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Netflix’s Master of None (2015) is the story of Dev (Aziz Ansari), a 20-something New York actor-comedian trying to navigate the life of an entertainer. More importantly, he’s trying to navigate life itself – a life very similar to the one Ansari discusses frequently in his standup. A key component of this life, and of the show, is the depiction of acculturation and characterization of immigrants, an aspect of Master of None that is already receiving widespread acclaim. Master of None shows refreshing honesty and directness in addressing the reality and diversity of immigrant experiences. Likewise, the show presents persisting obstacles to authentic minority representation in film and television – a problem the show itself attempts to rectify while simultaneously naming and commenting on the phenomenon.

The focus on the immigrant narrative begins in the episode “Parents,” when Dev and his friend Brian, realizing they don’t know many details about their parents’ early lives, decide to take their parents out to dinner and learn about their experiences immigrating to this country. The exchange that ensues highlights how truly kind this show is. It’s clear that Master of None cares about the lives of Raj and Brian‘s parents and that, more importantly, we should, too. Treat your parents like humans, the show tells us. Explore their narratives and truly invest in learning about what makes them who they are. Although they are not trained actors, the added authenticity of casting Aziz Ansari’s real life parents in these roles adds a layer of nuance and honesty that helps these points hit home. In addition, thanks to the effect of showing an East Asian parent and a set of South Asian parents discuss and relive their experiences in the same episode, the viewer, especially the immigrant viewer or a second generation viewer (like myself), can see the similarities between their story and others’ without ever being told that their experiences are the same.

As Season One progresses, Dev continues to grapple with his relationship with his family culture, even if the conflict is not always the show’s primary focus This is most evident in another stand-out episode, “Mornings,” when Dev admits (under duress) that, after almost a year of dating, he has still not told his parents about his live-in girlfriend, Rachel, citing cultural differences as his reason. It can be challenging as an Asian American to tell your parents about your interracial relationships. Many fear that their parents may not be receptive to the news – perhaps due to a parent’s desire to share common cultural values with their children’s significant others, or due to a strong idea of their children’s ideal partners born of wanting the best for their child. Dev remains vague in his description of why he doesn’t speak about relationships to his parents, just as this apparent disconnect can remain vague to people both within and outside the culture. Rachel, who regularly updates her parents about her relationship, is skeptical and confused as to Dev’s reasons for delaying the introduction. In the end, when Dev finally makes the introduction, his parents also wonder why he didn’t tell them sooner – they’ve been adapting to American culture for 40 years. All they want is to share their culture and love as part of their son’s life, which they do with Rachel in a lovely, quiet scene towards the end of the episode. As hard as interracial relationships may be, they also have potential to be wonderful avenues for bonding across cultures, as is shown by Dev’s family’s interactions with Rachel.

An equally important concern Master of None tackles, which brings the show into meta levels of commentary, is the problem of minority representation in Hollywood. Although it spends much of its time focusing on developing positive minority characterization, another episode, “Indians on TV,” points out how much American pop culture has relied on and reinforced immigrant/foreigner stereotypes to present Indians to American audiences. A standout opening sequence highlighting the development of Indian characterization in media (from terrible to…still pretty offensive) shows not only how much these portrayals rely on stereotyping and on othering but also how much minorities can rely on the few characterizations they see on screen. A recurring joke about the reveal of Ben Jhaveri’s true ethnicity in Short Circuit 2 (1988) shakes our characters’ worlds (“Is Mindy Kaling real?”), showing that, with even the most limiting of characterizations, the power of representation can play a major role in how we see ourselves. Ansari is not just content to wonder why he (or Dev) should be expected to use an accent in most Hollywood roles for Indian Americans; he also uses the show to act against the very contentions of Hollywood’s stereotyping “Indians on TV” explicitly names. Master of None has several scenes that show up to three Indian characters on screen, each with their own views and methods of handling life that spell them out as three-dimensional characters. This isn’t just a show commenting on the limited narratives of first and second generation immigrants. It also seeks to expand those narratives.

Significantly, the elements dealing specifically with the immigrant and minority experience do not take up the show’s entire focus. Combined, they constitute a little over two episodes’ worth of plot points. But, just as these elements are parts of who Dev is as a person, they are also parts of a whole experience for a viewer. They are parts that influence his development as a person without making up the whole characterization of either Dev or our experience of the show. To see these views as experienced by a minority—views that are rarely given such nuance—is refreshing. As a second generation South Indian American, I’m not Aziz Ansari, nor are my parents Shoukath or Fatima Ansari. But watching Master of None, hearing my parents’ native language, Tamil, in an American production for the second time I can remember, and seeing a second generation kid treat his first generation parents’ stories with respect and compassion - this show makes me feel the beats of Aziz’s real life story just as surely as I know my own. Dev’s are not unfamiliar experiences for most viewers: intergenerational conflict is an aspect of acculturation that occurs in multiple immigrant groups. And who wouldn’t know the experience of being a teenager unable to connect with their parents? But the fact that the story is through the lens of an Indian American character (who happens to be played by an Indian American actor, producer, and writer) allows for a group rarely showed as lead characters and lead writers in Hollywood to tell a story that starts with them.