Hey everyone, thanks for watching! I was fighting off a bit of a cold, so apologies if I sound congested in parts of the video. I hope y’all are thriving and enjoying life. Much love. ✌🏼- Terrence P.S. Support us on patreon if you wanna help me buy some cold medicine haha 🥴

As a Taiwanese who grew up loving American entertainment culture, I think that the biggest problem with Asian American-themed shows and films nowadays are that the writers put more effort into portraying Asian Americans as "Asians" and not as Americans, and many stories about finding one's own roots and staying true to one's heritage that is intended to be culturally authentic give off a heavy go-back-to-your-own-country vibe instead.

I wrote a pilot back in 2018 where the main character was Indian American and struggled to understand his Indian culture since he had only been to India once as a kid at 4. The network executive told me they would pick up the show if I changed his race and it was a fantasy show where he finds out he wasn’t fully human.

As a first generation Filipina American who grew up to silent generation and boomer parents who both immigrated here, I struggled growing up because I grew up in an overwhelmingly predominantly white area where I was often reminded that I was different so I really felt that depiction of the struggle between the "American" culture and one's own culture that was depicted in Fresh off the Boat. Also hearing Eddie's father talk about disciplining his children, very much reminded me of my father even though mine has passed. I think that the issue is that when trying to portray "Asian American" experiences, or any minority experiences for that matter, in media, they keep trying to center the one part of the identity - the "Asian-ness", the stereotypes, whatever. The problem is that as Asian-Americans, our identity is not just our heritage, our cultural background, familial interactions, but also our experience and interactions in the larger scheme, and it's frustrating that when there is representation, it's often pigeonholed.

Wow 😢 I had no idea Constance Wu was dealing with all of that. Honestly I don’t think it’s fair to sum up her tweets about the show being renewed for the 6th season as: “She expressed disappointment because it forced her to miss out on other artistic ventures.” I’m sure the missed opportunities were a part of the issue, but would you want to go back to a show/environment where you were regularly sexually harassed? She wanted to put that whole thing in her rear view mirror so she could heal and move forward. Even if the producer was no longer there or the harassment had stopped, the trauma is still there. Being stuck in the environment where you were previously (or currently) sexually harassed can’t be easy. The severity of the backlash she received and that horrible DM is heartbreaking. I hope she’s ok now.

The biggest problem with Asian representation is that whenever there is representation, the character’s entire personality is their Asianness. Most people just want to be seen as a human being, not a tool to be used as a political measage

I remember hearing so much talk a few years ago about how constance wu was "difficult to work with," a terrible costar and too conceited. Hearing about the assault she endured, I'm embarrassed to admit that I bought into that crap. "Difficult to work with" is often slapped on an actress who was assaulted and "isn't happy about it."

If Randall Park had played an abusive father on this sitcom, it would have been more of a drama than a sitcom

My heart breaks for Constance Wu. It seems like such an awful place to be in, and horribly traumatic. I hope she ends up as ok as can be considering

I totally get Huang's frustration, but there's a part of me that wonders whether or not he's seen other ABC shows. They're all pretty saccharine, they were never not going to neuter the reality of that story.

I am Black person who watched All-American Girl (AAG) when it aired on ABC because I was fan of Margaret Cho's standup, and was sad when the show was cancelled. I also watched Fresh Off The Boat (FOTB) because I was a fan of the short film "Dragon of Love" with Randall Park. I watched all six seasons of FOTP -- when it should have been cancelled after season 4. My partner at the time was Chinese and stopped watching the show after a few episodes in season 1 because they couldn't relate to the characters ... and was mad they were wearing shoes in the houses. 😄 Thanks for making this video!

I'm one of those Asians who never watched Fresh Off the Boat, and after watching this, I really want to read Eddie Huang's memoir.

I definitely agree with the need for more media that looks at Southeast Asian American experiences; as you mentioned in your video, Chinese- and Korean- Americans tend to be a stand-in for all Asian Americans in the popular consciousness, and that leads to a flattening and essentializing of Asian American communities. Particularly when we look at groups like Cambodian and Hmong Americans, who still have extremely high rates of poverty, we're seeing a very different version of "being Asian American" than the "model minority" narratives.

As a black woman I appreciate seeing any and ALL minorities represented in media. I’m glad we as black people are finally being represented more but we definitely need to see more Asians Hispanics, American Indians etc. I want to see more of this personally. Great video!

They should've made the show more like everybody hates Chris. I often felt that Jessica especially let go too quickly of her standards whereas Chris's mom only got easier on him when she saw him mature. And also it could've been funnier. It was all very "quirky" but not so funny

One thing I remember wondering about in the show was why the grandmother was in a wheelchair. According to the memoir, her feet were bound and it really messed them up. Little Eddie once saw her naked feet as some doctors were treating them. According to him, they were all mangled looking and it made him resent the tiny silk shoes in her closet I honestly think that this show would've been more authentic as an hour long family drama series

I knew an Asian Actor who committed suicide because he was so dejected about Hollywood. He so wanted to be an actor but it was so hard for him to get roles… it was just hard for Asian American Actors in Hollywood.

As a white American I see the hypocrisy where in America we consider WHERE in America you came from if it is the south, or mid-west (ect.) and create stereotypes based on just the geological demographic of ONE country but can't even fathom that the CONTINENT of Asia IS made up of different countries yet we clump ALL those nationalities together under the word "Asian" and call it a day. I'll admit I also did this when younger because it is "easier" to do but it is not the right thing to do and the older I get the more I realize how messed up thinking like that is... It is because of the push to get those diverse stories out there that has helped educate me on this matter even if they are not the best they are still better then what we had to begin with...

Thank you for addressing Constance's controversial tweet. As an Overseas Chinese, I found the public's reactions shameful and despicable. I am deeply upset that the public wants Constance to be confined to a stereotypical role without considering her desires to branch out and diversify her portfolios. She was right to be frustrated with the renewal of the show as it has turned into a cash-milking machine, losing its primary purpose of telling a genuine Chinese-American story.

There are so many ways you can include a character's culture without making an explicit polot point. From the food they're eating at home, how they keep their home, even what media they may be watching.

I don't inted to come off as making this about me. If I do, I apologize. I just wanted to say that as a Black American, I can empathize and relate to many of the struggles and feelings you've talked about in this video and I appreciate you sharing this with us. ❤

I remember falling away from the show because they weren't going to do anything with it. Constance Wu carried-- absolutely carried that show. I wish it had gone to a different network. On a different note, I'd love a reality or scripted show about Vietnamese from New Orleans. I think seeing a community as strong as Vietnamese within their blended New Orleans culture(which most Americans recognize but don't really understand) would work so well because it's so damn specific. I would love for execs to understand that we want specificity. Specificity is good.

I can understand your (and the author's) criticism of FOTB because, though I'm not Asian, I feel similarly regarding black-ish as an African-American. It was clearly made to "translate" black culture and experiences as inoffensively as possible. Not saying representation has to be heavy-handed and miserable, but if we look to the 90s in particular, they knew how to balance. Maybe the best example of this (from the 90s) is A Different World, the spin-off to The Cosby Show. The comedy was there, but so was the unfiltered representation and depiction of HBCU/black culture, and when they needed to make a point, they made it, emphatically. Also, it wasn't colorist like a lot of modern black shows. The girl who was considered one of, if not the most, attractive/popular was dark-skinned, but even so, they touched on things like featurism and the like. I know some people will say things like, "baby steps," but the example I just gave is reason for that to no longer be applicable. Shows like A Different World and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air already showed how to balance and infuse authenticity. Media has regressed when it comes to minority representation. It's carefully curated now.

as a Vietnamese American myself, well done. hit many points and elaborated on them, with lots of context/video's within as you explain, you got a sub. keep it up! this was on par with accented cinema!

I wish American film and TV would also start to appreciate Middle Eastern-American and Muslim-American culture and stop insisting on treating us all as fanatical terrorists if they think about us at all.

The conversation you mentioned regarding actors playing characters of a different nationality makes me think of the conversation in the black community regarding casting clearly biracial actors (usually women) as fully black characters, including when adapting something to live action that originally had a dark-skinned female character. Part of the reason this is such a continuous conversation is that it's tied to colorism/featurism. Also, it's not lost on us how most black male characters are played by unambiguous, medium-to-darker-skinned black men at a rate far, far above black female characters being played by unambiguous medium-to-darker-skinned black women women. It reflects the colorism present in black and brown communities. For African-Americans, darker skinned men are considered the standard of attractiveness, while the lighter-skinned/mixed/biracial/ethnically ambiguous, looser-tressed female is considered more attractive. And Hollywood very often follows this as well. That's partly why films like Black Panther and Wakanda Forever are so notable. If left in different hands, they'd have cast clearly biracial actors to play members of an uncolonized African nation because of their attractiveness (and, no, not their skill, given that there are very skilled unambiguously black female actresses, as both films show). Notably, Amandla Stenberg (Rue in Hunger Games) originally auditioned for Shuri but walked away when she realized (and props to her). That's not to say that mixed/biracial/ethnically ambiguous people shouldn't be cast. Of course they should! But Hollywood, like some black people themselves, hold them in higher regard due to their closer proximity to whiteness and Eurocentric beauty standards. And that is a problem when you're casting roles for characters who are meant to have two non-mixed black parents. We may share experiences on differing levels, but we don't walk through life the same way, and that should be considered where it is relevant. Also, it's not lost on us that actors who are half-Caucasian aren't typically cast in Caucasian roles as though it's all the same, since they're likely more Caucasian than black (considering many African-Americans have some Caucasian ancestry). Zendaya being one exception. Zoe Kravitz is another. But black women cannot get the roles that they can. So, it limits the roles they can have when biracial actors occupy their spaces as well. There should be enough to go around for everyone.

So, I'm a white dude from Arkansas. I try to get perspective from the art of others, the Paper Menagerie for example was not only a great collection of stories from an asian author, but man... it was effecting. In a way not dissimilar to the Farewell. I treasure both now, and I know it'll never mean the same thing to me as it may to a young asian american kid seeing they're not alone. But, I think there's value in those stories on their own. The representation is a bonus (to me). And I'm glad you get to have it, I wish there was more. And I hope with the success of movies like Everything Everywhere All At Once, we'll see more diverse stories. And I don't mean that in the context of what the cast looks like (though that too) I mean tell me a story I haven't heard over and over again since the 80s.

I've been meaning to do a video essay on FOB for years but felt I didn't have a good enough take because I'm not Asian myself, but seeing how much our research and scripts align, I need to stop limiting myself so much. Well done, thank you for the motivation

I'd love to hear your review of Kim's Convenience! Not Asian, but Polish immigrant family, and my mom and I really bonded over this show because there were family dynamics that reminded us of us.

East Asians are, as you mentioned, the group that gets the most crumbs - crumbs being all Asians get in terms of representation - but as a Central Asian person I know even the crumbs East Asians are handed are tiny and usually toxic, stereotypes written by white people. Early on in life I internalized the idea that I can't be an actor because I'm Central Asian, and life has done nothing to prove me wrong. If I were an actor, I could maybe pull a John Cho and be in a role where race doesn't matter. But I know with absolute certainty that my people's immigrant experiences will never be depicted on TV. And with how inaccurate so many portrayals are, I don't even know if I should be sad about that. I don't know if a portrayal would hurt us or help us. I feel like you did a really good job understanding the nuances at play in how this show was written, portrayed and received. It's not as easy as 'thing good' or 'thing bad', even though early comments on this very video say 'damn I used to like that show', assuming you hate it based on the title of your video and changing their opinions to match rather than think about the show in question.

Honestly, pretty much how I feel about Kim's Convenience. It's a Canadian sit-com that "happens" to star a Korean-Canadian family. Sure, they go to a Korean church, use Korean short-phrases, and have Korean food, but...what's there after that? It's still a sit-com that adheres to stereotypes: for some bizarre reason the patriarch of the Kim family wants one of his kids to "inherit" the convenience store, Simu Liu dates a white woman and they never meaningfully discuss family/cultural expectations on either side--just a few things off the top of my head. It's frustrating, to love-hate something that you want to see because it represents you on some level.

The lack of Filipino nurses in Grey's Anatomy should be considered a hate crime

Such a well articulated video!! It’s the second video I’ve watched of yours but seriously, so well edited, put together, AMAZING resources. You bring voice to the topic in such a peaceful but strong way. Thank you thank you thank you.

Great take. Personally I think getting more diverse writers working has a lot to answer for with representation.

Thank you for such a thoughful and in-depth video essay! As a fellow Vietnamese-American, I hope that there will be Vietnamese-American centered stories in mainstream media someday

Man that was an awesome dive into representation. Yall did such a good job of showing the viewpoints that I have never been able to vocalize myself but have always wanted to be heard. W writing W video

i’m an immigrant from Ireland, my parents moved here when I was 6 and even I don’t really consider my experience the same as a white American. I was treated a lot differently than other immigrant kids growing up but I found myself relating way more to asian, indian, african, mexican, eastern european, arabic kids way more than the white kids. But I had white friends who didn’t understand why I would relate to them, they’d say i was from a “cool” country and that it’s not the same as other immigrants. I’d always had friends with foreign parents because i quickly realized that the white american kids only felt comfortable with the fact that I was an immigrant because I was from a white english speaking country, they’d even talk badly about other immigrant kids and didn’t understand why i’d be uncomfortable with that. I had a Korean friend who would tell me about her culture and share her experience with me and I found it so much more relatable and comforting. I agree 100% with your take on representation. American immigrant experience is extremely unique to that specific demographic. Although I had it much easier being from Ireland, I still love to hear immigrant stories and always find a common understanding in the experience of adapting to American culture without losing your identity.

A small step forward is still a step forward is such an important thing to remember, as well as that each piece of representation for a community doesn't need to represent the entire community's experience! Fantastic video with a great message!

Representation matters I'm sorry. The girls that get it, get it and the girls that don't just simply don't. I remember watching Zack and Cody every week and seeing London Tipton on TV was an absolute blast. She was ditzy, spoiled and rude. She also came from a neglectful billionaire White father and a neglectful rice farmer mother from Thailand. That's put into the care of a attentive yet uptight middle aged manager Black man. Idk it may be miniscule in the grand scheme of things but I loved seeing that dynamic, because not only did it break stereotypes it also showed me families can look all kinds of ways.

Frankly I’m glad that Asian writers and cultural critics are so comfortable speaking out against representation they feel is problematic. It would be so easy to refuse to speak out because you feel it’s more important to keep the show on tv…. So I’m happy that they’re being transparent and pushing representation forward.

Thank you for sharing such a relatable video and mentioning that you were Vietnamese. I think you are doing exactly what you wished there were more of. By being one of the varied Asian representatives on the internet as an English speaking content creator, you are directly contributing a more accurate and inclusive future for us bicoultural Asians.

I don't know how to say this well, so I'll say it imperfectly: I can see your love of hip-hop in your word choice. Your script was lyrical in places. "A small step forward is still a step forward." Compelling stuff. Well said.

This was such a great video. I loved Fresh Off the Boat when it first premiered. This video gave me a new perspective on the entire show.

This video is so well-researched and articulate about the complexity and myriad of Asian-American experiences. Thank you for this ❤

Not Asian but can sooooo relate to this essay. You verbalized much of what I’ve felt regarding representation but could not quite express. My culture where my family is from is very different than the culture I am surrounded by. But I’m not all one or the other. I’m a combination of my “home” culture and the culture I am currently in. It’s unique and it’s ok

i have never heard of all American girl, it never made it to Aotearoa- for obvious reasons i guess- i love margaret cho! thanks again for another considered video. Fresh of the Boat has been in syndication here since the beginning and i really enjoyed the series although, like you, i did feel like it lacked teeth. I will say, i think what comes next for Asian representation will owe a nod to FOTB. It's not enough to have an Asian creative to 'inspire' a show or movie- giving these voices actual power (like Domee Shi) over these works is how a genuine experience is achieved. I think you could have an entire Chinese cast but if its showrunners and writers and editors etc don't have a Chinese experience it wont be genuine- and most viewers will feel that Always a joy to sit down with a cuppa and hear your thoughts

You do a great job really digging deep into the topic and finding these interviews!

like that person said, i am looking forward to when we reach mediocrity for all my intersectional identities, and we dn't have to put all our hopes and dream on one

I really like the nuance and historical perspective in this video. Thanks for voicing a lot of feelings about representation that I seem to have unconsciously held onto for a long time. Truthfully, a lot of this sort of came about around Crazy Rich Asians for me as "the big movie about Asian people" that it felt like almost an ethnic obligation to see it. And I completely get what Phil Yu says when he hopes for Asian American mediocrity. Just for the acceptance as part of the fold in the American melting pot. In some ways, that's all I want of my life too as an American anyway. I really enjoyed all of this so much.

I never understood people who said they don’t have role models because someone doesn’t look like them. You’re not supposed to base your character and morals off of peoples appearances, but the content of their character.

As an immigrant in Japan, I can really relate to both FOB and your video essay. Especially the part about being lumped together as a group and the assumption that we’re all the same or have so much in common

I am all for seeing more Asian representation on TV! I'm half-Japanese and telling biracial/multiracial stories are also lacking. My parents don't share a culture and they come from two completely different worlds. I hope we can get to a point where we can also have mixed-race Asian stories being told alongside them because America is such a melting pot!

As a first gen American Latino, I definitely related to a lot of Huang’s criticisms of the show and event more so to when his has said that “it’s simply different cultures”. Edit: probably why The George Lopez show was so relatable to many Mexican American teens and young adults at the time of the show premier.

I cried while watching this. The way the Constance Wu was treated is heartbreaking. Thank you for making this ❤

The concept of dual cultures being it's own has always resonated with me. I'm Latin American, but never liked being just one. I'm Latin due to my appearance and, well, name sake, but I've grown and lived in America since birth. I've been ostracized and bullied for skin tone and name, and then sometimes over valued by schoolings and given higher expectations as a first generation born citizen off my mom's side. It's been trying to balance both respects, and as much as I could dislike these, I've enjoyed both aspects in their own right as well. I both love my country America and my background from my parents, without either identity, I wouldn't feel like who I am now. It's always good to see that form of dual information translated on screen, but when they miss the nuances of the real day to day struggles of dual identity, they are only showing one side of a coin when I've always appreciated both sides as much as I could dislike them. It isn't perfect, but it's mine just as much as others of more than one background could probably say better or worse. I feel all Americans have gone through this variation of struggle in one way or another, and to undermine a minority to cater to demographics, it does hurt.

As an Asian that was born and raised in North America in the 90s, I think a lot of this poor representation is our fault as well. There's just something about our immigrant, model minority mentality that stops us from speaking our truth to power, like we're scared that if we really make content "for us" we will somehow lose our platform, get sent back or just lose SOMETHING. We are perpetually "othered" but instead of embracing that and celebrating our culture and uniqueness like other groups, we are ashamed by it. I think that's why Everything, Everywhere was so good, it was really an unflinching, uncompromised look at the immigrant experience that happened to have a sci Fi plot.

As a Taiwanese-American who is part native Taiwanese as well I think fresh of the boat should have been about Chinese. I didn’t watch much of it but it didn’t show Taiwanese culture, it showed Chinese culture. And the creator was born in the US and much more connected to Chinese/American culture. At the very least the actors could have spoken Hakka at home instead of mandarin.

Great In-depth video Essay. Representation is very important, especially the positive representation. The 2018 film Searching starring John Cho was very underrated in my opinion, because it showed his range as an actor. I love the Show Warrior, because it's based on the writings of Bruce Lee and the story, action, acting, and cast is amazing.

I'm with you, bro. Here's to hoping we get not only more specific Asian Am representation but also Southeast Asian in particular which--just as you said--isn't about the wars.

I may not be Asian, but I'll tell you this. Seeing Orlando being brought to a mainstream audience in a manner that was not all about D*sney world or any of the other theme parks was actually awesome. Most sitcoms tend to center around a major city like New York, LA, Chicago or such, or in an unnamed small town up somewhere that it snows, that it felt good to see the City Beautiful get some of the love it deserves (even if the people who live here might express opinions otherwise.) While it's nowhere near the point of this video, I think the one thing that makes anyone's experience truly American is latching on to the major city they live in as part of their personal identity. I didn't end up watching the later seasons (early around when season 2 aired I ended up moving and didn't get cable at the new place since I downsized and didn't have all the roommates to make it possible) but if you really ask Americans of any ethnic background, it's almost a universal thing. Just my personal two cents.

I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on Kim’s Convenience. I was surprised it wasn’t mentioned in this video, even in passing.

I grew up in a predominantly white community and the kids were so racist to me. It was rare for me to go a day without being called an anti Asian slur. Fresh off the Boat was the first time I had seen someone that looked like me react negatively to being called a slur. I honestly didn’t even realize what they were saying to me was wrong, It didn’t make me feel good but no one explained to me it wasn’t okay.

You created a very fine video here bro, 40 mins felt very short.

I don't understand why people are so threatened by having POC represented in American media. That baffles me greatly... Anyhow, I really enjoyed your video and it was very insightful and informative!

Yeah I never really understood the “why do you need people to look like you in order to relate to/enjoy media?” because the same question can be asked back to people who feel like any sort of non-white representation in media is “Woke”/“Political” … like I could easily ask a white person the same question and the answer would be the same 😂 what anyone is asking for is just versatility, diversity, and allowing others who want to be involved in entertainment the freedom to have a seat at the table without repercussions lol Especially since the World, especially since AMERICA, is not all white. Lmao

Thanks for your perspective. The way mostly Chinese, Japanese and Korean people have been portrayed in American media has been, to put it charitably, terrible. Portraying, for the most part, servile and weak characters. While the word representation, for many, is loaded now, at its core is fundamental to help make every citizen feel welcome. Some of the most masterful artistic works of media have been made by artists from Asia. Many of the critiques Margaret and Eddy make regarding the direction of their shows can be made about countless shows starring and created by any other race of people in Hollywood. I don't say they are wrong, only that any mainstream show or movie is going to make whatever it is representing into a more generic version of its source material to appeal to a wider audience. However, an example of a show that does ethnic representation right is Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child which aired on HBO Family. A show many have never heard of because they never heard of HBO Family in the first place. But it was a show that took classic fairy tales and pulled ethnic twists whether it's a Jamaican twist of Goldilocks or a Korean twist of Princess and the Pea (which Margaret actually voiced a character in)! Each episode had a different cast, they did their research, and you can just tell they had fun with it!

My parents, Italian-German-Jewish-Irish-Scottish-Catholics from Queens, New York. They would line us up and smack us whenever we did something wrong. If we did that wrong thing more than once, the punishment was worse.

I remember struggling to finish FOB on Hulu- the show felt exactly as you described, essentially reduced to a cookie cutter sitcom where you watch an episode and leave it feeling the same way you started it. For me, I felt bored. The charm was lost over the seasons imo, and I really loved how the first season began. Seasons 5 and 6, I struggled hard to not scroll my phone the whole time. I wanted to finish it because yes, it's a monumental show in terms of representation, but after a while it didn't feel like it wanted to push boundaries. There was so much more that could've been done when Eddie got lost in Taiwan, there could've been more done with that mural episode, heck, I think it's telling enough when you mentioned they swapped out Outkast for Beastie Boys- maybe I'm really young, but who are they? I would've understood and known who Outkast was if they were the peeps Eddie really wanted to see. This show did bank on nostalgia, I'll admit that's another reason I watched it, but after the end of it? Can't help but wish the writing was different? The ending felt really rushed imo. Idk, I'm typing this as the video is a lil over halfway through, so you'll probs mention it, but it really could've been better if it didn't go the network sitcom rigidity after a while, ya know?

Love that you touched on the idea of mediocrity, because it's something I've been thinking about for years. When a movie or TV show with white actors flops, no one decides that media with white people isn't marketable. So we always feel this constant pressure to support the crumbs we DO get -- as an African, I remember being so scared for Black Panther because I knew we'd have to support it no matter what if we wanted to get Black rep that wasn't another slave movie. Luckily, that movie was incredible. But boy am I tired of constantly being worried that it's somehow my fault if a show with non-white leads gets canceled. I'm tired of us having to be twice as good to get half as much. Give us the space to be mediocre!! Anyway, fantastic video, super glad it popped up in my feed.

Fresh Off The Boat was so GOOD. I truly miss it. Loved the entire cast, great writing, family friendly episodes. Wish it could have a comeback.

im going to sound very ignorant right now, but this video really helped me understand the struggles of aapi people more. Im a black female and i kind of always dismissed asian struggles because I didn't really understand the discrimination that Asian Americans went through. This video helped me understand more and got rid of alot of my misconceptions and ignorance about Asian American discrimination and lack of representation in media

I think the show is ultimately fine for what it is. The biggest misstep in my opinion was focusing more on the parents, rather than the kids, and making all of the characters more and more cartoonish as the show progressed.

I’m Eastern European and my family and I immigrated to the D.C. area in 1995, when I was 7, so I found FOTB really relatable, especially the first few seasons! But I concur that the storylines started to feel stale and a bit “been done, but now it’s a Chinese family going trough the motions” by the end. I was also deeply confused by Constance Wu’s irritation about the renewal, but that goes to show, context is so important. Sadly, Twitter allows for no nuance, no gray area, so people assume things & lash out. It’s clear she was in a lot of pain. I hope she has been healing. I loved her portrayal as well as all the other actors. I really appreciated this analysis, thank you for breaking it down! I had also never read the book, and learning how much it was toned down makes sense. Mainstream television struggles with depicting the truth when it is dark (and most of reality features darkness to some extent) because people turn to sitcoms for an escape from reality, not to be reminded of it. But I think streaming platforms like HBO and Apple+ are starting to show comedies with nuances of pain and tragedy. Also, Netflix’s “Dead To Me” is an excellent example of combining comedy and tragedy in an amazing way.

Love these analysis thank you for talking so eloquently about a tough topic. I love it!

As a very mixed American raised by my Caucasian single mother I can't say I've ever been upset about no representation because I don't really know how that would be. But at the same time, having no traditions or heritage I LOVE and THRIVE seeing others traditions and heritage and will always fight to see more representation, even if it's for my selfish gain of living vicariously

Wow, I did not know all that about Wu. That is a real shame. She is a fantastic actress and has such a light about her.

Thank you for this well made video! I never watched the show but know the gist of it. The context of All-American Girl really elevates this video to another level. The part about over-scrutinizing every movie/show because there is so little representation resonated with me the most. I think that’s true of all marginalized groups to some degree. Every project must be good and successful, or we won’t get another opportunity for decades. I, too, look forward to the day when we can afford mediocrity. 🙏🏼 Also thank you for addressing those common arguments against representation. They always bother me, too.

I never realize how important representation was till I watched the reboot of “One day at a time” and I sat there crying in almost every episode not because it was sad or particularly heavy on his topics, but because it was the first time in media that I ever saw mine and my family’s life’s depicted. I’m still sad that the show got canceled because I have never gotten that feeling again.

The generalized label gets slapped on all Westerners too when we go to some countries in Asia. We get called "foreigner." I have lived, worked, and paid taxes for ten years in Taiwan. My kids have gone to local school since kindergarten. We are all fluent in Chinese. Yet, we are all still called, "foreigner."

as a child of african immigrants this show was a house favorite in my home. although i couldn’t directly relate and i understand i wasn’t the target audience, a lot of the stories told i’m sure lots of other immigrants/children of immigrants can also relate to

I know it’s not Asian-American since it takes place in Canada, but I think everyone should watch Kim’s Convenience. It’s about a Korean-Canadian family who run a small, family-owned convenience store, and it touches a lot on cultural differences and the humor therein. I binged the entire series in a few days lol

As a mid 40s male born in a western country your essay spoke to me in many levels which I mostly agreed with. Three points of discussion. The first that 'Asians' themselves judge themselves the worst and often unintentionally just as racist as their 'Western' counterparts... If you are born overseas you will still be generalised harshly by 'other' Asians. Yes it can be a form of 'breaking ice' but its way to normal to be glossed over. I heard the term fob almost exclusively used from my own 'Asian' friends. The second point, which every 'Asian' born in a western country needs to find their own sense of belonging. Many just want to be invisible and blend in with their fellow community, ignore Asian stereotype jokes and lack empathy of other 'Asian' struggles as they have had to put up with them themselves. Some embrace, travel regularly to their heritage's country, they may learn to speak/write fluently and possibly become a community leader . Every person is different in their comfortability with themselves. And finally I'm stoked by representation in media, sure its flawed but with everything people need time to adjust. With exposure, people will have a platform to continue reaching to what each different person is comfortable with. Personally I was greatly offended by the FOB title initially, even though its not a title I had to deal with I was horrified that it would use a label that my parents, close friends had to deal with. But after watching a few clips on youtube I was impressed by the Constance and Randall's acting and comedic timing, although its not a show I would seek out and watch I truly understand that its a show with a name like that need to happen. Thank you for your essay, its something that I feel every young Asian kid needs to watch. Its not really the norm to talk about these things with family and friends.

8:45 - Sure, it's derogatory, but to be honest the only people I've ever heard use the term "FOB" were Asians describing other Asians.

Vietnamese-Filipina American and I loved this video. Thank you for being a voice.

This video covered so much more than the title and I’m so glad I clicked

what was missing from the show was actual critique on eddie forming his identity around black culture. so many asian boys grow up thinking affinity to blackness is what will make them cool & fit in, but end up appropriating & full on using slurs. im honestly glad when the show stopped focusing on his character

One thing I always disliked about media representation is that they get it wrong too often. Like you said, it was mostly universal white stories with the culture as a backdrop. I'm of Puerto Rican descent, and in the US, you probably know that means I'm an American who isn't treated as an American, because that's the culture. I've never even been the type to push representation in media because they always get it wrong because of executives who want it to appeal to the majority who doesn't like change (well they do, but only when it's exposed to them). But God damn would it be refreshing if someone got it right for once.

"Sullivan & Son" (2012) also relied on stereotypes. Sitcom about a Korean/Irish American family that was on TBS. The same actress who played the mother from All American Girl was on that show too.

as a sudanese-american, i got into the show because of it’s name. it resonated with me a lot because it recognizes immigrant experiences like my tiger parents and prejudice against africans. over time, i felt like it didn’t do as much culturally, which sucked because i was interested in seeing an asian representative show. i got confused because the parents were kind, even though abuse is basically traditional. i still enjoy it, and i hope we see more representation in the future

As a black British woman, I've been learning a lot about Americans. I can easily say that I haven't heard or seen much in regard to Asian-Americans in the five years that I've been here. Thank you for giving me some insight. Great video BTW

physical discipline is not an asian thing, it's just a parenting thing and is almost never shown on modern tv.

That Eddie Huang quote towards the end about differences was fucking beautiful. Made me tear up a bit

This analysis was very thought provoking. As a first gen immigrant I loved FOB and could relate to a lot of aspects. I'm glad to finally see an analysis of the TV show and a conversation about AAPI representation. As much as I can relate to Asians, I will never know what it is like to be Asian so I love to listen and See stories centered around API.

I loved this. I'm black and everything mentioned in this video is the same thing black people have complained about in the media. So the white powers that be treat every non white the same.

Thank you for the analysis! I’m a central asian living in Canada. I look east asian or a wasian, and so many people here act surprised when I tell them I’m from Kazakhstan. Judging from the name of the country, they assume it’s a muslim country, so they always get so confused since their initial guess was that I’m a Japanese, for example. After hearing about unfamiliar ‘Central Asia’, I get alienated so quickly - even though just a couple of seconds ago I was considered a fellow asian. When I was a teenager, as most of the people, I was raised on predominantly white movies and music, and unconsciously wanted to be one of those beautiful white girls. Moving to Canada being a young adult, I realized then how much I want to be represented, feeling united with other asians. Yes, our cultures might be different in some parts, but I do feel unity, this thing that makes me feel at home with other asians here, because we share same values, same views on life. But not all of them reciprocate, and it hurts. Only after knowing that I’m not in fact from East or South Asia, they start questioning my belonging to asian ethnicity. Not to mention how some white guys are giving me backhanded compliments like ‘I love asians. Kazakh girls are even better because they look like a mix of white and asian’. I just want to be who I am. And I am an asian.

I loved Fresh Off the Boat but I'm excited to see what the next Asian Sitcom will be. Hopefully that one will have an all Asian producing and writing team

This is an amazing video. It gave me a lot of information about the history (or lack thereof) of Asian media representation and the high standards placed on the few representations that exist.

I was dating an asian girl when this show came out, we watched it together. I liked OG Eddie, the kid who was into hip-hop, because that reminded me of the high school i went to in Seattle in the mid 90s (which was about 30% SE asian with a handful of Japanese and Korean kids). She grew up in the suburbs and nearly lost it at the "Success Perm" episode.

👏👏👏👏👏👏WELL SAID LETS SHOUT IT LOUDER!!! I once talked about the issue of the lack of Asian representation in Hollywood and someone replied to me by saying “wdym? We’ve given you so much already. Crazy rich Asians, Kung fu panda, Mulan, Mulan 2, Mulan live action..” (I’m not even kidding THEY SAID MULAN 2) it also really hurt me because wdym by “WE have given YOU” ? I am not apart of WE?

I mean, I'm a second generation chinese american actor, and I feel strange when trying to "represent my race". First, I never asked to be a spokesperson or leader for ANYONE. That's just weird. I am an actor - I just do the lines informed by my reality. John Cho described it perfectly. I am just not someone who knows a lot nor obsesses about my race. How does me doing a song and dance as an asian benefit anyone? It's just indicating that we as asians care more about displaying our race than making good works, while it's what we got on the inside that lets us be great.