FAWK is flipping the script on what it means to be an Asian woman on stage. The St. Paul-based Funny Asian Women Kollective is not here to trauma-dump or fulfill tired stereotypes. They are here to make you laugh and maybe think a little harder after the show ends.

Their latest event, “The FAWK Hmong (+Friends) Super Show,” hits the Ordway stage this Saturday, bringing fresh comedy, unexpected stories, and a seriously entertaining cast of performers.

It is a loud, proud reclaiming of 50 years of Southeast Asian-American history from an often overlooked perspective: the funny one.

FAWK Are Funny + Fearless

FAWK started back in 2014 with a mission: to break down the old idea that Asian women are soft-spoken, passive, or stuck in a box. Their comedy? Loud, honest, weird, and smart. They are not afraid to get messy. They joke about war, trauma, love, growing up in immigrant homes, and every awkward date in between.

FAWK / IG / The group’s co-founders, May Lee-Yang, Saymoukda Duangphouxay Vongsay, and Naomi Ko, are seasoned performers who have created a space where Asian women can be as bold and wild on stage as they are in real life.

And they are not doing it alone. This year’s Super Show brings in national talent, including Lin Sun, the first Cambodian comic with her own streaming special, and online personality Ntxawm Kam, along with new voices from across the local scene.

50 Years of History, One Night of Comedy

This year marks five decades since Southeast Asian refugees began arriving in the U.S. after the Vietnam War. That is a heavy legacy, one that is often framed through trauma and loss. But FAWK is here to shift the focus. Their Super Show centers on the awkward, bizarre, and laugh-out-loud moments that come from immigrant life.

Instead of leaning on the expected, they are celebrating the full spectrum of experience. Pretaped sketches like “Love Is Blind: Hmong Edition” tackle modern dating with sharp wit. Live bits poke fun at cultural clashes and generational gaps. It is comedy that hits home, but never feels forced.

FAWK at the Ordway

When FAWK first performed at the Ordway in 2019, some audience members said they forgot they were watching Asian women. That comment stuck, not because it was flattering, but because it revealed just how rare it is to see Asian women be unapologetically funny in the spotlight.

Marca / This weekend, they are coming back stronger. The group wants people to see Asian women not just as survivors or background characters, but as the stars of the story.

They are taking the Ordway stage with confidence, humor, and a whole lot of attitude.

Laugh First, Reflect Later With the Funny Asian Women

For many Southeast Asian communities, humor has always been a coping tool. Growing up, FAWK members remember hearing elders joke about war, loss, and trauma, because sometimes it is the only way to talk about it. That is the heart of FAWK’s approach: Get the audience laughing first, then let them reflect afterward.

This is about using comedy to open doors. To make people more comfortable talking about tough subjects. To help a new generation of Asian Americans see themselves in stories that are both painful and hilarious.

Every FAWK show mixes stand-up, sketch, storytelling, and just the right amount of chaos. What sets them apart is how real it feels. There is no polish for the sake of it, no playing to stereotypes. The jokes come from lived experience, and the performers are not holding back.

Sven Kramer

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