In 2018, one of the largest movies of the year, Crazy Rich Asians, directed by Jon M. Chu created a large movement in Asian media. The movie goes through the life of Asian American Rachel Chu who is also the mother in television show Fresh Off the Boat. She meets a man in New York who she ends up deciding to date and visit his family in Singapore.
After getting off the plane in Singapore, she slowly connects the pieces and realizes he is part of one of the richest families in Singapore. Throughout the trip, she is constantly excluded by his family members because she is “different”. Coming from a middle class family, a single mother, and being raised in America, Rachel definitely stands out compared to the other girls there who want her boyfriend (Nick Young).
Although for a majority of the show she is hated on for dating such an important man who is clearly “above” her in status, she never loses her self-identity and ends up convincing the family of her good qualities.
While most people saw this movie as another big Asian media hit and a big change for all these well deserving actors, there is actually a use of a double identity in many ways throughout the movie. Often times for Asian Americans, similar to my blog about Fresh Off the Boat, there are a lot of times when they are not sure whether they fit more into the American side or the Asian side of themselves. They don’t look like the white people in America, but also don’t share the language, accent, or habits of the people back in their home town. Similarly, Rachel felt the same after being raised in America, with an American accent.
There is also the difference in class. Because she was raised poor and being exposed to a rich environment, she felt out of place believing she didn’t belong. Class and income often becomes apart of our identity and our self-value.