Jimmy O. Yang, who plays Jian-Yang on HBO’s “Silicon Valley’’ and portrayed Dun “Danny’’ Meng in “Patriot’s Day,’’ the 2016 film about the Boston Marathon bombings, is writing a memoir. The book was scooped up by Boston-based publisher Da Capo Press and will be released in April.
It’s called “How to American: A Narcissistic Memoir Disguised As An Immigrant Story’’ and promises to deliver the same comedic flair that made Yang well-known for his role on “Silicon Valley.’’ In an interview with the Globe on Friday, Yang said the book will dive into stories about his assimilation into American culture after immigrating to Los Angeles from Hong Kong with his family when he was 13.
“It was the big shift [between cultures] that was interesting to me . . . the differences between the two places,’’ he said.
Anecdotes will include the time his grandfather took him out to eat on one of his first days in the United States to what he’d considered the “best’’ restaurant in LA — the fast-food joint El Pollo Loco.
One chapter, “How to Strip Club DJ,’’ will detail Yang’s life after he graduated with a degree in economics from University of California San Diego. He worked three jobs: at a used car dealership during the day, as a doorman at a comedy club during the evening, and as a deejay at a strip club at night.
He said that in some ways, his experiences mirror those of his “Silicon Valley’’ character.
“Jian-Yang came very naturally to me because I relate to that person,’’ Yang said. “Jian-Yang was me 17 years ago when I first came to America . . . I pulled from a lot of my own experiences in order to play Jian-Yang, so I think through the book you see the journey of how I went from being Jian-Yang to being me now. Which, ironically, is playing Jian-Yang.’’
The actor-writer said he doesn’t aim to be “the voice of the Asians’’ when talking about his experience as an immigrant. But, he’d like it if the book served as inspiration to others who identify with his story.
“For anybody out there who feels they might not quite fit in, hopefully they can read my story and feel a little bit better about whatever their situation is,’’ Yang said. “Whether it’s another immigrant that may be going through the same experience, or a person from any descent who comes from parents that want them to do something else than what they want to, hopefully seeing my story will inspire them to pursue their dreams and overcome being an outsider.’’
Yang’s other spring release will be the film comedy “Life of the Party’’ with Melissa McCarthy.
Kaitlyn Locke can be reached at kaitlyn.locke@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ke_locke.
