This blog is mainly dedicated to other children of first-generation immigrants like myself. As a child of immigrant parents, I think it’s important to discuss the ways that people like us adapted to American culture. Our experiences may help other foreigners learn how to adapt to American culture. Whether it be through film, television, or books, everyone will eventually find some sort of activity that opens their eyes to American culture. Therefore, the main purpose of this page is to continue the conversation about first-generation immigrants finding their footing in a new country. Some of the articles are about foreigners fitting into the Hollywood scene, some are about relatable TV shows, and some are just about the overall experience of being a first-generation immigrant. I hope you find these links helpful, and that they bring a new insight into how you understand the immigrant narrative.
Fresh off The Boat
Fresh off The Boat is a new comedy series that runs on ABC. It’s about a first-generation Taiwanese family, the Huangs, that moves from the diverse neighborhoods in Washington D.C. to the sunny state of Florida. Unfortunately, the Huangs have a harder time adjusting to life in Florida, seeing as how there isn’t a huge Asian population that they can relate to. However, they keep pushing through because they all want their own version of the American Dream.
This show has gotten a lot of praise for accurately portraying Asian immigrant life in the United States. For some reason, Asian Americans aren’t featured in Hollywood very often, so this show really breaks that mold. It shows how some first-generation immigrants find it hard to adjust to American culture, yet they work hard and stick it out because they want the American Dream. I relate to this show on so many levels, because it’s so relevant to my own immigrant narrative. The Huangs and my own family have so much in common that it felt like I was watching my own life through the TV.
If you’re interested at all in Asian American life, or you just want a good laugh, I suggest checking out this show. Don’t forget to check out these articles as well. Some of them critique the show, and some of them praise it’s relevancy and authenticity.
“Fresh off The Boat is Good – but It Could Be Even Better”
“Fresh off The Boat Confronts The Sharp Tragicomedy of Asian Immigrant Family Life”
“A Bloom in TV’s Asian American Desert”
Master of None
Aziz Ansari starrs in the new Netflix Original called “Master of None.” Master of None is not your traditional, slapstick comedy, which is what one would expect from Ansari. His character, Dev, is a 30-year-old Indian actor, who’s trying to advance in his career while navigating the trials and tribulations of life and love. Dev struggles to find success in an industry that only seems to value traditional, white actors. The show features his struggle with being a child of Indian immigrants, and how that affects his career and life choices.
There’s only been one season of this show, yet it’s already being praised for presenting an accurate immigrant narrative. The most poignant episode for first-generation Americans is called “Parents,” and it’s about how Dev’s entire life is basically the way it is because of the way he was raised as an immigrant child.
Check out some cool articles about Ansari’s influence in the immigrant community, and how he exposes the reality of being an immigrant in the Hollywood industry.
“How does ‘Master of None’ Reshape The Immigrant Narrative?”
“Children of Immigrants Share Their Moving Reactions to ‘Master of None'”
“Aziz Ansari’s ‘Master of None’ Hilariously Captures the Immigrant Narrative”
“The Places They’ll Go (Thanks to Master of None)”
“‘Master of None’ Really, Truly Gets the Immigrant Kid Experience”
Also, check out this cool video about first-generation kids relating to Aziz Ansari’s experiences. It pretty much sums up what it’s really like being an immigrant kid.
Jane the Virgin
Jane the Virgin is a comedy series that premiered on the CW. It focuses on a working-class family of Latina women who live in Miami, Florida. The basic story line is that Jane, the main character, is artificially inseminated by her OBGYN. The sample that she was inseminated with just so happened to be from a guy that she had a fling with 5 years ago – Rafael.
I know, the story seems super unrealistic and far-fetched, but it’s actually a very poignant show. The series is based on tropes and archetypes from stereotypical Latino telenovelas, but with an American twist. I think the show is really interesting, because it’s not just based on first-generation Americans. Jane is a third-generation American, which means that she has already assimilated to American culture. She’s the perfect example of an immigrant kid because although she’s fully immersed in American culture, her mom and her grandmother keep her grounded in her Latino roots.
Jane the Virgin has broken so many Latino stereotypes that are usually conveyed through television. In fact, a lot of people praise this show because it properly depicts how two cultures can weave together seamlessly. The Latino American community really values this show, because it shows Puerto Rican culture authentically, and without the typical tropes that people usually think of.
Everyone should check out this show if they ever get a chance. It makes you think about what immigrant families are like in current American society. And besides, the romance in the show will make your heart swell.
‘Jane The Virgin’ Helped Change TV, But The Struggle Is Far From Over
‘Jane the Virgin’ Aims Beyond Its Latin Ethnicity
Jane the Virgin Proves Diversity Is More Than Skin Deep
First Gen
First Gen is a web-series written by the comedienne, Yvone A. Orji. The story centers around Joanna, the child of a first-generation Nigerian family. She was all set to graduate from Harvard Medical School – an immigrant parent’s dream. However, she decides to drop out of college, and become a comedian instead. First Gen tells the story of how her family is coping with her decision, seeing as how immigrant parents usually have such high career expectations for their children.
First Gen is an accurate representation of how immigrant parents expect a lot from their children. People in America are told that they are free to follow their dreams, so long as their willing to work hard for it. In foreign households, your parents still expect you to work hard, but they also expect you to have a lucrative career. They expect this because they don’t want you to struggle like they did – that’s the whole reason why most foreigners move to the United States. I think that this web series shows an important aspect of being an immigrant kid in the United States. A lot of the times, we want to give in to American ideal of finding yourself and following your dreams, yet we don’t want to disappoint our parents who expect more from us. It’s an interesting dilemma, and I’m curious to see how the rest of the series addresses it.
To learn more about this show and how it came to be, visit the official website here.
Learning Culture Through Film
I found this really interesting article from UCLA’s school newspaper. UCLA offers a course targeted for non-native speakers, which helps them learn American culture through film. In this article, it says that the students talked about movies like “Up” and “Kung Fu Panda” and found similarities between their cultural values, and American values. It’s an interesting read. Check it out here.
First-Generation Immigrant Perspectives
So, throughout this whole blog I’ve been talking about how I learned about what Americans find important. I’ve also mentioned how all of these values contribute to this overarching idea of the “American Dream.” I found this interesting video about first-generation Americans talking about what the American dream means to them, and I found it to be very similar to my own thoughts. Though the video doesn’t really mention learning these values through movies, I think it’s interesting to note that first-generation Americans share a collective sense of what constitutes as the American Dream or what counts as important American values. If you want to check it out, watch the video below.
Culture Shock Cinema 