Q: What is your ultimate goal with the strip?

A: I want the strip to be a bridging text between Asian Americans and mainstream America. I don’t want to crap down people’s throats with stories of oppression and suffering. Okay, well, maybe sometimes I do. But I think there’s a lot of work to do on both sides of the fence and I’ve always had a knack for seeing both sides.

I also want it to be educational. Every now and then I do straight biographical or historical event strips that bring up things that may otherwise barely get any exposure. I’m very excited to have the reach of a daily strip to bring some of these stories to the masses. It’s like a big open Asian American history class.

Q: Many Asian Americans feel torn between their Asian ethnicity and their American nationality. Did you ever feel that way over the course of your life?

A: Absolutely. But Asians are definitely not alone in feeling like this and that’s where we should feel better about it. Internal conflicts arise when we are forced to choose between wanting to be treated just like everyone else and demanding special recognition for our differences.

Then there is the whole debate over the overly broad term “Asian American.” Asian Americans, as well as every other type of American, need to come to terms with the fact that whatever they do to express their cultural heritage should be considered American. That’s the beauty and hope of this country.

http://glamhub.com/2007/07/tak_toyoshima/