With that in mind, it is important to note that a new season has started which a variety of new shows. I know that the "Big Bang Theory" and "Modern Family" might probably on of your favorite shows, but please check out and add ABC's newest show "Fresh of the Boat!"
Here is the trailer for it:
It is a funny a witty show that plays on pretty much all of the typical stereotypes seen with each race (mostly Asian obviously) to create very racist and comedy gold. This is a story about how the main character tries to fit in with the "American crowd." He dresses like a hip-hop artist and dripping swag wherever he walks, just so that he looks cool enough to be noticed by other peers. He starts eating "white people" food and he also starts listening to rap music. The synopsis of this show is basically my life when I was growing up.
Coming from an immigrant family, I pretty much suffered the things the main character of this show suffers from and that is trying to fit in with the "American crowd." I would not go as far as blinging out with swag changing who I am completely, but I did change minor details to help me fit in. I would wear typical American clothes instead of dresses. I would not wear the hijab (nor was I forced to), and also, I would change the food that I would eat in the morning. A typical South Asian breakfast would consist of type of bread called a naan/roti/paratha complemented with a variety of different curries. Then after the meal, one would drink a cup of tea, similar to how people drink coffee in the morning. Well, I was never a big fan of coffee or tea, so I would walk out of the house just eating the curries and bread. This however, turned out to be a big mistake on my part. According to other students, I would smell funny. My breath would smell like asparagus (which is bad?) and mint from the toothpaste creating a combination of a horrible and stink.
Kids would push themselves away from me and be with their own friend group. It is rare whether or not a random peer would come up and talk to you during the early elementary school phase. In order to make new friends, I would change up my game plan. I would eat "normal" American breakfasts such as cereal or waffles, and wear American clothing such as skirts and shorts. Even my parents tried to adjust to American culture by celebrating American holidays and wearing American clothes but as we all spent more time in America, we realized that it was our differences which made us unique. I started eating traditional South Asian cuisine for breakfast and started dressing more conservatively. By making little adjustments, I was able to fit in the perfect amount I wanted to fit into the "American culture" while still retaining my South Asian identity. I think that this show will show will portray the main character's transition from be a "hip-American" to coming back to his roots.
One of the main controversies this show has is its title. "Fresh of the boat" can be shortened to an acronym called FOB or FOBS in its plural form, which is mostly used by Asians to my knowledge. Basically, it means first generation immigrants. These people can be classified as people who have a very thick accent, eats very weird food, dresses strangely, and among many other things, have mannerisms that might or might not be socially acceptable. Even though most of the kids who are just like me are of different ethnicity and are American born, we do not want to associate ourselves with these FOBS because they ruin our "social status."
.......to be continued
I will most likely be checking this show out, because I love it when a group of people poke fun at themselves. My grandfather was one of these people, and he was obsessed with fitting in with the Pennsylvanians he called his neighbors. He changed his last name from Ribeiro to Reber, cut and pasted pictures of Ronald Reagan into family photos, and even considered taking up Mormonism. I feel like immigrants feel like they have to do this to be accepted by American society, but you get this kind of situation when first entering any social group. There are certain times where it feels like it is easier to change yourself and become "normal". I feel like certain people are more inclined to hang onto their identity than others, however, and I applaud those people for it.
ReplyDeleteOne of my roommates suggested that we all watch this show at one point. I believe that regardless of what situation you enter, a new one is always scary, and you're bound to make "mistakes," for it's simply not known what to do. People who embrace their roots and make them known are always winners in my book; makes for far better conversation.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure being an immigrant, especially as a child, must be incredibly difficult and a huge transition to experience. You're stuck in this in-between stage of trying to preserve your own cultural identity while trying to immerse yourself in this new culture and be like everyone else, but the people you're trying to fit in with don't exactly consider you part of their culture. I think it's good that the show attacks the issue of immigration through comedy because I think it's an effective medium for highlighting differences between people.
ReplyDeleteThe American culture is something very special in it of itself because I remember learning from class that the US is practically the only nation where immigrants drop their culture and take on the "American" one to assimilate, whereas in other countries, people are more likely to retain their cultural self. It's a bit ironic in that way because being American is really about being different yet everyone feels this great need to fit in. I can definitely relate to some of the things you described above as my parents are also immigrants though I have to say, through time, I have really come to appreciate individuality and being different.
ReplyDeleteI like how you wrote about a topic that we see everyday in the media that we talk about on campus, but we don't necessarily address it. We usually view FOBs as a different social status, but why? There is nothing that makes one culture more or less superior than the other. I'm glad you chose to stick with your cultural norms and remained true to who you are.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Madison, I appreciate how you are bringing light to a topic that is very present in our society but is not necessarily talked about all that much. Relaying your own experiences definitely elevates the quality of the blog and I really enjoy reading your perspectives on culture.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how you came back to your roots. I think it is great to embrace what makes you unique. Although, sometimes it can be hard. My best friend is from the Philippines. She still eats traditional dishes and follows some of the customs of the Philippines, but she has mixed the two cultures together and that is what makes her unique.
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