Courtesy of Ian White/Comedy Central

If there is one thing comedian Carlos Mencia is not afraid of, it’s saying exactly what’s on his mind.

In fact, it’s his brutal honesty about everything from race to religion that has scored him legions of fans as host of the hit Comedy Central show “Mind of Mencia,” which starts its second season at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Although Mencia is living an entertainer’s dream – his own show and a recent one-man special that aired on the network – his road to comedy stardom was one full of hard work, dedication, passion and a few rocky points.

Mencia, who was born in Honduras and grew up in east Los Angeles, said he “gave up doing drugs for comedy” and has never looked back.

The comic said many people mistake him as a Mexican; however, this mistaken identity is where he’s cultivated his original fan base.

“It’s like a circle within a circle,” Mencia said in a recent interview. “It started with Mexican-Americans then it was Mexicans who spoke English then it was Hispanic Americans and the circle got a little bigger and bigger.”

In fact, Mencia said one of his favorite places to perform was Kentucky, a state not exactly known for having a large Latino population.

“The smaller the city, the crazier the audience,” he said. “The people are so appreciative.”

In a very short period, Mencia has seen his circle of fans expand to people from all backgrounds and walks of life.

“It blows me away,” he said. “I’ve had a 10-year-old come up to me and say he watches the show with his 80-year-old grandma.”

Mencia’s show has pushed the bar when it comes to political correctness, and no one is safe from becoming a part of his routine.

While some comedians would never touch on hot-button issues such as the U.S. border, Christianity and racial issues, Mencia tackles them head on, and his audiences have responded in positive ways.

“The more ethnicities in the audience, the more laughs,” Mencia said. “Then there is no sense of talking behind (another ethnicity’s) back.”

Although there has been a recent trend of comedy specials directed at a certain cultural group on television, such as the “Kings of Comedy,” which features only black comedians; “Blue Collar Comedy” which is geared toward the working-class white population and “The Three Amigos,” which featured Mencia and other Latino comedians, Mencia said he feels that in-the-not-to-distant future there will be a show where he and comedians such as Dave Attell, Dane Cook and other top acts can laugh it out on one giant stage together.

“We all like to celebrate where we come from,” he said. “But I love those guys (like Carrot Top and Cook) out there.”

It’s this idea of acknowledging people’s differences and still being able to all laugh together that has made Mencia a powerful force in the comedy community and around the United States.

-Season two of ‘Mind of Mencia’ premieres at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday on Comedy Central.