Asian Americans Say TV’s ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ Can Fight Stereotypes, and It’s Funny, Too

The reviews and the ratings are in for ABC-TV’s “Fresh Off the Boat,” which officially premiered on Feb. 10, and as a saying goes, “We have a winner!” TV by the  Numbers ran a story with the headline, “ABC’s ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ Debuts as Season’s #1 New Show with Upscale Adults 18-49.”

The Hollywood Reporter noted, “After its strong sampling last Wednesday, sandwiched around an episode of “Modern Family,” back-to-back episodes of the new series fetched a 1.7 and 1.8 rating among adults 18-49,” besting  “all other Tuesday comedies.” Advertisers are known to covet the “have money, will spend” youth demographic.

Reports had the premiere episode on Feb. 4 drawing 7.94 million viewers, making it the second highest-rated comedy premiere this season. On Feb. 10, it snagged 7.56 million viewers. It airs Tuesdays on ABC at 8 p.m.

Karen Narasaki championed TV casting of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in major roles when she was president and executive director of what later became the Asian American Justice Center, a top advocacy group based in the nation’s capital. She expressed her personal views in an email.

“I’m very excited about ABC’s bold contemporary line-up of shows built around minority families,” she said. “It was the first major network to respond to a challenge by the Asian American Media Coalition to have an Asian American-themed show.  And its strategy is paying off in strong ratings, which is causing other networks to take notice.”

The show is a comedy about an immigrant family chasing the American Dream. “It’s the 90s and 12-year-old, hip-loving Eddie just moved to Orlando from D.C.’s Chinatown,” runs the ABC-TV blurb. Can you say Culture Shock?

Starring Randall Park, Constance Wu, Hudson Yang, Forest Wheeler, and Ian Chen, the series is based on Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same title. Huang is also the executive producer. The show will probably make Richmond, Virginia’s Constance Wu a big star. Community mentor Edmond Joe said she is her favorite character in the show.

David Hinckley of The New York Daily News wrote: “Constance Wu will be one of the most striking new faces on TV this winter.” He noted it’s “not just because she creates a character who has both a forceful presence and a delightful streak of deadpan humor in the new ABC sitcom.” It’s also because “there just aren’t a lot of lead actresses on prime-time broadcast television who look like Wu.”

 

Public Opinion

The Asian American leaders interviewed via email urged the community and their non-AAPI friends to insure its success by regularly watching the show. Stressing her comments were her personal views, former executive director of the Organization of Chinese Americans Daphne Kwok said: “I hope that everyone is encouraging their non-AAPI friends to watch and support the show. We know how powerful TV is in shaping piblic opinion. Let’s hope that after years of FOB, we will have a much more informed America.”

The show scores on two points. As British writer and wit George Bernard Shaw once said, “When a thing is funny, search it for a hidden truth.” And former TV comedienne Tracy Ullman had quipped: “Funny is money.”

Ms. Kwok said, “I have always found that it is much easier to inform and educate people about AAPIs through the arts, whether through comedy, music, theater, poetry, spoken word.”

“In non-threatening environments and through unsuspecting channels, it is easier to inform others about who we, AAPIs, really are,” she added in an email interview. “I enjoyed the lessons depicted in the first four episodes: name-calling, mocking of different foods, inability to pronounce Asian names, etc. ”

 

‘Diverse, United’

Dave Nguyen also made an excellent observation that the Asian American population “has a great diversity in cultures, languages, and experiences, and we cannot just have one show to ‘represent’ the whole entire community.” He pointed out in an official statement that he approved on behalf of the AASuccess organization: “What unites us Asian Americans is the experience as a minority community which struggles to shape our identity and create our unique voice in America.”

Hung G. Pham noted, “Traditional media is slow to react to the ever-growing diversity in America, as compared to the  strong presence of the minority on online media, as we have witnessed in the case of Asian Pacific Americans and their quick command of YouTube. It’s particularly disappointing that the move of ABC to have a line-up of shows with minority as the main complex characters is being lauded as a bold and revolutionary in 2015.”

While realistically accepting flaws inherent in TV as both show and biz, those interviewed generally focused on its potentials. Remarked Corazon Sandoval Foley, Founding Chairman of Fairfax County Asian American History Project (FCAAHP): “I would like to see as much historical accuracy as possible, given the diverse experiences among the Asian American community. But I understand that the show would engage in theatrical license, perhaps exaggerating some perceptions about Asian American families.”

Alice Guo, founder and owner of Impact Speaking Academy in Vienna, Virginia, welcomes the show’s potentials to highlight the outstanding traits of Asian Americans. She mentioned that among them are “an incredible work ethic, mental toughness to ‘Eat Bitterness’ (endure hardship), sacrifice and dedication to family and overwhelming desire to raise academically competitive children” to insure their bright future. She added, “And oh yes, we’re funny, too.”

 

Stereotypes

Edmond Joe, a former Toastmaster champion, said the pilot show of “Fresh off the boat”  had too many negative stereotypes. “The  lone African-American in the school was a bully. The word ‘chink’ was used in the show.  Imagine the uproar if a similar derogatory word was used in an African American show!”

According to wikipedia, the expression, “Fresh off the Boat” describes immigrants who have “not yet assimilated into the host nation’s language, culture and behavior.” Other sources say the term itself has a history of being anti-Asian, a derogatory way to refer to a new arrival (that is, foreigner). Language being a living thing, so to speak, the people behind the TV show must be on to something.

Edmond kept an open mind and watched the subsequent episodes out of curiosity. “I saw a reduction in negative stereotypes, but it was still there,” he said. “The stereotypes in this show were not just of Asians but also for Caucasians and African Americans.”

Nguyen commented: “Fresh of The Boat’ is a great seminal step for our community, but we should not just be pleased with just one show. We should demand more minority faces in the media. To have Asian American faces with different personalities, different upbringings, different perspectives in life is the best way to combat stereotypes and further strengthen our voice in mainstream America.”

Jon Melegrito noted: “Asian Pacific Americans are just as capable in thoughtfully articulating their insights and ideas on issues that affect all Americans, bringing their unique cultural perspective into the mix.  After all, we are Americans, too. I would like to see stereotypes about APAs challenged in a way that makes their exposure a teaching moment for viewers. Morever, it’s important to show that we can laugh at ourselves in a self-deprecating way without being preachy and self-serving.”

Ms. Guo, herself a performer, heard about the show from her American friends. She has become a fan of the show. She wrote in an email: “Comedy depictions can demolish stereotypes about Asian Americans and bring us closer to the mainstream. A good laugh is appreciated by everyone. We need more cultural bridges like this show to connect with diverse people from all backgrounds in a lighthearted way.”

Ms. Narasaki said: “I’ve watched several episodes of the show and I think the writers have done a remarkable job of being true to the experience of many families with immigrant parents. It is tough being funny while also not going for cheap stereotype humor. It is particularly amazing that, like ‘Blackish,’ the show talks about racism in an accessible format. And it has a fresh approach of having a family’s story being told through a kid’s viewpoint.”

            To be sure, the community still has much work ahead, but the show and its success is welcome news. Ms. Narasaki pointed out: “While Asian Americans have been gaining greater visibility on television in leading roles, it is still rare to see Asian American couples, much less families. It is difficult for any show to succeed, so I’m hoping Asian Americans encourage others to watch ‘Fresh Off the Boat.’”

“It is 2015 and we are celebrating the one and only AAPI TV show,” commented Ms. Kwok. “The last one was  20 years ago! I hope we are not going to have to wait another generation for the 3rd AAPI TV Show.”

She was referring to “All-American Girl,” starring top comic Margaret Cho, who both delighted and offended audiences in a skit with hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (of “Saturday Night Live” fame) at the Golden Globe Awards last January.

Remarked Ms. Foley: “This TV show is a healthy development, because the experiences of the Asian Pacific American community have enriched America. Understanding the trials, tribulations, and successes of our community would help Americans appreciate the strengths of the nation’s democracy, as well as our country’s flexibility in making difficult transitions with demographic changes–not just ethnically, but also among generations.”