Tuesday night Stir Friday Night Comedy group asked what if everyone was Asian or Asian American? Would we all be able to do Kung Fu or Karate? Would we all love rice? Would we all be ridiculously good at math?

No, we would not be, because not every Asian person falls into these stereotypes, just like not every white person knows how to line dance.

This was the message comedy sketch group Stir Friday Night helped to convey Tuesday night in the Carl Sandburg Auditorium of the Holmes Student Center.

Stir Friday Night is an all Asian American, Chicago-based sketch group that uses comedy to dispel the stereotypes of Asians.

The group came to NIU to kick-off a celebration of Asian American Awareness Month.

Five members performed various skits that took various stereotypes of Asians and poked fun of them.

Many of the skits had a typical Asian stereotype such as being really smart or being able to play a musical instrument.

“There are lots and lots of stereotypes against Asians,” said Harrison Pak a member of the group. “We want to raise awareness against these generalizations.”

The skits were an assortment of many jokes such as a Chinese fire drill, Sumo wrestlers, an Asian “gangsta” and “Dance, Dance Revolution.” There was even a slow motion Kung Fu fight over a doughnut.

“The ‘Asian gangsta’ was performed because many Asian Americans assimilate into other cultures in America because there isn’t enough about Asian culture in America,” said group member Steven Yeun who played the “Asian gansta.” “We want our kids to be able to have more awareness of their culture.”

Besides dispelling stereotypes, the group also wanted to get out the message that there was not enough Asian-American awareness of their culture.

Stir Friday Night has been around for the last 10 years, and it last came to NIU four years ago. It currently holds shows in Chicago.

For more information about Stir Friday Night, visit www.stirfridaynight.org