‘Game of Thrones’ Confirmed My Immigrant Parents’ Suspicions That Americans Are Violent Psychopaths
By James Yeh, originally published on VICE.com (2016)
Illustraion by Lia Kantrowitz / photo courtesy of HBO
When my father visited New York earlier this year, I suggested we watch the "Parents" episode of Master of None, in which Aziz Ansari's character and his Taiwanese American friend take their immigrant parents out to dinner. Like the characters on the show, I thought this might be a possible bonding experience, one generation of Asian Americans learning from the plights of another. My father, who was born in Nanjing, China, in 1939 and grew up in Taiwan, wasn't so impressed, pointing out the inaccuracies of the regional accents.
"That's a Cantonese accent," he scoffed, about a scene supposedly set in rural Taiwan.
"So it's not realistic?" I asked.
"Pssh," he said.
After the show was over I asked what he thought about it.
"I don't think many people will watch it."
"Well, did you at least enjoy it?" I asked.
"Not really," he said. "I usually like more realistic shows. I like Blue Blood and Madam President."
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