F.O.B.

For the past few weeks I've been following the new show, "Fresh Off the Boat," which is about an Asian American family living in Orlando.  As far as I can tell, the parents seem to be first generation arriving in the US and the kids are first generation born in the US.  I have to say that hearing the title made me think of how I heard the term growing up near Boston's Chinatown.  To be frank it was a word that ABCs (American Born Chinese) used to disparage those who were recent immigrants in the US.  Then again, my parents and family friends often called the ABC kids as "jook sing" which can be interpreted as "empty bamboo."  This was not a compliment but rather a descriptor of their children (me!) that though we looked Chinese outside, we really were void of our cultural underpinnings like language, food, etc.

So, I have mixed feelings about the show as it reinforces some stereotypes especially about the mom. Then again, I'm often surprised how they then mix it up and bust stereotypes as well.  Maybe this is a reminder that a show out of Hollywood is rarely able to depict so-called minority cultures with accuracy or complexity.  It's much like using broad strokes rather than being nuanced when it comes to representation.  More often than not, it can't be done fully or done well.  Even so, the fact that it's being done at all makes it work watching week after week and to finally see some version of my story on the small screen.