'Fresh' Sitcom Makes You Laugh -- and Think

Which brings us to why "Fresh Off the Boat" strikes the right tone. It's that rare creation, a comedy about the Asian-American experience written from the point of view of, well, Asian-Americans that still manages to be accessible and enjoyable to the rest of us. That's hard to do, but this show does it.

As The New York Times noted, from the vantage point of the writers and producers -- including creator Nahnatchka Khan, whose parents came from Iran but who grew up in Hawaii, which has a large Asian population -- "it's the white perspective that's foreign."

In one episode, the father, Louis, decides that since his restaurant is a Western-themed steakhouse in a mostly white city, business will pick up if he hires a white manager to greet the guests so they feel more comfortable. It's as if, from the point of view of Asians, white people have a secret language with which they converse with one another.

In another episode, son Eddie is thrilled after getting all A's on his report card, but his mother, Jessica -- who appears to have been the original "Tiger Mom" -- gets angry because she concludes that the school must be too easy. Meanwhile, a white classmate gets all C's and his family takes him out to dinner to celebrate the achievement.

Then there is the special sauce that really makes this show an important contribution to pop culture. While sprinkled with subtle references to the kinds of cultural idiosyncrasies that we all recognize in our families and communities, the meat and potatoes at the core of this show are mainstream topics -- fitting in, making friends, striving for success, competing with siblings, etc. People of all colors can relate to those things.

Hollywood had it backward. For decades, it spit out stereotypical comedies that gave people a chance to laugh at those who were different when what viewers hungered for was a comedy that showed how we're alike.

"Fresh Off the Boat" pulls it off. The result is a sitcom that doesn't just make you laugh. More importantly, it makes you think.

========

Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com.