Chef and author Eddie Huang's best-selling book "Fresh Off the Boat" entered homes across the country as a new sitcom on ABC Wednesday night.
The series follows a Vietnamese-American family that moves from Washington D.C. to Florida, and navigate cultural clashes. The title of the comedy has drawn criticism since it was announced.
"My parents have been supportive of my decision to be a writer. I can't imagine naming a show#FreshOffTheBoat in return for their sacrifice," writer and activist Suey Park tweeted last year. She later clarified her statements.
"I wasn't being critical about the show, I was just trying to put some passion around the name, because a lot of viewers don't have this deeper analysis of language and how it's changed over time," she told Yahoo TV.
"They don't really understand what it means to reclaim a word that was previously derogatory."
University of Virginia Media and American Studies professor Shilpa Davé explained the term's history.
"Initially, it was related to immigration and people literally coming off a boat," Davé said. "More recently, it's been tied to Asian immigration.
"David Hwang wrote a play called 'FOB' in the '80s, and in that, it was used within Asian-American communities to distinguish between established Asian Americans, who'd been here for multiple generations, and new immigrants."
Asian-American writer Steve Byrne thought the sitcom's title was brilliant.
"I think the title, honestly, is probably one of the best parts of the show, because now you know what the show is about," he told Yahoo TV.
"You want to talk about a show that shows the first generation of Americans coming over and making a name for themselves and becoming successful, kind of sacrificing themselves for the sake of your family's future. That's why people come to America.
"I couldn't think of a better title," he continued. "When I heard the title, I was jealous."
"Fresh Off the Boat" airs on Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC
