Today’s guest is comedian, podcaster, and writer Youngmi Mayer.

Youngmi is one of the very first people we profiled on MOTHER 10 years ago, back when she—and her ex-husband Danny Bowien—were food world darlings thanks to their restaurant, Mission Chinese Food.

It wasn’t until several years after becoming a mother that Youngmi finally vocalized the goal she’d had since she was a kid—and was too embarrassed to say out loud—she wanted to be a stand-up comedian. 

She chronicles this experience—as well as the rise and fall of Mission Chinese—in her brand-new memoir, I’m Laughing Because I’m Crying.

The bulk of the book covers her personal history of being raised in Korea by a Korean mother and American father, as well as the powerful stories of the many ancestors that came before her. 

As the title suggests, the book is at times funny and deeply emotional, as it touches on issues of colonialism, abuse, love, death, motherhood, and generational trauma.

In today’s conversation, we talk to Youngmi about what she’s happily inherited from her own parents, her big breaks in comedy, raising a tween son in a world steeped in misogyny, and her ultimate goal of being relatable.  

You can follow Youngmi at @ymmayer on Instagram.

Today’s episode is brought to you by three mom-owned brands we love—Tubby Todd, Minted, and Ritual. See a list of their exclusive offerings for our listeners, below.

~Check out Minted.com and use code MOTHER24 for 20% off holiday cards and 15% off gifts through December 31, 2024.

~Visit Ritual.com/mothermag for 25% off your first month of Ritual.

~Head over to TubbyTodd.com and use code MOTHERMAG15 for 15% off your next order.

Please follow, rate, and leave us a review!

For more on Youngmi’s story, check out these great interviews:
New York Times (article)
Add To Cart (podcast)
Hairy Butthole (podcast)
Feeling Asian (podcast)

For more stories about motherhood and so much more, visit mothermag.com and follow @mothermag on Instagram.

The MOTHER Podcast is produced by Em Roberts and Ali Alquiza.