Asian America Back on TV in 'Fresh Off the Boat'

Based on a memoir by the Taiwanese-American chef, restaurateur, and Twitter maven Eddie Huang, ABC's new sitcom "Fresh Off The Boat" follows a young Eddie as his family relocates to Orlando in the mid-1990's, and attempts to assimilate into their lily-white neighborhood. 

The show is the first prime-time sitcom in more than twenty years to focus on an Asian American family. But the explicitly Chinese elements often take backseat to explorations of family, community, and, in Eddie's case, the hip-hop music that is a central diversion from his growing pains. 

On Monday evening, WNYC screened the series premier of the new sitcom and its followup, both of which will air nationally on Tuesday night on ABC. We invited several friends to talk about whether the show succeeds at being a groundbreaking cultural moment for Asian America, including: author and Yale Law professor Amy Chua (Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother and The Triple Package); hip-hop artist Awkwafina (MTV's "Girl Code"); and Jay Smooth, host of WBAI's "Underground Railroad" and the Ill Doctrine videoblog. The chat was moderated by Jeff Yang, Wall Street Journal Online columnist and father of the show's 11-year-old star, Hudson Yang.    

Chua channeled what seemed to be a unanimous, if qualified, opinion straight out of the gate: "I loved all the characters!" And she quickly added, "You have to realize, Eddie Huang hates me. On his menu there's a 'Burn The Tiger Mom' sandwich.'" View the video below to hear the panel—and audience—reflect on Asian parenting, code switching, the pitfalls of ungainly labels like "Asian American," Ol' Dirty Bastard, and much more. 

Watch video of the complete talk-back below: