Caught between cultures, immigrants may say things inadvertently and act in unusual ways that are funny to other Canadians.

Not bound by political correctness, they can get away with jokes that others can’t, poke fun at others and laugh with a Canadian audience on such sensitive topics as white privilege.

Now a group of immigrant comics is hoping to draw on their experiences to entertain multicultural Toronto through a monthly standup comedy show, Comedy as a Second Language, which kicks off Friday at the Social Capital Theatre on Danforth Ave.

“Comedy is a language. I have learned so much about people and their culture through comedy. That’s how I feel,” said Carol Zoccoli, who came up with the idea when she moved here from Brazil in 2013 and found little live comedy for immigrants.

“We want diverse people to be represented on stage and expose newcomers to comedy, so they can laugh, identify and relate to these jokes and see themselves represented.”

An established entertainer in Sao Paulo, Zoccoli has a master’s degree in philosophy and started writing jokes as a break from her academic pursuits. She was among the first wave of standup comics gaining prominence in Brazil in the 2000s appearing on the Brazilian equivalents of Saturday Night Live and the Comedy Central channel.

“I wasn’t sure if I could be funny in English. Language was the hardest part. My English was at an advanced level but it’s not at performance level. How am I going to fit in this world?” asked Zoccoli.

Aware of the cultural differences and nuances in humour, Zoccoli said she attended many Canadian shows and spent time studying the audiences’ responses, to learn what makes them laugh.

“In Brazil, we play big characters with crazy costumes. It’s some big, exaggerated acting. The audience is very warm and they laugh loud, but it is hard to make them pay attention,” she noted.

“Here, the audience likes subtleties and there is more room for you to be yourself. It is more honest.”

Zoccoli took improvisation and conservatory classes at Second City and in 2015 was selected for the club’s Bob Curry Fellowship, a professional development master program for actors and improvisers from diverse multicultural backgrounds.

She said there is no way for immigrant comics like her not to bring their new life experiences in their adopted country into their routine. Often word play and language are also part of the routine.

“I would say something without trying to be funny. I hate drivers honking. One day, someone honked at me and I said to my friends, ‘They’re horny at me.’ They started laughing,” recalled an embarrassed Zoccoli. “I didn’t know I used the wrong word.”

Joe Vu, whose parents fled to Canada from Vietnam as boat people in 1980, quit his job as an advertising copywriter three years ago to pursue a career in comedy.

He tailors his material to the audience, often with more ethnic content for a diverse urban crowd that feels more comfortable with cultural jokes poking fun at boat people. With a small town crowd, he said, “dirty jokes” are preferred.

Vu said comedy is not a part of the immigrant culture especially among Asians, who are taught to keep emotions inside, be respectful and not laugh out loud at people. Immigrant parents, he said, also prefer their children to pursue more “practical” jobs.

“The (mainstream) audience accepts ethnic comics more than the bookers, who are scared of booking ethnic comics. We don’t just do Asian stuff,” said the 37-year-old, who earned a bachelor of science degree and a master’s degree in education to satisfy his parents’ expectations. “We don’t have enough shows to promote ethnicity.”

Comedian Foad H.P., whose full name is Foad Hassanpoor, said jokes are a good icebreaker that allows an exchange of views on serious issues.

“You make them laugh and give them the new perspective that they’re not privy to. It may not change their idea, but it is still there,” said Hassanpoor, 32, who came to Canada from Iran with his parents in 1992.

While some of his gigs do cover sensitive issues such as racism that a few may find offensive, he also jokes about how he lives his life and the choices he makes such as not having children.

“I don’t say things explicitly to shock. There are always reasons behind. These jokes may not be politically correct but they touch on a lot of truths,” said Hassanpoor, who has an undergraduate degree in English from York University and has been working in comedy since 2012.

Sammy Farid, another featured comic on Friday’s show, agreed.

“I don’t like to perpetuate stereotypes that I did not actually witness. I like to talk about where we are and how we see things,” said the 33-year-old full-time flight attendant, whose family came here from Egypt.

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“Comedy has been dominated by white males. There can always be more opportunity for us. It’s always nice to have different perspectives and variety. Food and comedy are my favourite things to connect with people.”

Even though he has poked fun at his father at times on stage, Farid said he won’t let his parents come to his shows.

“My parents are religious. I don’t perform in front of them or their friends. That’s OK. I can forgo their support,” he said with a chuckle. “I could not watch my dad watching me. It’d be awkward and embarrassing.”