WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:08.560 Hudson River Radio dot com. It beats listening to nothing, It's being Frank. 2 00:00:09.160 --> 00:00:15.759 We're the only way to be is Frank. Hello everyone, and welcome 3 00:00:15.839 --> 00:00:19.399 to Being Frank. We're the only way to be is of course, Frank. 4 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:22.719 I'm your host, Frank Labono. We'd like to thank you for joining 5 00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:28.519 us here on the Intelligent Conversation Podcast. We know that your time is valuable 6 00:00:28.519 --> 00:00:35.320 and competition is fears even without Tucker Carlson not wink wink. What we like 7 00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:38.880 to thank you. We'd like to think of ourselves as an alternative all that 8 00:00:39.079 --> 00:00:43.640 noise anyway, so we really appreciate you sharing some of your day with Being 9 00:00:43.719 --> 00:00:47.439 Frank. You know, we stream from Hudson River Radio dot com, which 10 00:00:47.479 --> 00:00:51.799 is located in Stony Point, New York, in beautiful Rockland County. The 11 00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:55.920 mailman, mister Neil Richter as our engineer. I call him that because he 12 00:00:56.039 --> 00:01:00.320 always delivers. He gets us streaming. But remember that's just our home base. 13 00:01:00.799 --> 00:01:06.599 You can download us wherever and whenever you listen to your favorite podcast, 14 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:11.959 and that includes iHeartRadio, Spotify, Apple, Spreaker, and all the others. 15 00:01:11.480 --> 00:01:15.760 You can find the links onto Being Frank Facebook page or the Hudson River 16 00:01:15.959 --> 00:01:21.840 Radio dot com page. Please think about becoming a subscriber and leaving us a 17 00:01:21.920 --> 00:01:25.920 comment too. As I mentioned, we have our own Facebook page, Being 18 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:29.959 Frank, so check it out. It's public and follow the page for more 19 00:01:29.959 --> 00:01:33.519 information about the podcast. Becaus I mentioned, you can always go to Hudson 20 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:38.120 River Radio dot com. Okay, click on Being Frank and you can see 21 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:41.319 all of our programs there archives. You can listen to them. Actually, 22 00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:45.920 you know, we bring our audience a new topical program every week, beginning 23 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:49.599 late on Thursday evenings. Usually by ten pm. The show is ready to 24 00:01:49.640 --> 00:01:53.560 go as Neil's got it all cleaned up and ready for streaming, so you 25 00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:57.560 can listen at your convenience though, at any time, again, on any 26 00:01:57.640 --> 00:02:01.120 format. Every program is our, so you can listen to any Being Frank 27 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:06.920 virtually any time that you want. We think of it as the intelligent thing 28 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:09.759 to do. We are five here on the fourth of May, and for 29 00:02:09.800 --> 00:02:13.960 you Star Trek, your Treky fans, May the fourth be with you, 30 00:02:14.039 --> 00:02:16.039 etc. If you watch, if you will listen to us on the fifth, 31 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:22.639 happy Cinco de Mayo, etc. May is Asian American Pacific Island or 32 00:02:22.680 --> 00:02:27.120 Heritage month. And here are some statistics from the Pure Research Center that you 33 00:02:27.199 --> 00:02:32.520 might find interesting about our Asian brothers and sisters. The US Asian population is 34 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:38.520 diverse. A record twenty two million Asian Americans trace their roots to more than 35 00:02:38.919 --> 00:02:45.879 twenty countries in East and Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, each with unique 36 00:02:45.879 --> 00:02:52.240 histories, cultures, languages, and other characteristics. The US Asian population is 37 00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:59.039 projected to reach forty six million by twenty sixty. In the eighteen seventies eighteen 38 00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:06.719 seventies census, roughly sixty three thousand individuals were classified as Asian by US Census 39 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:12.879 Bureau enumerators. By nineteen sixty, the first time census respondents could choose their 40 00:03:12.919 --> 00:03:19.840 own race, nine hundred and eighty thousand individuals self identifies as Asian. The 41 00:03:19.960 --> 00:03:25.400 nation's Asian population rose to eleven point nine million by two thousand, and then 42 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:31.360 nearly doubled to twenty two point four million by twenty nineteen. Folks, that's 43 00:03:31.400 --> 00:03:38.159 an eighty eight percent increase within two decades. Asians now make up about seven 44 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:44.159 percent of the eight nation's overall population, and their numbers are projected to surpass 45 00:03:44.599 --> 00:03:49.280 forty six million, as we mentioned, by twenty sixty, nearly four times 46 00:03:49.319 --> 00:03:54.280 their current total. The single race, non Hispanic segment of the US Asian 47 00:03:54.360 --> 00:04:00.479 population that makes up a large majority eighty percent of all Asians in this country, 48 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:06.560 and this is Invasion's fastest growing racial or ethnic group. Between two thousand 49 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:13.840 and twenty nineteen, their numbers grew by eighty one percent, outpacing the seventy 50 00:04:13.840 --> 00:04:19.279 percent increase among Hispanics. The black population grew by twenty percent during the same 51 00:04:19.279 --> 00:04:26.079 time span, while there was virtually no change in the white population. Now 52 00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:31.480 we have some context, let's introduce our guests and begin our intelligent conversation. 53 00:04:31.959 --> 00:04:39.480 Born in Calcutta but raised in Mumbai and Kuwait, supprotum bows soups to his 54 00:04:39.560 --> 00:04:43.560 friends, of which I probably called myself. One worked for eight years in 55 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:47.560 the Indian film industry known as Bollywood before coming to the US thirty two years 56 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:53.439 ago to attend college. Since then, he has established a very successful career 57 00:04:53.519 --> 00:04:59.560 in the video film production business with his company, Fugilist Films. His work 58 00:04:59.560 --> 00:05:02.959 has taken him to produce in twenty two different countries around the world. He 59 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:06.120 lives with his wife, Lowly and a social worker New City, New York. 60 00:05:06.439 --> 00:05:12.040 Has doing Amaya, recent graduate from Northeast University who is well on her 61 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:15.920 way to her own career in marketing. He's also an outstanding cook, you 62 00:05:15.959 --> 00:05:19.279 know, especially for Hindu who's not supposed to eat meat. He makes a 63 00:05:19.319 --> 00:05:25.560 delicious chicken. But but we'll talk about that soup's welcome, Welcome to the 64 00:05:25.600 --> 00:05:28.759 program. Thank you for taking the time to join us. Hey, thank 65 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:30.319 you for having me. If you appreciate it, you know it's going to 66 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:34.120 be fun. You know, I know he has one of my closest friends. 67 00:05:34.519 --> 00:05:39.800 So let's stalk. Yeah, you know, we've had this conversation privately, 68 00:05:40.279 --> 00:05:43.160 a lot of it anyway, many times. It's time I think to 69 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:46.160 share it publicly because you do have so many great stories and you really do 70 00:05:46.279 --> 00:05:50.680 bring an interesting perspective to the Asian American experience. So let's start there. 71 00:05:50.759 --> 00:05:57.199 Let's talk a little bit about about growing up in both Mobi and Kuwait. 72 00:05:57.240 --> 00:06:00.759 Tell us a little bit about your family and about your your wife as a 73 00:06:00.759 --> 00:06:04.480 young man in India and then in Arabia as well. Yeah, so you 74 00:06:04.519 --> 00:06:09.480 know, I think my first memories was not in India, was actually in 75 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:13.879 Quait because I left India when I was four years old and we lived there 76 00:06:13.879 --> 00:06:18.160 for six years and then we came back to Bombay and lived and worked and 77 00:06:18.439 --> 00:06:21.680 you know, came When I left Bombay, I was twenty seven years old, 78 00:06:21.800 --> 00:06:26.519 pretty much older for an Indian kid to leave, because most Indians would 79 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:29.759 come over here to come here at the age of twenty one. But I 80 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:32.680 was just remembering. I was just thinking, like the first time I've ever 81 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:38.759 heard the word American, you know. And I remember I was six years 82 00:06:38.800 --> 00:06:41.600 old. You know, we were in Quait and we had a half day 83 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:45.000 at school. You know, they bust us out from school. I came 84 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:46.360 home and my dad was also at home. I said, like, what's 85 00:06:46.360 --> 00:06:51.519 he doing over here? Nineteen sixty nine, we actually saw the man walking 86 00:06:51.560 --> 00:06:56.319 on moon. You know, we had kneel armstrong coming down and doing it. 87 00:06:56.360 --> 00:07:00.639 And my dad was so excited because we've done it. We've died a 88 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:03.279 man on the moon. And I was like, we've landed. You mean 89 00:07:03.279 --> 00:07:06.240 the Indians have landed a man on the moon. Because I was six years 90 00:07:06.240 --> 00:07:09.360 old, I didn't know the difference, you know, I didn't know what 91 00:07:09.480 --> 00:07:12.160 you know, I heard of America because I grew up on you know, 92 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:15.279 Porky Pig and Popeye, the salesman and you know all the cartoons, so 93 00:07:15.319 --> 00:07:18.879 I knew, but my brother was not stupid. The Americans have landed, 94 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:23.199 you know, a man on the moon, and my dad was excited and 95 00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:27.120 seeing him, you know, so it was for mankind to me, you 96 00:07:27.160 --> 00:07:30.120 know what Americans do. It was like wow, they you know, all 97 00:07:30.199 --> 00:07:35.519 of all of the whole world was actually you know, thinking about, wow, 98 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:39.839 we guys did it. It was America who did it? So those 99 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:44.720 are some of my earliest remembrance of was that kind of like an epiphany if 100 00:07:44.759 --> 00:07:47.800 you will, was at that aha moment, even at six years old? 101 00:07:47.800 --> 00:07:53.199 Did you at that time really think that you would eventually come to live in 102 00:07:53.240 --> 00:07:56.560 the States? Um, well, you know I was six and I was 103 00:07:57.879 --> 00:08:01.120 no. I didn't think about coming to the United States at that point. 104 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:07.120 So yeah, I pretty much got pushed out of India by my parents because 105 00:08:07.160 --> 00:08:09.120 I was twenty seven. I was doing pretty good. I was, you 106 00:08:09.160 --> 00:08:13.000 know, partying every day, you know, just like every you know, 107 00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:18.199 film years, drink a lot, party a lot. And my parents are 108 00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:20.759 ta tallers. They were like, you either get out of here, do 109 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:24.000 something else, or you get to get married. You know, in India 110 00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:28.240 there's an arranged marriage system, you know, and I was like, I'm 111 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:31.759 not going to get married. I just want to enjoy life and you know, 112 00:08:31.800 --> 00:08:33.879 produce more films, but the kind of movies that I was making, 113 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:37.960 you know, I want to do the national geographic kind of movies, you 114 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:39.679 know. And luckily, at that point of time, I had like, 115 00:08:41.039 --> 00:08:43.080 you know, like five or six movies which I had already directed produced, 116 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:46.639 you know, cinematographs who had a great portfolio, and they sent it out 117 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:50.039 to a couple of film school and they all accepted me. And then one 118 00:08:50.279 --> 00:08:52.840 film school said, hey, we'll give you a graduate assistantship, which basically 119 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:56.480 meant they would cover my whole you know, I didn't have to pay any 120 00:08:56.639 --> 00:09:01.279 college loans or college tu shit, and they would still give me one hundred 121 00:09:01.399 --> 00:09:05.080 one thousand dollars at the end of it. So five years, why not 122 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:09.879 let's do that. So that wasn't Soups that was in the States or still 123 00:09:09.080 --> 00:09:13.399 overseason, and no, it wasn't. It was in Southern Illinois University in 124 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:16.240 Carbondale. So I applied to n y U, I got in, I 125 00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:18.720 got I applied to USC, I got in, but none of them were 126 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:22.840 ready to give me any money. But Siu said yeah, well, we'll 127 00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:24.840 think about it. We'll get you some money. And I landed up here 128 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:31.720 and my job was basically to produce big events because I had that big event 129 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:37.559 production in Bombay doing big feature films. So I was producing people like you 130 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:41.080 know Nine inch Nails, you know, Red Hot Chili Peppers. I was 131 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:43.919 booking blues bands, you know, Albert Collins, you know, Buddy guys. 132 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:48.320 So to me, an Indian kid comes away here and he does that, 133 00:09:48.639 --> 00:09:52.240 and you know, it was very successful. I had. I had 134 00:09:52.279 --> 00:09:58.840 that graduate assistantship for five years and they would ask me like, how do 135 00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:01.320 you know how do you know which band to pick? Because you pretty much 136 00:10:01.480 --> 00:10:05.200 you know a lot of this is new. I also ran the comedy seller, 137 00:10:05.679 --> 00:10:09.879 you know, and I was to book comedians for the for the university, 138 00:10:11.440 --> 00:10:15.120 and I pretty much followed. I think the reason why I was successful 139 00:10:15.159 --> 00:10:18.600 because I was not into it. I was looking into it from a third 140 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:22.080 party angle, very objectively. So I would basically look at which band is 141 00:10:22.120 --> 00:10:26.320 playing where, you know, and if the band is playing in Saint Louis, 142 00:10:26.360 --> 00:10:30.240 which is like a few miles away from the place everywhere, you know, 143 00:10:30.240 --> 00:10:33.000 And they had the next booking at Chicago. You know, maybe they'll 144 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:37.080 take like one third the prize or ten person of the prize to come and 145 00:10:37.120 --> 00:10:39.559 pay play for one night and still make that kind of money. So you 146 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:43.039 know, so that was how well, let's back up if I can. 147 00:10:43.080 --> 00:10:46.480 Well, let's back up a little bit, because you mentioned your parents, 148 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:50.279 and this is about also, you know, making a transition as an Asian 149 00:10:50.480 --> 00:10:58.360 and then becoming an Asian American. Um you mentioned you you're you're most It 150 00:10:58.440 --> 00:11:05.480 seems most Indian parents seemed to follow basically a traditional route, especially some people 151 00:11:05.480 --> 00:11:07.120 our age and if you don't mind or give your age, because I just 152 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:11.879 attended your sixtieth birthday, more so that gives us a little bit of relevance. 153 00:11:13.159 --> 00:11:18.080 So that you're obviously your parents obviously older than that, so it would 154 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:24.000 have somewhat of a more traditional bent. Were you encouraged to be different or 155 00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:28.679 did you? Would you call yourself more rebellious in a way that you listen 156 00:11:28.759 --> 00:11:33.159 to your parents, but you found ways to rebel. How would you say 157 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:37.799 you balanced that? I think I was a bond rebel, you know, 158 00:11:37.960 --> 00:11:41.720 I mean the fact that I came here to do films and not because most 159 00:11:41.799 --> 00:11:45.519 students Indian students and they come away here. They come here to do engineering 160 00:11:45.720 --> 00:11:50.519 or medicine. You see that. Yes, yeah, there are very few 161 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:54.519 Indians at least thirty two years back when I came in. And in those 162 00:11:54.600 --> 00:11:58.360 days, India wasn't making a lot of money. It hadn't opened up, 163 00:11:58.360 --> 00:12:03.000 it was still following a social way of living. It was after I left 164 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:07.360 ACT in nineteen ninety one that opened up open market, so a lot more 165 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:11.879 money started coming in. So I think I was different in terms of me 166 00:12:11.919 --> 00:12:15.799 wanting to come here opposed to most of the engineering strent. So yeah, 167 00:12:15.840 --> 00:12:18.279 I was a totally, totally a rebel. It was like opposite day, 168 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:22.879 you know, like SpongeBob SquarePants opposite day. You know, if my mom 169 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:26.399 told me to do something, my dad would say, why are you telling 170 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:31.080 him to do because he's going to do the exact the opposite thing on what 171 00:12:31.159 --> 00:12:33.799 you did. And to me, it made sense to me because you know, 172 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:37.240 my mom's my mom and dad. My dad was pretty forward thinking, 173 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:43.519 but my mom was more of a traditionalist. And I remember me going to 174 00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:45.840 college and my mom would said, you know, you're going to college, 175 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:48.279 You're going to meet a lot of girls. You know, you're a Hindu. 176 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:50.440 We come from a Hindu family. You can marry anyone you want, 177 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:54.639 but don't marry a Muslim. And my dad like looked at her and go, 178 00:12:54.840 --> 00:12:58.080 are you crazy. We made a lot of money living in Kuwait, 179 00:12:58.120 --> 00:13:03.519 which was an Islamic country even then, you know, but you're telling him 180 00:13:03.559 --> 00:13:05.720 not to marry a Muslim, you know. But my mom was like, 181 00:13:05.759 --> 00:13:09.360 you know, they'd seen the partition, you know, the big partition in 182 00:13:09.440 --> 00:13:13.039 nineteen forty seven, when India and Pakistan was farmed. There was a lot 183 00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:18.320 of killing. You know, they've seen people burned to death. You know, 184 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:20.840 it was it was a crazy riot. And my dad was saying, 185 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:24.440 like, you know, why is he getting educated? Why are you sending 186 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:26.080 him to college if you're going to fill his head with that kind of stuff. 187 00:13:26.360 --> 00:13:31.399 Well, do you feel like coming to America if I might feel that 188 00:13:31.799 --> 00:13:35.799 being it was at least with America's reputation was supposed to be of a more 189 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:41.200 open society, did you feel that you would have that opportunity to be a 190 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:43.759 little more free and more open coming to the States. Was that? So? 191 00:13:45.720 --> 00:13:48.960 I lived in Bombay, you know, and Bombay you think about Bombay 192 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:52.759 as very much like New York, city, except as four times more crowded. 193 00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:54.879 And I think all cities are pretty much the same, you know, 194 00:13:54.919 --> 00:13:58.600 whether you go to you know, whether you go to Mexico City, you 195 00:13:58.639 --> 00:14:03.799 know, as Tokyo. You know, cities are probably an extension of an 196 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:09.519 industrial industrialization. So it's like rats. You know, you put the rats 197 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:11.879 in a maze and you give a food on the end. They go in, 198 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:13.399 they eat that food and they come back to their holes. You know, 199 00:14:13.440 --> 00:14:16.639 it's the same thing in the city. You know, everybody gets up. 200 00:14:16.039 --> 00:14:18.360 You know, they might speak a different language. I may I eat 201 00:14:18.399 --> 00:14:22.279 it, you know, different food, but it's basically go to work, 202 00:14:22.440 --> 00:14:26.600 come back, spend some time. So every and there is uniqueness in the 203 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:28.639 terms of what you eat and what. But if the city life is pretty 204 00:14:28.679 --> 00:14:33.320 much and I've been to so many cities, they're pretty much the same. 205 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:35.759 You know, the rhythm of the city all around are pretty much the same. 206 00:14:37.240 --> 00:14:41.679 So if i'd lived i'd lived in Bombay. So I didn't in Bombay. 207 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:45.519 You know, no one cares about whom you're marrying or what cast you're 208 00:14:45.559 --> 00:14:48.799 marrying, because India has a huge gas system. No longer, yeah, 209 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:54.559 it no longer. I mean in paper after independence they you know, they 210 00:14:54.639 --> 00:15:01.600 basically made it illegal to discriminate based on cast, similar to over here, 211 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:05.000 where you know you can't discriminate based on race and color. But people do 212 00:15:05.080 --> 00:15:09.399 people still discriminate, Yes they do, you know so, but that's coming 213 00:15:09.399 --> 00:15:11.000 down. I mean places like Bombay, you know, nobody cares who you 214 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:16.279 married you as long as you know. So the reason I came here was 215 00:15:16.360 --> 00:15:20.120 purely to study filmmaking, although I'd already made films, but I also wanted 216 00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:22.519 to party, you know. I was like, okay, you know, 217 00:15:22.799 --> 00:15:26.159 my parents wanted to get rid of me, and I was like, okay, 218 00:15:26.279 --> 00:15:28.600 I can get rid of them by coming over here and just hang loose. 219 00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:35.039 So that what was your very first impressions? What was the first thing 220 00:15:35.639 --> 00:15:39.720 that struck you about America that was kind of a moment that you went like, 221 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:43.960 wow, that's different. Oh you know what, and I still think 222 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:48.600 about it. Is like, it's pretty stupid. It's funny. Is like 223 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:52.639 people eating and driving at the same time. It's like, what, you 224 00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:56.399 know, they're driving and they got a Hamburger on their hand, and I 225 00:15:56.519 --> 00:15:58.840 was like, wow, you know, I like you can eat and drive, 226 00:16:00.279 --> 00:16:02.919 you know, how come you don't get into an accident and today I 227 00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:04.879 do that too, you know, eat and dry, you take up all 228 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:08.639 the bad habits. In other words, yeah, well yeah, now you 229 00:16:08.679 --> 00:16:11.399 know, if you're in Rome, you know, do as the Romans do. 230 00:16:11.799 --> 00:16:15.080 But to me, that was like, wow, these guys eat and 231 00:16:15.159 --> 00:16:18.399 drive, you know. And in India, well, one of the things 232 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:21.879 is like you sit down for proper meal. And you know, when I 233 00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:25.159 came in, they went that many fast food joints. And I'm sure that 234 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:27.480 when I go to India now I'll see people eating and driving the burger on 235 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:30.480 their side. But when I first came in, you know, to me, 236 00:16:30.519 --> 00:16:33.679 it was like, you know, and food is a huge issue in 237 00:16:33.679 --> 00:16:37.080 India. You know, I was sort of like lucky that I grew up 238 00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:41.840 in an upper middle class family. But if you stepped out, you'll see 239 00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:44.960 poverty. You will, definitely you'll see a lot of rich people. And 240 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:48.240 I went to a school where the kids would come, you know, chauffeur 241 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:52.639 driven in rolls, rice cars. I was probably the most poorest kid, 242 00:16:52.679 --> 00:16:56.120 and even then I was pretty you know. My dad was upper middle class, 243 00:16:56.200 --> 00:17:00.200 but I was a guy would come in a public transportation while my other 244 00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:03.639 friends would come in you know, showfoot card. But then you walk around 245 00:17:03.679 --> 00:17:06.400 the corner and you see someone who's trying to pick something out of a garbage 246 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:08.880 dump and eat, you know, And this is so it's a very diverse 247 00:17:08.920 --> 00:17:14.880 country, so food for me is important. And so when I saw people 248 00:17:14.920 --> 00:17:17.960 eating food and driving, I was like, whoa, Okay, that's that 249 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:21.119 is a huge culture shock, but not really a culture shock, but it 250 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:25.319 was like, hmm, that's weird. One of the things that you mentioned. 251 00:17:25.559 --> 00:17:27.839 And you know, we've shared this story, and I think it's important 252 00:17:27.880 --> 00:17:33.279 we share it with our with our listeners. Um, the fact that the 253 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:37.839 idea of and I do want you to talk a little bit about America as 254 00:17:37.880 --> 00:17:41.279 an ideal and an idea as well. I know we've talked about that, 255 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:47.480 but with that in mind, as a quote unquote foreigner, and if you 256 00:17:47.559 --> 00:17:49.160 will, and forgive me or say it with all due respect, is an 257 00:17:49.160 --> 00:17:53.319 obvious farmer foreigner, excuse me, a little bit of an accent. Okay, 258 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:57.720 darker, even darker than me, which which is something because the Italians 259 00:17:57.720 --> 00:18:03.200 you can call me ill moral more because I'm so dark. And I know 260 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:07.720 you've experienced kind of both sides of that. And it was a particular incident 261 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:11.480 when you were at school at Southern Illinois driving you were down south on an 262 00:18:11.480 --> 00:18:17.960 assignment or something and you were literally driven off the road. But then also 263 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:22.759 if you would tell the story because it's so interesting and yes, so work. 264 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:27.759 My thesis film was about a washboat player from New Yorleans. He was 265 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:32.680 known, I mean, he was known as the Jimmy Hendrix of washboat because 266 00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:36.000 just like Jimmy Hendrix, he took the good you know, like Jimmie Hendrix 267 00:18:36.039 --> 00:18:38.759 took the guitar to New Heights, you know, washboat, Leo took the 268 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:41.079 washbood to New Heights. So he used to play it with the wah wah 269 00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:45.799 pedals at you know, yeah, you know, he had jazz his washboat. 270 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:48.480 So I went and shot in Louisiana, and I came back and I 271 00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:52.559 was editing the film and I looked at it and I was showing it to 272 00:18:52.599 --> 00:18:53.319 one of my prefers, and he said, you know what, you might 273 00:18:53.359 --> 00:18:56.599 need some b roles. You might need some covers to cover off some of 274 00:18:56.640 --> 00:19:00.720 the one of the songs that I was filming. So I founded a place 275 00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:07.119 called Cypress in Mississippi. So it was by a highway. I get off 276 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:10.079 the highway I'm on a dirt track, and as I go by the barns, 277 00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:12.680 I see these huge swastika signs painted on the barns, you know, 278 00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:18.400 And it's a dirt track, and it's probably like about twenty minute drive from 279 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:22.480 the highway to through Farmland. I go to the swamp. Beautiful the swamp 280 00:19:22.519 --> 00:19:25.480 plan, you know, you have a boardwalk in the middle so you can 281 00:19:25.640 --> 00:19:29.720 walk right onto it and move your camera and you can capture cypress trees and 282 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:34.000 the swamp. So I shot there, got in and it started raining, 283 00:19:34.119 --> 00:19:37.640 and the number plate on my car, it was my first car, it 284 00:19:37.720 --> 00:19:42.400 was Bombay nine because you didn't have to pay extra money for having vanity plates. 285 00:19:42.440 --> 00:19:45.440 I was like, hey, my first car in America. You know, 286 00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:49.480 I'm gonna call it after Bombay nine. So there I am, and 287 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:55.000 you know, outcomes this. I look in my rear view mirror and I 288 00:19:55.039 --> 00:20:00.519 see this white truck, you know, van actually pulling behind me, and 289 00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:06.039 it starts raining and he's just riding bumper to bumper and I rolled down my 290 00:20:06.079 --> 00:20:07.279 window and I tell him to go, and he doesn't want to go, 291 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:11.039 and then we go and embanked when he comes close to me and he actually 292 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:15.400 hits my car and pushes me down. So now I'm rolling down, you 293 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:18.680 know, down the embankment and if I had a passenger next to me, 294 00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:23.240 they would probably been killed because the passenger side took the brunt of it and 295 00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:26.400 I, you know, so I crashed, I got pushed out, and 296 00:20:27.119 --> 00:20:30.640 you know, it was it was pretty surreal because one it was in slow 297 00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:37.440 motion almost and then it was almost dusk and I go help, help, 298 00:20:37.759 --> 00:20:41.960 and all that I hear is the cows answering me back and they're going moom. 299 00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:45.160 You know. I go help and they go back. They answer me 300 00:20:45.200 --> 00:20:48.200 back. So I climbed out of the truck and I'm climbing out of my 301 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:51.559 car and then I'm hanging by the road and I see, you know, 302 00:20:51.720 --> 00:20:55.839 like another car coming back from far and I'm like, okay, here comes 303 00:20:55.839 --> 00:21:00.200 his buddy to pretty much you know, she finish you off. Yeah, 304 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:03.680 So anyway, he pulls up and the guy turned out to be a sweet 305 00:21:03.720 --> 00:21:06.480 guy, turned out to be really caring, and he goes like what happens? 306 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:07.240 So I tell him he oh, you know, I'm so sorry, 307 00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:11.519 so apologetic that this is there a bunch of yeah, who's a bunch of 308 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:15.640 crazy people who live over here and I'm so sorry, and he took me 309 00:21:15.640 --> 00:21:18.799 to the hospital. But in that you know, and I was deep in 310 00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:23.519 the South, as deep in rural country. So even amongst them, there 311 00:21:23.559 --> 00:21:29.400 are bad people, and there are good people. In fact, you know 312 00:21:30.039 --> 00:21:33.720 I've met and it's not in America. You go to India, you'll meet 313 00:21:33.759 --> 00:21:37.960 good people, you'll meet bad people. And luckily in today's world there are 314 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:41.799 more good people still than bad people. And when I mean bad people, 315 00:21:41.799 --> 00:21:44.920 people who want to kill you because the way you look, or the way 316 00:21:44.960 --> 00:21:48.319 you talk, or what religion you come from. You know, So you 317 00:21:48.359 --> 00:21:51.759 know that as America, that was awesome, that there still exists a whole 318 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:56.519 bunch of good people, even amongst that area which is notorious for not being 319 00:21:56.599 --> 00:22:00.200 kind to people who look different. Well, let's talk a little bit about 320 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:04.279 it. It's a perfect leading for it is the promise of America. And 321 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:11.400 we mentioned it's both an ideal with an L and an idea. What is 322 00:22:11.960 --> 00:22:15.400 if you can? What does that mean to to uh two people from other 323 00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:19.519 parts of the world, If I might prefer might said with a with a 324 00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:25.240 story of my of my own, which I think I've used before, forgive 325 00:22:25.319 --> 00:22:30.920 me, but it was the covering the Republican Convention in Cleveland. I think 326 00:22:30.079 --> 00:22:33.000 I think it was twenty sixteen. It comes a blur, but anyway, 327 00:22:33.039 --> 00:22:37.079 I was working at that time with CBS News and a foreign Portuguese reporter, 328 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:41.079 lovely young woman who spoke beautiful English, and we had a little bit of 329 00:22:41.079 --> 00:22:45.599 time in between her live shots, so we struck up a conversation and at 330 00:22:45.640 --> 00:22:48.599 one point it just led to this, and she said, you know, 331 00:22:49.279 --> 00:22:56.079 um, Americans frown on the idea that you're you're the signing shining city on 332 00:22:56.160 --> 00:23:00.960 a hill, but we count on you to be that. You know, 333 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:03.519 we're just from from from Portugal. It's got great beaches, great food, 334 00:23:03.640 --> 00:23:08.000 great culture, but we're not players on the world stage. We count on 335 00:23:08.039 --> 00:23:14.279 the United States to be that shining city on the hill. And this was 336 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:17.680 at the time when wondering what Trump would do. And we'll talk a little 337 00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:21.359 bit about after that afterwards, what the Europeans were thinking at the time, 338 00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:26.319 and unfortunately pretty much came to pass. But but your thoughts on that is 339 00:23:26.720 --> 00:23:30.279 that inaccurate? Did you ever feel that way? You run with that a 340 00:23:30.279 --> 00:23:37.160 little bit soup? Yeah, so, you know, I mean, America 341 00:23:37.160 --> 00:23:40.720 has often been known as the policeman of the world. You know, we 342 00:23:41.160 --> 00:23:47.599 weld the stick stick, but lately we've welded the strick a little bit differently, 343 00:23:47.880 --> 00:23:51.079 you know, like and it's not only lately, but you know, 344 00:23:51.279 --> 00:23:56.039 Vietnam War was an unjustwar, you know. The Iraq War to me was 345 00:23:56.039 --> 00:23:59.920 a very unjustwar, you know, like and it almost seems like a jump 346 00:24:00.039 --> 00:24:03.440 the bandwagon, so you know. And for me, I saw that building 347 00:24:03.519 --> 00:24:07.640 fall, not on TV. I saw it from the windows because I was 348 00:24:07.960 --> 00:24:11.279 a block away down right, Yeah, I was. I was. I 349 00:24:11.319 --> 00:24:15.759 was working at Williams Street, so I seen it and it was and if 350 00:24:15.799 --> 00:24:19.200 you think about it, it was out of this work. It was the 351 00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:26.160 nineteen terrorists. Eighteen of them were Southeast, right, and so these were 352 00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:30.759 buddies, you know. But we attacked Quait. I mean, we attacked 353 00:24:30.960 --> 00:24:37.640 Iraq sorry, you know, based on the principle that they were Arabs and 354 00:24:37.480 --> 00:24:41.119 you know, they wanted to kill my daddy. That was George Bushes saying, 355 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:42.960 oh, you know, he's a terrorist. But we forget sometimes that 356 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:48.480 amongst those countries, it might be ruled by a dictator, but the people 357 00:24:48.519 --> 00:24:52.519 am not dictator. The people are not bad people. I've met iraqis a 358 00:24:52.519 --> 00:24:55.799 lot of iraqis when I and I grew up playing with iraqis when I lived 359 00:24:55.799 --> 00:25:00.880 in Quait, because that's a neighboring country, you know. So we sometimes 360 00:25:00.079 --> 00:25:04.519 do not put ourselves in their shoes. We think that just because this guy 361 00:25:04.559 --> 00:25:08.720 is a dictator, the whole country is bad. And and to me, 362 00:25:08.759 --> 00:25:12.599 it's so stupid, like, Okay, it's an Arabic country, but Arabic 363 00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:17.680 is a language, you know. To me, it's like if Canada did 364 00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:21.799 something to the United States, it's like going and hitting Australia, dropping bombs 365 00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:25.240 in Australia because hey, they speak the same language. There's no connection to 366 00:25:25.359 --> 00:25:29.759 any of them, you know, I mean, And so it was like 367 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:34.200 almost a popularity contest at that point, like hey, let's let's go and 368 00:25:34.519 --> 00:25:40.039 drop bombs on Iraq. And very sadly, there are a lot of Democrats 369 00:25:40.039 --> 00:25:44.279 who actually, you know, jumped into the bandwagon, you know, and 370 00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:48.359 this is yes, we are going to be Incidentally, Trump did not support 371 00:25:48.359 --> 00:25:51.720 the war in Iraq, you know, but that's another story. I mean, 372 00:25:51.799 --> 00:25:53.799 he's done other stuff, but at least he got that part right, 373 00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:59.759 you know. So I think when you wild a stick, you also have 374 00:25:59.799 --> 00:26:03.359 to the response with it that sometimes you might hit the wrong person. But 375 00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:06.839 I think what matters is also we need to think in terms of like we 376 00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:10.160 shouldn't be doing that. That's why we have the UN to do that. 377 00:26:10.799 --> 00:26:14.519 And sometimes you know, we are the biggest we lend the most money to 378 00:26:14.519 --> 00:26:17.519 the UN, but we also make fun of the UN. You know. 379 00:26:17.920 --> 00:26:22.680 So those are my thoughts. Um as far as you know America being this 380 00:26:23.079 --> 00:26:26.960 big you know police, uh, you know, a policeman of the world 381 00:26:27.880 --> 00:26:33.400 or unbalanced soups. Soups are unbalanced? Do we more do we do more 382 00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:34.920 good? In your opinion? Do we do more good in the world or 383 00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:38.680 do we do more harm? I think that's definitely. Definitely we do a 384 00:26:38.759 --> 00:26:42.480 lot more good than harm, you know. And you know me, I 385 00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:47.599 speak my mind. I mean, if you look at the Statue of Liberty, 386 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:51.680 it says give me your tide, you're pure, you're poor, your 387 00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:56.039 huddle masses, you know, you know, earning to breathe, to breathe 388 00:26:56.079 --> 00:26:57.799 free. You know, that's what's written on the Statue of Liberty. You 389 00:26:57.839 --> 00:27:03.559 know, America's is a migrant country. You know, like your parents, 390 00:27:03.640 --> 00:27:07.799 your grandparents might have come your frank and they might have come your like four 391 00:27:07.880 --> 00:27:11.519 hundred years back. I got a tree back in my backyard, which is 392 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:15.640 six hundred years back, you know. So let's not talk about how how 393 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:18.759 long we've lived here lived here. We are all immigrants, you know, 394 00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:22.200 your dad was, your grandfather was an immigrant. The only person who basically 395 00:27:22.279 --> 00:27:27.119 can throw up, you know, a fit are the Native Americans. But 396 00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:32.160 the Native Americans now and are and we've pushed them to the reservations. You 397 00:27:32.279 --> 00:27:36.599 know. So I look upon America not as a not as an area, 398 00:27:36.720 --> 00:27:38.359 not as a region where you have a salt you know, a salt border 399 00:27:38.440 --> 00:27:41.920 and the North border. You know, I think of it. I think 400 00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:47.000 of it more of a as a concept of an idea. You know that 401 00:27:47.160 --> 00:27:49.000 right now the idea, Well, are we living up to that concept that 402 00:27:49.079 --> 00:27:53.200 we're really truly living up to that idea? Look, you know, as 403 00:27:53.240 --> 00:27:59.440 an Asian and Asian American crime, we talked about the rising statistics of the 404 00:27:59.559 --> 00:28:06.599 increased in population. With that increase has become an alarming increase in anti Asian 405 00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:11.079 crime in this country. So are we truly living up to the idea and 406 00:28:11.160 --> 00:28:17.599 the idea that you mentioned? Well, you know, there's always some bad 407 00:28:17.720 --> 00:28:22.440 people or people who are misled who But more or less, I think, 408 00:28:22.519 --> 00:28:25.759 yes, we are leading. I think Americans are the most kindest people that 409 00:28:25.880 --> 00:28:29.480 have met. And if I didn't like it, I would have left. 410 00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:33.200 I've been here thirty two years, so you know, everything that I do, 411 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:37.319 I consider myself first and foremost. You know, a US citizen, 412 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:41.359 you know, so to me, everything that we do is reflects on me. 413 00:28:41.839 --> 00:28:45.839 I think definitely, we live up. We do a good job. 414 00:28:45.200 --> 00:28:49.359 But you know, lately, you know, you might be a little bit. 415 00:28:49.440 --> 00:28:52.440 We can be very embarrassed of what we do. You know, like 416 00:28:53.240 --> 00:28:56.960 you do, we do call ourselves the land of the free, home of 417 00:28:56.000 --> 00:29:02.000 the braves. But if you look at in serious we have the second largest 418 00:29:02.079 --> 00:29:04.400 of people, the second largest country which has the most amount of people in 419 00:29:04.519 --> 00:29:10.079 prison. You know, the only country which has more prisoners in prison is 420 00:29:10.200 --> 00:29:15.240 China, and then we have and then it's America. Yeah, so what 421 00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:17.920 do you mean the land of the free? You know, you know, 422 00:29:18.039 --> 00:29:19.799 it's land of the free for certain people. It all depends on where you're 423 00:29:19.799 --> 00:29:25.319 born. You know, you know where you're born or to whom you're born. 424 00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:29.400 You know, it's the luck of the draw. You know, you 425 00:29:29.519 --> 00:29:32.119 had nothing to do with it, you know, you would you could have 426 00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:36.039 been born in South Sudan, you know, and you could be facing dangers 427 00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:37.799 today, which or you could have been born in Turkey and you had an 428 00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:41.799 earthquake, you know. Or you could have been born in say in New 429 00:29:41.880 --> 00:29:45.359 York City, in some of the worst ghettos, you know, so you 430 00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:48.960 have no control of where you're born. But again, you know, like 431 00:29:49.039 --> 00:29:52.359 I say, I said, like, you know, the US still has 432 00:29:52.400 --> 00:29:57.079 the second largest of people in prison, and unfortunately, you know, although 433 00:29:57.279 --> 00:30:02.079 African Americans are just only twelve per from the population, thirty eight percent of 434 00:30:02.160 --> 00:30:07.799 the prisoners are African American, you know, proportional of course, of course. 435 00:30:07.240 --> 00:30:11.400 Well, you know you mentioned you've been here thirty plus years. What 436 00:30:11.440 --> 00:30:17.680 and you've obviously seen the political climate change. Many times we talk a little 437 00:30:17.720 --> 00:30:21.839 bit about that. What what have you what changes have you seen in the 438 00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:26.519 thirty plus years for the better or for the worst? I think I think 439 00:30:26.920 --> 00:30:33.599 you Our bottom line is, like precedents are pretty ineffective, but you know, 440 00:30:34.000 --> 00:30:37.440 on what they do. It doesn't matter who your president is. What 441 00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:41.039 matters is who sits on the Supreme Court. And today, if you think 442 00:30:41.079 --> 00:30:45.759 about it, like you know, Trump did assigned three guys on the Supreme 443 00:30:45.839 --> 00:30:48.680 Court. We couldn't get a single Supreme Court judges. And today we just 444 00:30:48.839 --> 00:30:52.920 went back fifty years back, you know, when the overturned Rowers as waiting. 445 00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:56.160 You know, sixty person of women in all over the world have access 446 00:30:56.240 --> 00:31:03.920 to safe and legal abortion, okay, and today that's changing. We just 447 00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:07.720 went fifty years back. So where are we? I mean it's like you 448 00:31:07.839 --> 00:31:11.480 have a show, it's called being Frank. My show, if I had 449 00:31:11.519 --> 00:31:15.680 a show would be what the f? You know, what the f America? 450 00:31:15.319 --> 00:31:21.039 You know, sixty we went back way back, and it's like, 451 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:25.880 you know, and woman's right to abortion. I look at it as human 452 00:31:26.039 --> 00:31:30.400 rights and that's what the United States stood for human rights. But he just 453 00:31:30.519 --> 00:31:36.279 took away the rights of a woman, you know, to do what she 454 00:31:36.319 --> 00:31:38.359 could do with her own body, you know, and that's like, wow, 455 00:31:38.440 --> 00:31:44.200 this is America. So there are stuff like that, So which and 456 00:31:44.279 --> 00:31:47.680 there's some stuff it is totally nonsensical to me. I mean sorry I'm using 457 00:31:47.720 --> 00:31:52.480 that word, but you know, the stuff like you know, like as 458 00:31:52.559 --> 00:31:56.359 all to rifle. You know, I've been to so many countries as a 459 00:31:56.440 --> 00:32:01.200 producer. You can't just go to any country in a semi automatic. There 460 00:32:01.240 --> 00:32:07.319 are forty two states in America where you can walk in and buy an assault 461 00:32:07.400 --> 00:32:12.799 rifle. There's no band, there's no waking period on assault rifles. And 462 00:32:14.079 --> 00:32:17.319 I have sort of come around the view of gun control. I know a 463 00:32:17.359 --> 00:32:22.440 lot of people when I lived in Southernlinda who lived, you know, hunting 464 00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:27.200 and foraging, you know, so I can understand when you want to go 465 00:32:27.319 --> 00:32:30.880 deer hunting and you have a rifle, but you don't need like a AK 466 00:32:30.039 --> 00:32:35.799 forty seven or a R fifteen to pull down a deer, it probably means 467 00:32:35.839 --> 00:32:37.440 you're a bad shot, you know, if you need like a whole bunch 468 00:32:37.480 --> 00:32:43.000 of so stuff like that. I think it's it's a lobbyist bottom line. 469 00:32:43.480 --> 00:32:49.000 You have the money, you can change policies, which is wrong because that's 470 00:32:49.039 --> 00:32:52.920 not what America is built on. You know. Well, I want to 471 00:32:52.920 --> 00:32:54.759 you know what, I want to take a quick break, soups, and 472 00:32:55.400 --> 00:33:00.000 I do want to talk with what what would you change? What in America 473 00:33:00.319 --> 00:33:01.960 has changed you. I want to talk a little bit about that after the 474 00:33:02.039 --> 00:33:06.759 break, and a little bit about pugilist films and what you look to accomplish 475 00:33:07.200 --> 00:33:13.240 with that and your your magnificent studio up there in New City. You turned 476 00:33:13.279 --> 00:33:16.799 your house. If people only knew, I know, we'll let them know. 477 00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:22.559 Anyway, let's take a quick break. Everybody you're listening to being Frank. 478 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:27.039 We're the only way to be is Frank. It's intelligent conversation. It 479 00:33:27.240 --> 00:33:34.000 is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. My guest is Supprot and bos he's 480 00:33:34.039 --> 00:33:38.319 a producer, a filmmaker, husband and father, and he is lending us 481 00:33:38.680 --> 00:33:44.039 his unique perspective on what it's like to be an Asian American. We'll be 482 00:33:44.160 --> 00:33:47.279 back with a lot more good stuff right after these brief commercial messages. Don't 483 00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:52.559 go anywhere. Please thank you. Hudson River Radio dot com. Check out 484 00:33:52.599 --> 00:33:59.079 The Angel Quest Show with psychic medium and author Karen Noey. Karen covers spiritual 485 00:33:59.160 --> 00:34:04.200 topics such as near death experiences, reincarnation, life after death, how your 486 00:34:04.240 --> 00:34:07.320 thoughts create your reality, creating peace on Earth, and so much more. 487 00:34:08.119 --> 00:34:13.840 Check out The angel Quest Show on Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Spotify, or 488 00:34:13.960 --> 00:34:20.960 wherever you get your podcasts. Bring a dash of green into your life. 489 00:34:21.320 --> 00:34:25.039 Check out The Many Shades of Green with Maxine, Margot Reuben and Malcolm Berman. 490 00:34:25.480 --> 00:34:30.719 Get informed about environmental issues and current events that affect us. All. 491 00:34:30.360 --> 00:34:35.599 Pick a shade of green and raise your eco consciousness with the many shades of 492 00:34:35.719 --> 00:34:42.320 green available on Apple podcasts. iHeart Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 493 00:34:45.039 --> 00:34:49.000 Hudson River Radio dot com. The best thing to happen to the Internet. 494 00:34:50.159 --> 00:34:54.320 Welcome back. It's Being Frank the Intelligent Conversation Podcast. I'm your host, 495 00:34:54.400 --> 00:35:00.239 Frank Labono. You know, we stream with a fresh topical program every week. 496 00:35:00.320 --> 00:35:04.519 Our home basis Hudson River Radio dot Com. But remember you can get 497 00:35:04.599 --> 00:35:10.039 us wherever and whenever you choose to listen to your favorite podcasts. It's Asian, 498 00:35:10.079 --> 00:35:17.280 American, Pacific Island or Heritage Months. My guest is filmmaker UH Protombos. 499 00:35:17.679 --> 00:35:22.679 He's also a friend and he's giving us a unique perspective of coming here 500 00:35:22.800 --> 00:35:29.519 from Mubai and Kuwait and living here in the States now for thirty four years. 501 00:35:29.599 --> 00:35:34.159 And when we left for the break, I posted the question, uh, 502 00:35:34.679 --> 00:35:37.320 what's the best of America? What's the worst? What would you change? 503 00:35:37.880 --> 00:35:44.159 And what would what should I say? How has it changed you? 504 00:35:44.320 --> 00:35:49.519 Let's start with first, what's what's the best of America? SUPs Um. 505 00:35:50.159 --> 00:35:55.239 I think people are pretty you know, um, they're open to you know, 506 00:35:55.800 --> 00:36:02.960 they have list of barriers, uh in meeting people. I think in 507 00:36:04.039 --> 00:36:07.320 they're more welcoming than most people around, you know. So definitely that's the 508 00:36:07.360 --> 00:36:12.719 best thing about friendship, you know. And maybe I'm being wishy washy, 509 00:36:12.800 --> 00:36:15.800 but yeah, that's what I like about America. You know, brotherhood, 510 00:36:16.239 --> 00:36:22.440 you know, there is a lot and it all depends from region to region. 511 00:36:22.480 --> 00:36:24.840 I'm pretty much based in New York, you know, and I've traveled 512 00:36:25.440 --> 00:36:29.519 in you know, in the South, but I have great friends in the 513 00:36:29.639 --> 00:36:34.440 South. You know, Um there it's it's it's it's a sense of acceptance, 514 00:36:34.760 --> 00:36:37.480 you know, like they'll accept you. There are a lot of people 515 00:36:37.480 --> 00:36:39.880 who who won't accept you, but that's in every country. And you know, 516 00:36:39.960 --> 00:36:43.079 I look at those and people and I say, no, those guys 517 00:36:43.119 --> 00:36:45.599 are bad heads. You know. In fact, those are the guys who 518 00:36:45.679 --> 00:36:47.480 make my life interesting because at least I can laugh at those idiots. So, 519 00:36:49.079 --> 00:36:52.920 you know, more or less, you know, very friendly people. 520 00:36:52.119 --> 00:36:55.559 You know, I feel right at home. That's that's the best. What's 521 00:36:55.599 --> 00:37:00.840 the worst, man, Oh, politicians, dude, I mean they suck, 522 00:37:01.280 --> 00:37:06.599 you know, and you know, it's all about the lobbies. It's 523 00:37:06.639 --> 00:37:09.119 all about you know, they come in every four years and they beg for 524 00:37:09.360 --> 00:37:13.079 their votes, and then they go back and they sort to forget you and 525 00:37:13.159 --> 00:37:16.639 they forget why they got elected. So yeah, I'm you know, and 526 00:37:16.760 --> 00:37:21.320 it's across the border. You know, how would you change that? Then? 527 00:37:21.400 --> 00:37:24.840 I mean, how would I change them? It's one of our plea. 528 00:37:24.920 --> 00:37:28.440 I would put them on the street and flog them. If they didn't 529 00:37:28.480 --> 00:37:35.559 flog them, let's back to public flogs. No, seriously, how would 530 00:37:35.599 --> 00:37:37.239 you you know, it's you know, it's an interesting point that we could 531 00:37:37.320 --> 00:37:42.599 make here, soups. You know, India, the world's largest democracy, 532 00:37:43.199 --> 00:37:45.360 votes at the rate of over well over eighty percent. I think it's over 533 00:37:45.440 --> 00:37:50.360 eighty five percent, somewhere in the area of eighty eight percent, where we're 534 00:37:50.440 --> 00:37:54.360 pathetic often under fifty percent. So you know, it's like we can't complain 535 00:37:54.440 --> 00:37:58.719 if we if we don't participate. I mean, that's always been a big 536 00:37:58.760 --> 00:38:00.159 issue with you, with me. What are you what are your thoughts? 537 00:38:01.159 --> 00:38:05.400 Totally? I mean if you don't if you don't vote, you don't get 538 00:38:05.440 --> 00:38:07.599 to talk. You know, I have a lot of you know, crew 539 00:38:07.800 --> 00:38:12.440 who I work with, younger people, so you know what, I don't 540 00:38:12.480 --> 00:38:14.519 want to get into politics. I don't want to vote, but they do 541 00:38:14.599 --> 00:38:16.679 have an opinion, you know. But these people will have an opinion. 542 00:38:16.719 --> 00:38:20.679 If you don't vote, you don't. That's the only way you can change 543 00:38:21.159 --> 00:38:22.760 a government. You know, it's to vote. And you know, and 544 00:38:22.920 --> 00:38:28.599 India people vote. But and it's a democracy, but it's not a complete 545 00:38:28.679 --> 00:38:31.000 it's not in a Democracies are not supposed to be perfect. They'll never be 546 00:38:31.159 --> 00:38:35.880 perfect. You know. It is as imperfect in India as it's in you 547 00:38:35.960 --> 00:38:37.840 know. You know, we might as we have and we have time, 548 00:38:37.880 --> 00:38:42.239 we might as well talk a little bit. We've we've got time. The 549 00:38:42.440 --> 00:38:45.519 Prime Minister, I believe it's a prime minister. He's not the Prisident, 550 00:38:45.519 --> 00:38:47.519 the Prime minister mode minister. Yeah, yes, the Prime Minister. And 551 00:38:47.719 --> 00:38:54.320 who is who has often been called the Trump of the East and sometimes people 552 00:38:54.360 --> 00:39:01.079 called Trump the emotive of the West. Yeah, very very soon right leaning 553 00:39:01.239 --> 00:39:08.880 and ultra nationalistic presidents. I know that there's a concern that you have with 554 00:39:09.239 --> 00:39:13.679 with both of them. Yeah. So I think it's a trend happening everywhere 555 00:39:13.920 --> 00:39:16.480 in the world today. You know, like, uh, the more educated 556 00:39:16.559 --> 00:39:22.119 you get and the scary thing is educated people are getting to be more and 557 00:39:22.239 --> 00:39:25.119 more fundamentalists. You know, do you see a big rise of the educated? 558 00:39:25.280 --> 00:39:29.360 And I think they do it just to control the masses. But if 559 00:39:29.400 --> 00:39:31.920 you go to France you had you know Mary Lapan, if you go to 560 00:39:32.559 --> 00:39:37.039 you know, United Kingdom, you had you know Boris. You know, 561 00:39:37.519 --> 00:39:44.000 you go everywhere, there is more and more right wingers taken. I mean 562 00:39:44.079 --> 00:39:47.119 you're closely related. I mean, you know Italy it has a woman yea, 563 00:39:47.599 --> 00:39:51.880 yes, he's a fascist, you know. So it's not a uniquely 564 00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:55.400 American or an Indian thing. I mean we had Trump, Holy crap. 565 00:39:55.599 --> 00:40:00.199 I mean, you know, like the guy was he basically try to overturn 566 00:40:00.239 --> 00:40:05.000 the election, you know, and I think it took like Mike Pence took 567 00:40:05.039 --> 00:40:07.920 a lot of gohonez to be able to stick up and says no, you 568 00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:13.480 know, but Moody similarly, you know, like I was born a Hindu. 569 00:40:13.679 --> 00:40:16.239 I call myself a beefeating Hindu. You know, I can't deny a 570 00:40:16.320 --> 00:40:19.639 good steak, you know, like I love a good steak. Well, 571 00:40:19.760 --> 00:40:22.880 Hindus are not supposed to each steak, but what are dude? That's you 572 00:40:22.000 --> 00:40:27.760 know, so I'm not very modification. You've messed an American modification you've made. 573 00:40:27.840 --> 00:40:29.519 Yeah, well it's no, no, no, it's to me. 574 00:40:29.719 --> 00:40:31.400 You know, there is a whole story of why Hindu's journey, but you 575 00:40:31.519 --> 00:40:36.079 got to keep up. It's like a software system, you know. I'm 576 00:40:36.119 --> 00:40:40.719 not going to follow Hinduism two todd zero. I'm more like Hinduism sixteen point 577 00:40:40.840 --> 00:40:44.599 one, where you marry whom you want, you do what you gotta do. 578 00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:46.400 And Hinduism a great religion. You know, it's a lot of rock 579 00:40:46.440 --> 00:40:50.840 and roll, and you know, smoke here, you know, like shivap 580 00:40:51.199 --> 00:40:53.519 is smoking a bomb. You know, like how cool is that? You 581 00:40:53.639 --> 00:40:58.239 know, And of course you're in New York State, so you know it's 582 00:40:58.280 --> 00:41:02.760 all good, you know. But the bottom line is like so Modi getting 583 00:41:02.760 --> 00:41:09.559 back to Modi. Modi is a Hindu fundamentalist. And if you think about 584 00:41:10.360 --> 00:41:15.840 let me give you an example of Pakistan and India. Pakistan and India they 585 00:41:15.920 --> 00:41:19.000 both got their freedom on the same day. They got their independence on the 586 00:41:19.039 --> 00:41:23.360 same day, fifteenth August nineteen forty seven. The British left same day they 587 00:41:23.440 --> 00:41:28.840 got there. But then Pakistan went down the route of became becoming an Islamic 588 00:41:29.039 --> 00:41:31.800 country. India did not do that. India, although eighty percent of the 589 00:41:31.840 --> 00:41:36.920 people are Hindus, decided to call itself a secular country. Incidentally, India 590 00:41:36.960 --> 00:41:42.039 has the second largest population of Muslims living there because it is the second largest 591 00:41:42.039 --> 00:41:44.079 country in the world. Well, actually, I take that back. It 592 00:41:44.239 --> 00:41:49.079 is now India's population is exceeded that. Yes, they say it, well, 593 00:41:49.920 --> 00:41:53.239 but it already has you know, it's just a month world people in 594 00:41:53.320 --> 00:42:00.280 two countries. Yeah, that's so. I often say, like, I 595 00:42:00.320 --> 00:42:04.840 would be very ashamed if India calls itself a Hindu country, you know, 596 00:42:05.559 --> 00:42:07.679 because you have to, you know, And that's I think that's the greatness 597 00:42:07.719 --> 00:42:12.079 of India. It's like a secular country. But Moody is making into a 598 00:42:12.119 --> 00:42:16.000 fundamentalist country because that's a way of getting votes. But will Indians resist? 599 00:42:16.119 --> 00:42:21.440 Will will they? I don't think so. No. I think he's said 600 00:42:21.440 --> 00:42:23.880 to win another election. I mean he's already done eight years. What he's 601 00:42:23.920 --> 00:42:30.360 done though, is like he has so what he so. The previous government, 602 00:42:30.480 --> 00:42:35.679 although was secular, was also very much into like vote banks in a 603 00:42:35.760 --> 00:42:39.760 sort to appease the different sections of groups of different religion and try to get 604 00:42:39.840 --> 00:42:44.079 vote banks, which sort of pissed off the must the Hindus, so they 605 00:42:44.199 --> 00:42:46.840 voted, you know, and so Moredy basically, you know, he tried 606 00:42:46.880 --> 00:42:50.519 to get all the Hindus together. He got them together. But what Moody 607 00:42:50.599 --> 00:42:54.280 is also doing is there's a huge development right now happening in India. You 608 00:42:54.360 --> 00:42:58.320 know, Bombay. My brother just came back from Bombay, says, you 609 00:42:58.360 --> 00:43:04.039 want to recognize it. It's like massive skyscraper, huge roads, awesome trains. 610 00:43:04.679 --> 00:43:09.840 So he's basically hoodwinking people by giving them a lot of facilities, by 611 00:43:09.920 --> 00:43:15.239 making their life easier to live with, but he's also turning the nation into 612 00:43:15.679 --> 00:43:19.920 a fundamentalist country. It would be very easy for me to live there in 613 00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:22.440 India because I'm a Hindu, but I you know, I grew up with 614 00:43:22.519 --> 00:43:27.159 friends or a Muslim. I've seen them. I see them suffer, you 615 00:43:27.280 --> 00:43:30.519 know, in terms of getting a job, and it's very hard if you're 616 00:43:30.519 --> 00:43:32.880 a Muslim to get a job. You know, they look at your name, 617 00:43:34.320 --> 00:43:37.880 well you know, so yeah, but I think it's all across the 618 00:43:37.920 --> 00:43:42.519 borderm I mean, if you look even in America, you'll see the same 619 00:43:42.599 --> 00:43:45.920 thing. Not with Muslims and Hindus or you know, but it's a ratio 620 00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:52.760 thing over here. So how has America changed you, soups? How has 621 00:43:52.800 --> 00:43:58.719 America changed me? I think I was always progressive thinking. You know, 622 00:44:00.360 --> 00:44:08.559 it turned me into a better cook, you know, definitely but pretty good. 623 00:44:08.800 --> 00:44:13.079 Yes, yes, but no, I mean I'm sixty. I left 624 00:44:13.159 --> 00:44:15.360 India when it was twenty seven, so you know, even if I lived 625 00:44:15.360 --> 00:44:17.559 in India, I would change, right. You don't expect the same guy 626 00:44:17.679 --> 00:44:22.480 to live to Yeah, so I don't think it has changed been a huge 627 00:44:22.519 --> 00:44:27.559 way, but you know it's made me try everything. I think New York 628 00:44:27.679 --> 00:44:30.719 is a great place. I mean, we live in probably the I call 629 00:44:30.840 --> 00:44:34.760 New York the capital of the world. Okay. In fact, I was 630 00:44:34.840 --> 00:44:38.360 so proud that when COVID happened, new York caught it first, because you 631 00:44:38.440 --> 00:44:44.400 know, it was sad. But where else won't have cold, you know, 632 00:44:44.639 --> 00:44:46.719 other than New York. I mean I would be pretty bummed if Chicago 633 00:44:46.960 --> 00:44:52.000 or like, why is Chicago? You know, I mean I'm taking talking 634 00:44:52.000 --> 00:44:54.599 about as you know, a joke, but you know, like New York 635 00:44:54.760 --> 00:44:58.280 is the capital of world and I'm so blessed that I live in New York 636 00:44:58.320 --> 00:45:02.519 and I get to try everything around in the world. And yeah, and 637 00:45:04.039 --> 00:45:06.920 tell us a little bit about Pugilist Films and some of the things that you 638 00:45:07.039 --> 00:45:10.320 do with with pugilist. I know you've built a state of the art studio 639 00:45:10.480 --> 00:45:16.320 up there in New City that even rivals stuff in New York. I got 640 00:45:16.760 --> 00:45:21.360 it. It's it's a pretty amazing spot. But tell us a little bit 641 00:45:21.360 --> 00:45:28.039 about Pugilist films. Yes, a pugilist films makes corporate videos. And I 642 00:45:28.159 --> 00:45:31.880 used to be a documentary filmmaker. My daughter was born. I was like, 643 00:45:32.440 --> 00:45:36.280 there goes all my dreams of making great documentaries. I got to feed 644 00:45:36.360 --> 00:45:40.440 the baby. So the best way was to become a corporate filmmaker. And 645 00:45:40.480 --> 00:45:45.760 I was pretty successful. I've you know, my clients love me. They 646 00:45:45.920 --> 00:45:50.199 sent me all around the world. I go there and shoot, and as 647 00:45:50.239 --> 00:45:52.840 a producer, I figured out, like, it's great to be a producer, 648 00:45:52.880 --> 00:45:57.079 but you can make a lot more money having cameras. And I've always 649 00:45:57.119 --> 00:46:00.679 worked on cameras. I bought more and more cameras. Now have seven cameras, 650 00:46:00.800 --> 00:46:02.599 like a lot of lights. So every time I go out and shoot, 651 00:46:02.639 --> 00:46:05.599 I go with my gear, so I get paid for all of that. 652 00:46:05.760 --> 00:46:08.360 So the money is good. But now you know. It's so I 653 00:46:08.400 --> 00:46:12.480 built a studio because when COVID happened, I looked at my great room. 654 00:46:12.800 --> 00:46:15.760 It has twenty feet ceiling. It's like, wow, twenty feet ceiling. 655 00:46:15.960 --> 00:46:19.000 I can hang some lights over here. So I rigged up a whole trust 656 00:46:19.079 --> 00:46:22.960 system. It's thirty feet by thirty feet. I got my seven cameras in 657 00:46:22.079 --> 00:46:27.679 there. I built a whole switcher room. You know, I can actually 658 00:46:28.760 --> 00:46:31.559 go live. I can get a video signal from anywhere in the world. 659 00:46:32.119 --> 00:46:36.760 We did that with you with Uri when we did the Ukraine. Yes, 660 00:46:36.960 --> 00:46:39.840 and feel Henry and Uri my Zarsky in Ukraine. As a matter of fact, 661 00:46:39.920 --> 00:46:44.360 you helped a liaison on that, right and yeah, So anything, 662 00:46:44.480 --> 00:46:47.239 my whole thing is anything CNN or Fox or any of these guys can do, 663 00:46:47.480 --> 00:46:50.559 I should be able to do it, and we can do it. 664 00:46:51.039 --> 00:46:54.440 You know were my graphic packages works on a Google spreadsheet, So you don't 665 00:46:54.440 --> 00:46:58.679 even have to be on the studio to be able to update your lower thirds 666 00:46:58.800 --> 00:47:02.679 or breaking news stories. You would be somewhere anywhere away. So I'm a 667 00:47:02.719 --> 00:47:08.760 bit of a techie geek. I mean all the pretty I love you as 668 00:47:08.800 --> 00:47:12.519 a geek, Yes you b Yeah, I love my toys. I love 669 00:47:12.639 --> 00:47:16.199 the latest bandwidth. I have redundant bandwid I have like a gigabyte, two 670 00:47:16.280 --> 00:47:21.760 gigabytes, you know, gigabyte each from Optimum Online and then from Verizon. 671 00:47:21.960 --> 00:47:24.360 If one of them goes down on a thunderstorm, I still got a feed. 672 00:47:24.440 --> 00:47:28.559 You know, I'm still alive. So it's all planned for it to 673 00:47:28.639 --> 00:47:31.440 be a live studio that can operate any place, anytime. And we've had 674 00:47:31.480 --> 00:47:35.199 our successes, you know, we've done It's not like it's being used every 675 00:47:35.280 --> 00:47:38.800 day, but we've you know, did a bunch of investment banking shows from 676 00:47:38.840 --> 00:47:42.960 here, and we did a talk show. We've done you know, some 677 00:47:43.079 --> 00:47:45.920 commercial and we're planning more into the future. So yes we are. And 678 00:47:46.519 --> 00:47:52.519 so it's it's changed from instead of me traveling to different countries with my gear 679 00:47:52.639 --> 00:47:58.000 or different places people. Yeah, I got a great meet up room, 680 00:47:58.119 --> 00:48:02.960 you know, all the jets, anything you need, control room, good 681 00:48:04.079 --> 00:48:06.639 stuff. Yeah. I think I'm getting a barber's chair. So when you 682 00:48:06.679 --> 00:48:10.760 come away here, you get a haircut and get to you direct a show. 683 00:48:12.559 --> 00:48:15.840 We'd like to thank our guests, the protom Bows, for being Frank. 684 00:48:15.960 --> 00:48:20.159 Of course, it always with his intelligent conversation, never pulls any punches 685 00:48:20.599 --> 00:48:23.199 you appreciate it. Of course, special thanks to our listeners who take the 686 00:48:23.320 --> 00:48:28.280 time to give us a voice in their lives, and of course Neil Richter, 687 00:48:28.400 --> 00:48:31.280 our engineer every week getting us getting us up and out there streaming. 688 00:48:31.960 --> 00:48:37.119 Remember we offer a fresh topic every week and you can catch us wherever and 689 00:48:37.360 --> 00:48:43.400 whenever you get your favorite podcasts like Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Speaker and 690 00:48:43.559 --> 00:48:46.079 more. You can also check us out on the Being Frank Facebook page. 691 00:48:46.559 --> 00:48:50.599 Now let me leave you with two last little nuggets. First, a Hindu 692 00:48:51.440 --> 00:48:54.360 saying that's actually the national slogan of India, and I know it's one that 693 00:48:54.519 --> 00:49:00.719 soups appreciates. Truth alone tiums pretty simple, straight and to the point. 694 00:49:01.039 --> 00:49:07.280 Remember truth alone triumphs. Well, leave you some great music. Bobner Sissy 695 00:49:07.360 --> 00:49:10.840 in his back, always fun, always rocking out. Here's give me what 696 00:49:12.000 --> 00:49:15.719 I want. We'll catch you again on the next Being Frank. I'm your 697 00:49:15.760 --> 00:49:43.280 host, Frank Bruno, see you next time time, fun give me, 698 00:49:45.119 --> 00:50:07.199 give me you want? Thanks pretty much for coming. She gave me, 699 00:50:07.320 --> 00:50:20.960 get she get me she wants. But he has lit to tell me, 700 00:50:23.440 --> 00:50:42.840 but that he eat sis beginning, Baby, I can't hear me. She 701 00:50:43.119 --> 00:50:59.440 wants babies, fell babymo Her, Gette. I want, I need, 702 00:51:36.559 --> 00:51:51.519 I want, I want to do Time for the Time Sol. You want 703 00:51:57.519 --> 00:51:59.159 us another radio dot com