I know I’m so late to the Master of None party. Do you watch it? We just got through a binge watching session, and oh my lands, people, have you ever seen anything like the “Parents” episode?
It had me laughing out loud, hands firmly clenched over my embarrassed face, just guffawing at the absurdity of life. Specifically, my life. Or more generally, the life of any first generation American kid.
Man, we are SPOILED.
In two flashbacks, we get to see the lives of the lead characters, Dev and Brian’s, immigrant parents. From their dusty difficult lives in India and Taiwan, through the hardships of immigrating to the United States and the xenophobia and racism that came along with it, to all their hope placed in a new generation…and then cut to adult Dev and Brian whining to their fathers that “NO DAD,” they can’t help with the new iPad, they promised a friend they were going to see a movie together, geez.
MASTER OF NONE, Episode “Parents” from Amy Chang on Vimeo.
There is truly nothing like having an immigrant parent to constantly remind you of your bratty, privileged ways.
My parents grew up during a military junta, with parents thrown into prisons due to political beliefs, entire families murdered, and childhoods of tending to farm animals and picking cotton. When other parents say they had to walk to school, uphill both ways, in deep snow, my parents retort that they WISH they could have gone to school, what a luxury, and then follow that up with a story about a many days journey involving a blazing sun and donkey (they walked; the donkey carried the stuff) just to see family in the mountains.
Aziz Ansari has nailed it here, in a way I’ve never seen on a TV show. (Even better that his own parents played themselves!) I can’t wait to watch the rest of Season 1 and 2.
(And needless to say, an episide like this is exactly why we need more diversity in Hollywood and TV!)
