Atsuko Okatsuka: I Was Kidnapped and Brought to the U.S.
Atsuko Okatsuka (stand-up comedian) joins us in studio to discuss her \u201cScooby-Doo\u201d brand of comedy, her parents meeting on a Japanese dating show, and how her mom\u2019s schizophrenia impacted her childhood. She opens up about why it\u2019s difficult for her to identify her own needs, how navigating the uncertainty of her childhood led her to disordered eating, and rebelling against her family with her first romantic relationship. Atsuko also explains first bonding with her husband over his own mother\u2019s schizophrenia diagnosis and their recent, hilarious discovery that they were not actually legally married. She considers her blind optimism and love of people as a result of her upbringing, Margaret Cho\u2019s influence on her comedy and career, the origins of her distinctive hairstyle, and living at the complicated intersection of different Asian cultures.