The biggest thing to hit Asian America last week was the airing of “Fresh Off the Boat,” the first sitcom in twenty years to feature an Asian American family.
“Fresh Off the Boat” (ABC, Tuesdays, 8 p.m. EST) is about what happens when an Asian family leaves D.C.’s Chinatown and re-locates to suburban Orlando.
Of course, stereotypes are on parade for laughs. One of the biggest is when young Eddie Huang gets a reaction from his new school mates when he brings leftover Asian food—“Asian Lunch”—to the cafeteria. When he gets home, Eddie declares to his mom that, for proper socialization, he must bring “White Lunch.”
Juxtaposing the family’s Asian-ness with the yearning to belong to the dominant culture does provide for some poignant moments.
For example, when an African-American child becomes new kid Eddie’s friend, at first, it looks like a natural friendship. Both are on the outs trying to be friends with the popular white kids.
But when Eddie’s love for ‘90s rap music gets him an invite to sit with the white kids, it sparks jealously from the black student.
What ensues is the first episode’s big dramatic moment.
