I love Fresh Off the Boat for the exact reason that it expresses a common story that Asian American teens run into while growing up. The conflict of taking up your current settings’ culture all while still respecting your ancestor’s history is a tough one. The show does a great job in portraying that, and I’m just as happy as you are that the minority’s voice is being expressed. However, in response to the comment before me, I don’t feel that the show exploits any Asian American stereotypes at all–and that is a huge point that I’ve been trying to tell to my non-Asian friends. The show rather highlights common experiences that Asian Americans go through while growing up as the minority. You don’t see any of the negative stereotypes commonly seen on TV such as the “bad Asian drivers” or “Asians don’t speak English; although the show has parodied some things such as the “Tiger Mom,” it really is a true experience that, when taken with a grain of salt, is realized as what it is–a parody. I’ve never been to a Chinese Learning Center, but I can attest to my parents not being satisfied with straight-A’s and asking me if the school isn’t challenging me enough.
Sorry for the long comment. Asian American identity has always been a topic I enjoy talking about, so I’m glad that the topic is experiencing more dialogue in the mainstream with the internet and now the new sitcom.
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