are having a hard time finding love.”
While the anecdotes and punchlines will be unique, Vang’s use of comedy to tackle cultural histories, glass ceilings, and more is the bread and butter of FAWK since it began in 2014. Whether it was raw material being tested on a crowd of 50 at its old cabaret series or polished sets performed in front of 900 during super shows, Lee-Yang, Duangphouxay Vongsay, and Ko have seen how comedy heals.
Duangphouxay Vongsay recalls how, after the 2024 election, FAWK had an “extra quality” show at the Fitzgerald Theater. The political situation felt grim, she said, but to be together with community and to have a space where they didn’t have to put up a facade or censor themselves brought a type of catharsis.
Preserving The Moment
FAWK’s Hmong (+Friends) Super Show is live for one night only, but FAWK received a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society to film the performance and put it on YouTube. That way, anyone, anywhere will eventually be able to join in on this event celebrating 50 years of Southeast Asian people in the country. (Additional financial support comes from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Coalition of Asian American Leaders.)
Ko says, “More than ever, our communities need to laugh. Our collective joy is an act of resistance. This is why we’ll be streaming our show online so we can commemorate this moment as well as provide access to those who cannot make it.”
And this will be a show you can’t miss if its artists have anything to say about it.
The fact that it’s coming during a time when its three founders see their neighbors being threatened and invalidated by federal policies makes the punchlines hit even harder. As Vang says, “I think FAWK has made headway in carving voices for the Asian women narrative in a way that is funny but truthful – but isn’t that comedy? Laughing at yourself and laughing at the unbearable truths in the world.”
Tickets
Tickets are available at ordway.org and range from $31-$54 (including taxes and fees), and accessible seating is
available for those with mobility needs. Discounts are available for students.
Images courtesy Mu Theater.
