Stir
A Show For and About Asian America's Next Generation.

By Yiuwing Lam for AIA, May 2004

Stir TV hosts Brian, Jeannie, Tony and Sabrina.

Tired of flipping through the tube and not seeing any Asian American faces? Well then, you must be missing out on Stir, a new Asian American television show for and about Asian America's next generation on the International Channel. Fresh, young and hip, Stir is a weekly half hour magazine style television show dedicated to Asian American culture, sports, fashion, music and all the going-ons in contemporary Asian American culture. Show subjects have run the gamut from detailing the travails and triumphs of Asian Americans pursuing independent routes in the arts in "The Declaration of Independence" to a fun exploration of image in "The Meaning of Cool" to an in-depth examination of the influence of the media in "Media Matters". So don't think that Stir is just pure pop entertainment. There's also a message to be had in all the fun - the building of an Asian American identity and community.

In an exclusive interview, Asians in America gets a little insight from correspondent Ling Liu, hosts Sabrina Shimada and Tony Wang and International Channel VP, Bill Georges.

Please introduce yourself and describe your role on Stir TV.

Ling: My name is Ling Liu and I'm a correspondent for Stir TV.

Sabrina: Hi, I'm Sabrina Shimada, one of the hosts for the show.

Bill: Bill Georges, VP of Advertising Sales for the International Channel.

Tony: And I'm Tony Wang. The young professional on the show with a multiple personality disorder, corporate lawyer by day and surfer/snowboarder whenever I can escape the office.

How did you first get involved with Stir?

Sabrina: I got involved...by being an Asian American, and watching television. I was actually watching CMC on channel KTSF when I heard about the auditions for Stir and from there I have made it to here.

Ling: A friend told me about a casting call for a new Asian American TV show. I had just returned from working in Asia, and was looking for TV work that had an international edge to it. I jumped at the opportunity!

Tony: I've done some theater and TV and have always wanted to do an Asian American show. Paying off the producers didn't hurt either.

How would you describe the show?

Ling: Stir is the only national TV magazine show dedicated to Asian Americans.

Sabrina: It's a forever changing show hoping to make a diifference. Our whole cast is working to make it one of a kind while at the same time, trying to change people's opinions about what an "Asian American television show" is as well as who is on television. I think the show is an outlet that shows the rest of the nation hard we're trying to be seen and heard.

Why do you think Stir got started?

Tony: KTSF and the International Channel have long been supporters of Asian broadcasting. The timing seemed right to have a show that targeted Asian Americans who couldn't relate to the Asian in-language programming and didn't necessarily see themselves reflected in mainstream programming.

Ling: Ethnic media in the US has expanded and developed but it seems that Asian American media has been left behind. Recently, more print media has surfaced, but until Stir, there hasn't been an Asian American television outlet with any national reach.

Bill: The International Channnel has always been interested in reaching the Asian American community. Up until now, we've only used in-language programming from Asian countries. But a large generation of Asian Americans grows up speaking English as a first language and understands American TV, and we wanted a show that would cater to that segment and put it on primetime.

What was it like trying to get the show off the ground?

Bill: After we produced a pilot on our own, we realized that we needed some expertise on such a unique project. We approached KTSF TV in San Francisco because of their experience in Asian American programming and their distribution coverage in the San Francisco area, which has a huge Asian American population.

Tony: They also teamed up with Jeff Yang and the folks at Factor, Inc. Jeff used to publish A. Magazine and he has been instrumental in producing the show.

Was an Asian American TV show a hard sell to advertisers?

Bill: Not to people who are already doing marketing in that category. And the response has been fantastic! Our sponsors include Honda Pepsi, McDonalds, and Southwest Airlines.

What are some of your goals for the show?

Ling: Right now Stir highlights the leaders and artists in our community and shows the diversity of Asian America. But I hope that Stir can someday expand to have international correspondents who can tell us about what young Asians are doing in Asia.

Tony: I think the goals of the show are twofold: to celebrate our lives as young Asian Americans and to reflect that to the larger community around us. I think we as Asian Americans bring so much to the table by adding value to life in ways that don't get recognized. I think it's time to change that and we hope to have a good time and connect with people in the process.

Bill: We plan to follow-up Stir TV with other productions. More and more content will be added to programming that will be produced in the US. Currently, we're exploring a show about Asian American dating, a variety show, a sitcom and even "a reality" show. And we want to make sure we reach all the other communities like Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean and more.

Speaking of which, what contributions do you think Stir makes to the Asian American community at large?

Ling: I think Stir can definitely help build Asian America's sense of identity and community. It is a place where voices from all corners of our community have a face and a voice.

Sabrina: This show contributes to the Asian American community in so many ways. Stir is showing every Asian American that there is or at least should be a place for them in the media, in firefighting, in designing... I mean our show covers so many topics of Asian Americans going out into the world and achieving in whatever it is their heart desires and that is what Asian America needs to see. A lot of the people we interview actually say, "my father wanted me to be a doctor", and Stir shows everyone that, and shows that you can do whatever you want. I think even if our show itself isn't breaking down stereotypes of Asian Americans, the people we showcase are.

Tony: Whether it's legitimate or not, this world has reached a point where one's representation in media is a form of validation. We hope to contribute to a representation of Asian Americans that reinforces the idea that we are here to stay. We're not here just to do kung fu or cook rice for you anymore. Our show is going to be about Asian Americans getting involved in all aspects of society.

What have you found most surprising while working on Stir?

Tony: I think one of the surprising things is how much my non-Asian acquaintances are curious and supportive of this show because, while we might consider something like this a long time in coming, they really do see it as something new. Also, it gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction to be able to make a young Asian American kid proud of his/her Asian-ness. We were in Houston for promotional events, and we stopped by to visit a Chinese community center for youth, and the kids there, even the non-Asian ones, were boasting to us about how they could speak mandarin or have visited Asia. I was beaming!

Sabrina: Recently I interviewed a guy named Bobby for our show who was recently crowned Mr. Transgender, San Francisco 2004. If not for the show, I would have never probably had to chance to talk to him. I was so impressed and so happy that I got to be friends with Bobby, and he may not know it, but he forever changed my life. It's not that before I met him, did I think badly of transgenders. I didn't think much of them at all considering I didn't personally know any. But now, my views are just completely different. I can't group them as a whole anymore because Bobby made me realize that everyone is a unique individual. He is one of the most interesting people I have ever met because he is so brave.

What do you personally get out of being a part of this?

Sabrina: Personally, I am having a lot of fun...learning a lot as well. I have never had the chance to do so many things, meet so many people.

Ling: It's been so much fun meeting people we've covered in the show along with journalists, advertisers, organization leaders, etc. Everyone seems so excited about Stir, and their support has really helped the energy on our show.

Tony: I'm constantly amazed at all the heart and support people have for a show like this, especially since it's never been done. So you can say I personally feel a tremendous amount of privilege to be involved with such a unique and relevant project for us. Plus on one of our episodes my co-hosts set me up on a blind date, so you could say that's personal...whether it's a benefit will remain to be seen...

Stir TV
On the International Channel
Check local listing for show times or visit
http://www.stirtv.com