Post 28: Great Exercise For An Online Asian American Literature Class

Great Exercise for an Online Asian American Literature Class

Recently, a new TV show called Fresh Off the Boat came on ABC.  This TV show portrays the life of an Asian American family and a kid named Eddie Huang, based on the book by the same name, Fresh off the Boat.  It is the first time that an Asian American show has been put on TV since All American Girl in 1995.

I am really excited to see Asian American faces on TV. Being Asian American myself, it is always nice to see other Asian Americans that look like me on television.  You can have your Asian American class watch the TV show and compare/contrast how the Asian American family portrayed on TV is similar or different from your own family.

1. How is this Asian American family on TV similar or different from your family?
2. How is this Asian American family sitcom different or similar from other family sitcom on TV?
3. What interesting facts about Asian American life have you learned from this TV show?
4. In your opinion, what are the funniest moments of the show?
5. From this TV show, how are Asian values different from non-Asian families?
6. What makes this show so 'Asian'? What makes this show so 'American'?
7. What are your favorite moments of the show?
8. How does watching this show add to your appreciation of Asian American life and add to the value of the Asian American class you are taking?
9. Have students read Crazy Rich Asians and talk about the differences between Asian and American culture.
10. Have students watch the movie Crazy Rich Asians and talk about the differences between the movie and the book.

Yvonne Ho, ABD, MA