When James Brown died on Christmas Day, we not only lost Soul Brother No. 1 and a true titan of popular music, but an Asian brother as well. In his 2005 memoir, I Feel Good, the Godfather of Soul wrote: “I also have some Chinese in me, at least as much as I have Black (and maybe a little Egyptian King Tut thrown in for good measure).”

OK, so it’s not exactly Korean in his “genetic makeup,” as Brown described his ethnic background. Still, this revelation put his music in a new context, and had me finding new meaning in some of his classic songs.

“Please Please Please”

The themes are totally different, but there’s something about the urgency with which Brown pines for his lost love, in his first hit single from 1956, that is reminiscent of the urgency with which our immigrant parents can constantly nag.

“Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag”

Navigating the immigrant life can be like a dance, moving from one step to the next. And for many of our fathers, one of those moves included bagging groceries.

“It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World”

What a fitting reflection this song is of the patriarchal nature of Asian cultures. But, like Brown, I am in total agreement: “It wouldn’t be nothing, nothing, without a woman or a girl.”

“I Don’t Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing (Open Up The Door I’ll Get It Myself)”

Brown was an outspoken proponent for black self-empowerment, a leader in the civil rights movement in his own right. He also advocated for and supported black-owned businesses. This song’s mantra has been adopted by countless immigrants who have become the hardest-working men and women in their businesses.

“Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine”

That’s right — the Asian man as a sex machine!