(That’s a ripoff of Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation.” You’re welcome.)

Senior year of college. Spring quarter. My favorite class was Multicultural Theatre. One morning I arrived still drunk from the night before and declared unnaturally loudly how “I love Ludacris,” and my teacher supported me in my hypothesis that if rappers were pets, Ludacris would make a terrific dog. Plus Multicultural Theatre counted toward my (self-designed) Individual Studies Major of Ethnic Studies. Booyah.

We had an assignment to analyze a play written by an “ethnic” playwright, and as I scoured the Internet a day and a half before the presentation was due, I came across Prince Gomolvilas. I loved his work. Hilarious, gay, and Thai, I was positively itching to get a hold of his play, Debunking Love, for my project. Sadly, my procrastination cost me (for once), and Prince wasn’t able to respond and send me his script in time. He apologized profusely through e-mail, and my fanatic heart softened.

Last year I was thrilled to have happened upon his writing in his blog Bamboo Nation, and his work served as my background research before watching High School Musical the Musical. Enough about why I like him and want to one day close up the rather random three degrees of separation between us. Here is why Prince Gomolvilas, of the Bamboo Nation, is in my Google Reader:

June 13, 2008
A Conversation With Brandon Patton on the Bolt Bus From DC to New York
PRINCE: White people are funny, don’t you think?

BRANDON: Funny weird or funny ha ha?

PRINCE: I’m not sure what the exact distinction is. I just want to talk about white people.

BRANDON: You have no right to talk about white people. I’m offended.

PRINCE: Hey, this country may belong to you and your kind—what, with your white privilege and all—but I am still free to speak about whatever I wish. It’s part of the Constitution. It’s part of the soul of the city we were just in. Brush up, honkey.

BRANDON: White people have a different Constitution than Asians. We can drink large quantities of milk, for instance.

PRINCE: Do you want me to go sit on the back of this bus?

BRANDON: No. I just want you to tell me why white people are so funny.

PRINCE: I just find it amusing that you don’t recognize the social significance of me sitting here in the middle of the bus. I’m a pioneer. I’m exactly like Rosa Parks. EXACTLY.

Let’s be friends.

Editor’s Note: I guess when it comes to pasting straight from Asian Americans’ blogs, I’ve got yellow fever…