2024 NAPABA Convention: Punchlines and Punditry: Acclaimed Comedian and Keynote Zarna Garg and Gala Host Katie Phang are AANHPI Women Lawyers who are Scripting their own Headlines

Gala Keynote Speaker | Zarna Garg

NAPABA is thrilled to announce that our keynote speaker for the 2024 NAPABA Convention will be Zarna Garg.

A comedy trailblazing Indian immigrant mom from New York City, she masterfully infuses humor, wit, and fearless social commentary into her comedy special for Amazon Prime, “One in a Billion,” and her insightful podcast, “The Zarna Garg Family Show,” dissecting modern family dynamics. She headlined her sold-out Practical People Win tour and is the opener for comedy legends Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on their Restless Leg Tour. Zarna has also crossed over to the film world, starring in “A Nice Indian Boy.” Her comedy has been praised by The New York Times and Variety, and with appearances at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Tour and Netflix is a Joke Festival.

Zarna has firmly established herself as a staple in the comedy world. Boasting a devoted social media following of 2M+, she passionately advocates for change and representation in comedy.

Register for the 2024 NAPABA Convention and add the Gala, available for purchase a la carte!

Host | Katie Phang

We’re also excited to announce the dynamic MSNBC’s Katie Phang will be joining us as our Gala Host!

The host of “The Katie Phang Show” on MSNBC, she also serves as a Legal Contributor for NBC News/MSNBC, leveraging her significant trial experience to provide analysis and commentary on the latest legal issues across the globe. “The Katie Phang Show” sheds light on the intersection of law, politics and culture on the local and national levels.

She recently hosted MSNBC’s “The Culture Is: AAPI Women,” featuring a thought-provoking roundtable dialogue with seven Asian American and Pacific Islander women who are shaping American culture. She also writes columns for MSNBC Daily and previously co-hosted CNBC’s primetime show, “Money Court.”

She was a trial attorney and media relations/crisis management consultant who received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law after earning her B.A. in Political Science (with an International Relations concentration) from Yale University. As a Miami-based trial attorney, Phang was the Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Phang & Feldman and she practiced law focusing on commercial litigation, family law, real estate litigation, hospitality litigation, and criminal defense & special investigations. Katie has been awarded the AV-Preeminent Rating in Litigation, Bankruptcy, Criminal Law, & Family Law, and has been recognized as a Super Lawyer and Top Lawyer in Corporate and Business Law for several years.

Special Invitation to Attend DisOrientalism Part 2: The Revenge of Hello Kitty

May is Asian American Heritage Month. And in 2022 we have a serious #stopasianhate situation since a certain someone dubbed Coronavirus the “Kung Flu.” Enter an entire cohort of killer Nuyorasian Artists — New York’s premier Asian American performers — tearing up the stage and changing the dynamic with their world class talent: Top notch performers from Broadway, Stand Up Comedy, Burlesque, Rock and Classical Music (with a twist) join forces for one electrifying show. Curated and hosted by notorious comedienne/rapper Kate Siahaan-Rigg alongside child star-turned-Broadway actress Olivia Oguma. This program lasts about 75 minutes and is recommended to boost your immunity against boredom, inaction, xenophobia, and orientalism.

Monday May 2nd, 7pm at Joe’s Pub 425 Lafayette Street.

A special message to AABANY members from event curator and AABANY Annual Dinner master of ceremonies Kate Siahaan-Rigg: 

From the first ever Asian American to play Hamilton on Broadway to a legendary burlesque dancer, to an award winning classical duo to a rising comedy star. Part of the reason violence against Asian Americans has exploded in the face of rhetoric around Corona Virus and the rise in xenophobia is becasue Asians have always been marginalized and shut out of the cultural converation about what it is to be an American. Artists are on the front lines of visibility and speaking up for our community. By showing up and speaking up and practicing their art in a public way, AAPI artists are part of the inclusion of all of us and actively fight racism. 

I have assembled the best of the best and we intend to sing, dance, get crazy, have fun and celebrate our place in the cultural conversation.  Please come. Friends and family discount code: HELLOKITTY

To learn more and purchase tickets, please visit https://publictheater.org/productions/joes-pub/2022/d/disorientalism-part-2/

AABANY Goes to Brooklyn for AAIFF Comedy Night, August 13

The 44th Asian American International Film Festival (AAIFF) rolled into town on August 11, billed as “the nation’s first and longest running festival dedicated to celebrating independent Asian, Asian diaspora, and Pacific Islander cinema.” Because we are not yet entirely out of the pandemic, AAIFF is being presented as a hybrid event with some screenings held in person and others made available on demand. One of the in-person programs took place on the third night, August 13, an evening featuring AAPI comics performing stand-up, fittingly called “Comedy Night.”

In a part of Brooklyn that the current generation calls Gowanus, nearly two dozen AABANY members joined a standing room crowd at Littlefield, a performance space that once was a warehouse (probably back in the days when this part of town was still known as Park Slope). The show was produced and hosted by Claire Yoo, an Events Coordinator for AAIFF who also happens to be President of Harvard College Stand Up Comic Society. Before you can say, “What? Harvard Students know how to laugh?” Claire took to the stage and launched into a profanity-laced opening monologue that filled the room with appreciative laughter, getting the entire audience properly riled up for the hilarity to come. (And don’t worry, Claire, we won’t tell your dad — who was in the audience — about your foul mouth.)

The line-up featured an assortment of top comedy talent, including award-winning writers from popular shows such as “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Patriot Act with Hasan Minaj,” and NPR’s “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me.” The diversity of the comedians reflected East Asian, South Asian, and HAPA voices as well as LGBTQ+ perspectives that we rarely hear from in mainstream media. As one of our attendees, Lauren Kim of Fordham Law School, deftly summarized, “It was excellent, tons of fun, and every single comic was hilarious.” Indeed, they were! None of our performers bombed on stage. If anything, the level and quality of the comedy seemed to go higher and higher from one comic to the next. (Apologies to Moss Perricone, the first comic to go. We don’t mean to say you weren’t funny or that the other comics were funnier than you. Oh, wait … maybe we are saying the second part.)

By the way, we should mention that our host, Claire, was an AABANY intern during Fall 2020. During her internship she learned that AABANY is a community partner of AAIFF and asked how she could get involved with Asian CineVision, the non-profit that organizes AAIFF each year. We hooked her up, and just a few months later … she is the producer and host of the largest comedy show she has ever put together. Congrats, Claire! Great job! (And Asian Cinevision, you are welcome!)

Thanks to all the AABANY members and friends, including President Terry Shen and his wife, Stella, who joined us. We hope everyone will support AAIFF and its mission to promote and spotlight AAPI artists, writers, performers, producers, and filmmakers. Read about the AAIFF films we are co-sponsoring this year here.

Zombie Asian Moms at La MaMa

We are pleased to tell you about the World Premiere of Zombie Asian Moms at La MaMa, in New York City, November 29-Dec 9.  Use the discount code HELLOKITTY for a $5 discount on regular tickets.

This is a comedy/electric violin/spoken word/video piece based on oral history interviews with Asian American moms of all different backgrounds.

Find out more about Zombie Asian Moms here.

If you are interested in funding their work, go to indiegogo campaign here.