Chicago DEEP DISH PIZZA & DIM SUM + I Didn't Want to Be Asian 

Be proud of who you are and of your heritage. Happy Asian Heritage Month!

"You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there's still going to be somebody who hates peaches.'

Mikey...this has to be a new feature now. You eating and telling stories. Seriously, if there's one positive from Covid...its this.

I started laughing so hard when you said “I didn’t have a pencil sharpener....I had a knife”🤣🤣🤣

Damn dude. That was the most heartfelt episode I've seen from Mikey.

I'm 51, I was adopted back in '75. I'm Korean. Your topic of not feeling like you belong hits me close to the heart. I went through a lot of racist abuse until I was 15. I finally started to defend myself, and that's when the abuse stopped. You have to fight bullies. Don't let people bully you because you're a little bit different.

As a black kid that grew up in predominantly white neighborhoods I can relate. Like there would be years where I’d be the ONLY black kid in class. And then one year they bused some black kids from the inner city and they hated me too cause I wasn’t “black enough” basically I was too black for the white kids not black enough for the black kids. Not fun times

I was dying when he said “Kevin my eyes are bigge then yours “😂

“My eyes r bigger than yours”😂😂 how I feel everyday

I was a foster child I always felt alone never belong anywhere now I know we are all humans we all should live for life and love of all people

I feel like we’ve all had moments of feeling like we don’t belong. I went on a somewhat similar journey in acceptance of myself. Now that I’ve accepted who I am and I’m no longer ashamed, life is much better. I know what it is to be bullied into feeling shame about something that makes me different from others.

Being a black female growing up in the 80s where I was the only black child in my classes, I definitely felt the way you did. I eventually grew out of it thank God, but it did suck going through that. It is unfortunate people feel this way. So glad you made a video about it to show others who are still feeling this way that they are not alone!

As a Korean that grew up in Britain as a kid, I can relate a whole lot to your journey too, as I'm sure a lot of other Westernised Asians can.

that awkward moment when your American teacher can't pronounce your legal Asian name for the life of em and eagerly continues to try despite your obvious embarrassment ... ah fond childhood memories

This is beautiful. I honestly, really needed to hear this. For a very long time I hated who I was. Mexican's get such a bad rep and I was embarrassed to be one. Being that I am half mexican, people in Mexico didnt except me. I was "American". Yet whenever I was in America, I was Mexican. It was always a constant battle. It was especially hard when filling out the "what race/ethnicity are you". Being that hispanics/latinos are considered multirace, we arent technically an ethnicity. I had to either associate myself with being Native or White. To this day I struggle with who I identify as. One thing I do know though, is that Mexico is a beautiful place, full of beautiful people and history. I AM proud to be Mexican!

This video resonated with me so much. I'm a British guy living in the British countryside, I'm in my homeland but yet a feel like I don't fit in. Everyone I spend time with are different than me and don't seem to understand me, whether that's my family, friends or colleagues. I'm starting to understand that this is ok, I'm proud of where I come from and that I just need to find my place in the world. Thank you for the uplifting video Mikey, stay safe.

I’m Haitian and I sooooo understand the pencil knife!! Too many a nights was I trying to do homework and my dad would sharpen my pencil with a knife 😭😭

I wasn't expecting to hear something I really needed to hear without knowing it. I was just interested in your pizza since I am from Chicago. All of a sudden I felt like you were talking to me! I get so much from your videos and now I know why...you are so much more than food and travel reviews. You are a very talented and lovely person ❤ thank you for sharing

Yup, been there. Took me over 40 years to discover who I am and finally starting to like the person I see in the mirror. Thanks for your story. It was very inspiring. Keep telling stories going.

I can relate Mikey. No one could pronounce my name “Jaeyon” so I would introduce myself as “Peter” 😂

My dad became an orphan when his parents died during the Vietnam War. I can't imagine what horrible things he went through and seen, as he doesn't talk about much and I respect that.

Listening to your stories while we both eat is my new favorite way to spend my time while eating. The stories making it more...interactive? Like I love your normal videos where you're just showing me amazing food, but this is like a nice sit-down-with-a-friend type thing

“Wrote an awful poem”. Oh goodness. I felt that. High school in a nutshell.

oh my god this was a topic in a class i had this semester. Our unit was about immigration and just not feeling able to fit in, especially when most of us were second generation. I struggled with accepting who i was, I would go back and forth between being American and Chinese. I went to an elementary school where it was predominantly black and hispanic and I was one of the very few asians. It was constant bullying because of my appearance. It really sucked. The same situation where I went to Fuzhou for my brother's wedding, I felt like a foreigner because everyone kept calling me "American" despite speaking Fujianese fluently, so how was I supposed to identify myself when both of my homes have alienated me?? It took me so long but I've finally accepted and feel proud of who I am and where I've come from. Thanks for talking about something this important subject without making it a sob story, Mikey. I really have been loving these videos so much

My fave youtuber! More story times please!

This video is more pure than any video about a baby angel playing with a puppy! Thank you so much for sharing your inspiring story! I am truly grateful I found your videos!

I'm loving this series Mikey. Sorry you had to go through all that crap. Everyone is unique and amazing, it's what makes the world so interesting.

The 49 dislikes are from the kids who picked on Mike back then

Such a wonderful message and story, wish I'd gotten to hear this when I was younger, and hope to convey this message to younger generations! ♡

Thank you so much for this. So many people talk about this as if they are victims. You are one of the few that is able to show humility, wisdom, and still talk about rather cliche things like loving yourself.

Thank you Mikey, this really touched my heart I’m actually tearing up ! I grew up in different countries and it’s hard to understand who I am sometimes as I don’t truly feel at home anywhere . Nice to hear someone else talk about it 😊🙏🏼

I haven't been watching you for the past few months because I thought it would remind me of how many of my Queens Asian stores and restaurants have closed, perhaps forever. I never realized what a great storyteller you are. Thanks for the entertainment.

So many emotions watching this. Thank you for your honesty and now I know where your compassion developed. You’re loved by so many for exactly who you are! I’m so glad you’re in the world reaching out! ❤️

Deep dish pizza and dim sum is an interesting combination! I love to eat both 😍 Thanks for another lovely video Mike and Happy Asian Heritage Month! I am proud to be Chinese and Vietnamese ☺️

“Why you want to sleep there we got good bed” had my dying 😂

When Mike pronounces Missouri as "Misery", you know it's not a happy story there...

Seriously the best message in a video EVER! You are spot on with EVERYTHING but especially the world's largest problems going away if we were more accepting of ourselves and everyone around the world. This made me love watching you even more! 💜

One of my favorite things to do during these BS times, chill and listen to Mikey tell his stories!!

So glad you didn’t lose your identity and realize how precious your heritage are to you. ✊🏽

Guaranteed there’s was someone out there, Mikey, that really needed that advice. They really needed to hear everything you just said and I’d like to thank you on their behalf. So, thank you Mikey...for your sweet soul! Stay Being You!! Don’t ever change!!

I know I am a little late on this video but this is by far the most amazing video yet. This hits close to home and I am very appreciative that you were willing to share your past with us! You're the best Mikey!

Wow it’s amazing how relatable this is. Almost 95% of the things you said happened to me. I’m still trying to find myself but thank you for this wonderful video 🙏🏼

Mikey, I just love these vids! Food + story time, what could be better? Hope you continue this, even after isolation is over! 👍

when it comes to deep dish pizza or any pizza I'm there 😂 since its 2.30am in the UK I'm gonna have to sit here and drool 🤤..

You are amazing Mikey Xing Chen! Thanks for all your amazing stories and for continuing to let us in! I’m sorry for what you went thru but I totally get it in my own way. I’m so glad you have found pride and confidence in what makes you, you.

“My eyes are bigger than yours!” this got me 😂

I really loved this episode. Thanks for sharing Mikey.

I felt like I never belonged my whole life. I'm mixed race (African/Caucasian), born in Canada. Growing up I heard so many people ask my mom when she adopted me, and were off-put when she'd assure them I was her flesh and blood child. No one seemed to assume anything other than "Oh, that nice lady must have adopted some needy kid from another country" instead of, y'know, having me because she loved someone and wanted a child of her own? My fellow black kids (and to this day, fellow black adults) would also bully me because I was "too white". And if I tried to take pride in my heritage, they'd try to minimize or erase it. "No, you're black." When I hung out with my white friends, I stuck out like a sore thumb, and would always hear people (regardless of age) referring to me as the "black kid". To this day I still hear it when I go to a party. "Oh, guys this is Anthony. That cool black guy I told you about?" Then hearing things growing up like "You're one of the good ones". Man... it just made it really hard to feel like I belonged somewhere. It made it hard to just be a person, when I wore my heritage in my skin. Haven't gone a day in my life without being reminded I'm not just a man, but a *black* man. I still struggle with that even now, as I turn 31 this year.

Thank you for loving you and encouraging others to understand themselves. You bring so much joy into this world.

Your wisdom sounds so much like the speech of Namjoon. We need more people who can inspire others to be comfortable in their own skin and love and accept themselves 💖💖💖

You’re such an amazing person, thank you for this wonderful post ❤️

Loved this and hearing about your story growing up. I think all kids of immigrants can relate ❤

Loved this video, Mikey! You speak like an anthropologist, and it's really awesome to hear about your own experiences!

I lived your life almost to the tee, almost teared up hearing it from someone else's mouth. I am proud of you man, way to make a dent in this world.

I loved your story. As a teacher of middle and high school English Language Learners, I hear (and witness) many similar stories. I’d love to share your story with them at the beginning of next year. I think they’d appreciate your message . Thanks for sharing your story!

Yum, we love you Mikey but these food videos are really making me rethink my dinner of cottage cheese. :) Pizza looked great and thanks for keeping us sane during this crazy pandemic time.

For me, the moment which caused me to withdraw was when I was 9. I had just moved to New Zealand with my mum and sister, while my dad stayed in Singapore to wrap things up before moving to NZ with us. My mum left me and my sister at a cafe while she quickly went to pick up some groceries. Shortly afterwards, a lady came up to us and started yelling things like "go back to where you came from" and "you don't belong here" etc. Since then, I've never really enjoyed going to the mall or to town, even as I got older. When I was 14, I went to Japan for the first time on a school trip, and was really taken aback by how kind everyone was. Since then, I had always wanted to go back to Japan as I had felt safer there. I finally moved to Tokyo two years back, and for the first time really enjoyed being able to just go on random walks over the weekend to whereever I wanted to go without any worries, even in the middle of the night. Never been happier :) Not to say I don't miss NZ. I still have a lot of friends there, and there are a lot of great people. But I to this day part of me still feel like I don't truly belong despite living there for just under 20 years.

I like Giordano's. It spoiled me for pizza. I haven't enjoyed pizza since because it's nothing like Giordano's.

I enjoy your stories Mikey! I constantly have to remind myself to not be so so hard on myself and have self acceptance. It makes life so much better! Thanks again for your stories!

I live 3 1/2 hours from chicago. I need to spend a day there and just EAT❤🍕🥟❤

This is another wonderful piece of you that we get to experience ! I hope a lot of people see this video.you are the best!

Deep Dish Pizza and Soup dumplings.. two completely different dishes but they sound so good right now. I think everyone can agree that food is one of the few things that can bring two completely separate cultures together 🥟🥟🍕🍕

Totally feel with you! Thanks for sharing your experience. I live in Switzerland and I had the same stories to tell.

Am I the only person who can’t imagine Mike as a hooligan in need of sending back home to China for discipline?

Thanks Mike. Really nice video and message. Totally agree. I was hoping for more cheesy pizza footage, but glad I watched the whole video 👍

I just want to say, this is the perfect time to talk about something like this. We aren’t in a perpetual state of that school mind set where you have to fit in, we’re in self isolation. If it’s time for people to learn who they really are, it’s now.

This message resonated with me so hard. The world needs more people like you!

Just wanted to say that I appreciate hearing what your childhood was like. I've been writing a book for a couple years now, and the main character is an Asian American, specifically half Japanese. I've been trying to research what his life would have been like before the book, so I can do justice to the character and readers.

I absolutely loved this video, especially your insights at the end. You are wise and an absolute darlin'.

Mike looks like an actual extremely friendly jackie chan. Keep up the good work brother.

Love your videos so much, especially the ramen episodes. And Happy Asian Heritage Month to you too. Sometimes its cool to be Asian.

Mikey: I realize I wasn't like the other kids Me: Watching Mikey eat deep dish pizza with chopsticks also Me: You're still not like the other kids Mikey but we still like you :)

Great story, Mike. Very thought provoking and sincere.

I'm a 5th generation Chinese leaving in Tahiti which is a French colony. I don't feel I belong anywhere. I have a Chinese face but don't speak Chinese at all and I don't feel Chinese anyway. I'm not of course a tahitian native. And when I was studying in France, I didn't feel French as well

Honestly one of your best videos! Just went straight to the heart

Asians we need to love and embrace each other.

This is my favorite video of yours. I think this really shows who you are and your journey. I’m amazed at how comfortable you have become in places all over the world and have so much joy and enthusiasm for trying new things. Thank you for sharing. I want to be more like you.

normal people: pizza cutter mikey: giant cleaver of death

Wow.just wow. I didnt not realize just how much I needed this pillow talk as an Asian Am!!! Thank you so much for this video . You are a treasure.

There's an interesting concept I read about - third culture kids. Kids who grew up elsewhere but came from a different heritage aka diaspora. It's more severe for kids from highly homogeneous countries. It's exactly like you described, they're not "enough" of one culture. They're not Chinese enough to be called Chinese in China but they're also not American enough to be called American in America. With the world being so interconnected nowadays, travel and migration easier, third culture kids have become so common. The third culture being a mix of the host culture and the parent culture, the result is something that is confusing and scary for the kid. They're raised by one culture but live in another. They struggle most of their lives trying to find who they really are. I'm glad to hear that your journey has led you to a more accepting place, both for you and on you. Thanks for sharing your story!

Stories like this make me appreciate that I grew up in the sgv

Growing up in a predominately white area, I always hated being Asian. I always told everyone I wished I was white and in response they told me that I was an honorary white person. I laughed along with all the asian jokes and even said them myself. Back then that made be happy but looking back I realize how messed up it was. I just graduated from a college with a huge asian population and I’ve never been happy since I learned to embrace and appreciate my culture. I feel like I had a hard time but I know for sure my parents had it even worse since they came directly from Vietnam.

Love your story brother. You are why America is so awesome! Always be proud of who you are! Love your channel! Some of the best of RU-vid! Keep up the great work 👍🏼

Close my eyes and it's like Mikey is saying all those sweet things to me and not a pizza. I'll take what I can get. 😊

This was a really important video to me. Thank you for addressing it. I experienced almost the same things you did and it made me deny my own heritage and kept convincing myself I was the same as everyone else.

My boss for many years was named Ousman (he is from Senegal). I was a supervisor and he was my manager. SOOOOO many people called him the weirdest names. I get it isn’t an American name but some of the names my employees would say baffled me. Most often they called him “Osmand” which was hilarious to me for some reason. But it was frustrating. Similar to your name, the sound of his name should be easy for an English speaker. Ooss mahhn. Not hard to say. Yet, somehow it was so “difficult” that people just called him O Ba (Ba being his last name). I still to this day don’t understand how it’s easier to say O Ba versus Ousman. I truly don’t.

Deep talks with Mikey Chen! I Love it so much!

Had no idea you lived in TN as a kid! I'm originally from Memphis, been to Knoxville many times.

Your message is powerful and well said. I liked that you spent some personal time and stories. Well said

Am Asian. Can relate. When I was young... It was NOT cool to be different.

Hey Mikey I’ll say I’m also depressed most of the time and I know it’s late but the Italian adventure you went on was amazing.

My Chicago heart is happy for you! Lou's is THE BEST!! 🤩

I've watched a ton of your videos, and of all the feelings and emotions I expect to experience when watching a Mikey Chen video (hungry being the primary one) I never expected to feel this level of positivity. Life can be challenging at times (especially now), but having a positive outlook and sense of self worth can get you through the tough times.

This video was beautiful. It was moving to hear you talk about your childhood experiences. Thank you for sharing a piece of your life with us. 💛💛💛💛💛

There are 106 miles to Chicago. We have a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses

Hi Mikey! You can't imagine how much your words resonated with me, I made a video some time ago somewhat scratching this same topic, and I really appreciate it. Lots of love from Jeju, S. Korea!

Freakin love you, man.

You know you are an awesome content creator when your quarantine videos are as good as all your other videos! Love the storytelling!! Great job!

It’s really difficult on children coming from another culture to fit in at school. You have to “Americanize” yourself to try and fit in otherwise you’ll always be on the outside. I was born in Japan came to America age 6 but I learned English really fast by the time I entered 1st grade and I don’t look Asian so was accepted easily. Parents who decide to immigrate should understand that they need to be accepting of the local culture and try to adapt. This was the accepted mentality at the turn of the century but the past 40 years it seems it’s more important to retain your culture and maintain it but it makes it more difficult to fit in. I see more and more immigrants that live in their own communities and don’t even bother to learn the language. You’ll always be considered a foreigner doesn’t matter if you live in the US or any other country. People bond or navigate towards their own culture versus trying to cut ties it’s human nature people are more comfortable in their own cultural groups. That’s why you tend to almost always see Asians gravitate towards people from their own heritage. Unfortunately Asians who live in the US or grew up there you will never be accepted as being “Japanese” or “Chinese” like a local

YES MIKEY CHEN! PREACH IT BROTHER. You gotta accept yourself, and everything changes. Much love to you.