“Fresh Off the Boat” is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from 2015 to 2020. The show is loosely based on the memoir of chef and food personality Eddie Huang, also titled “Fresh Off the Boat.” The series is notable for being one of the first American network television shows to focus on an Asian-American family. In this dinner table scene from the pilot, an evidently hungry Eddie admits to his mom that he didn’t eat the lunch she packed him. He struggles with his Taiwanese-American immigrant identity, clearly feeling the pressure to assimilate and fit into the community of his (white) peers by rejecting the lunch his mom packs him. 

discussion

Why does Eddie not eat his lunch and try to hide the fact from his mother? 

What does Eddie mean by “white people lunch” and why is it important to him? What assumptions are made about a person or group’s identity based on the food they eat?

How does Eddie’s need for “white people lunch” create tension at the family dinner table?

How and why is food a part of defining one’s identity, heritage and sense of belonging? Have you had any experiences similar to Eddie’s?