Modern Family | Lily Goes to a Vietnamese Restaurant for the First Time

Peacock

5 Jul 202103:00

Summary

TLDRIn this script, a family discusses cultural identity and heritage over a meal. The parents, originally from Vietnam and Colombia, struggle to teach their daughter about their roots. The daughter, Lily, rebels against her Vietnamese heritage, claiming to be 'gay' to distance herself. The parents, Gloria and Bob, navigate the conversation amidst a cultural clash, with other diners chiming in. The dialogue highlights the challenges of preserving cultural identity in a diverse society and the importance of family unity.

Takeaways

🍔 The conversation starts with a desire for a cheeseburger, symbolizing the Americanization of tastes.
🍜 The mention of 'pho', a Vietnamese soup, introduces the theme of cultural heritage.
🗣️ A character is corrected for saying a word they were told not to, indicating family rules or sensitivities.
👨‍👩‍‍👦 The parents are teaching their daughter about their Vietnamese heritage, showing an effort to preserve culture.
🏞️ The daughter expresses a dislike for Vietnam, highlighting generational differences in cultural appreciation.
🌈 The daughter's claim of being 'gay' is met with confusion and denial, reflecting a lack of understanding and acceptance.
🏳️‍🌈 The parents have lesbian friends, indicating their social circle is diverse and accepting.
👨‍👩‍👧 The mother expresses concern about losing her children to American culture, fearing a loss of their cultural identity.
🗣️ The father feels his family is forgetting their Colombian roots, emphasizing the importance of cultural memory.
👨‍👨‍👧‍👦 The conversation ends with a suggestion to visit Colombia, indicating a potential solution to reconnect with their heritage.

Q & A

What is the special soup mentioned in the script?
-The special soup mentioned in the script is called pho.
Why does Lily say she hates Vietnam?
-Lily says she hates Vietnam as a reaction to her parents' insistence on celebrating their Vietnamese heritage, which she feels disconnected from.
What does Lily's mother mean when she says Lily is 'confused' about being gay?
-Lily's mother is suggesting that Lily's claim of being gay is a misunderstanding or a phase, rather than her true identity.
Why does the family feel the need to teach their daughter about their country?
-The family is trying to teach their daughter about their country to instill a sense of cultural identity and pride in their heritage.
What is the cultural significance of the scene caused by Lily in the restaurant?
-The scene caused by Lily in the restaurant signifies a clash between cultural expectations and individual identity, highlighting the family's struggle with assimilation.
Why does the mother suggest going to Colombia?
-The mother suggests going to Colombia to reconnect with their roots and to help their children better understand and appreciate their cultural heritage.
What does the father feel he is losing by his children growing up in America?
-The father feels he is losing his children's connection to their cultural heritage as they grow up in America and potentially assimilate into mainstream culture.
Why does the conversation turn to Manny forgetting Spanish?
-The conversation turns to Manny forgetting Spanish as another example of the family's concern about losing touch with their cultural roots.
What is the father's opinion on people forgetting about their origins?
-The father believes that people should not forget about their origins and that staying connected to one's heritage enriches one's culture.
What is the underlying theme of the script?
-The underlying theme of the script is the struggle with cultural identity and the importance of preserving one's heritage in a new cultural context.
How does the script reflect the challenges of multicultural families?
-The script reflects the challenges of multicultural families by showing the tension between maintaining cultural traditions and assimilating into a new culture.

Outlines

00:00

😅 Cultural Identity Crisis

The script depicts a family dining out, where the parents are trying to teach their daughter about their Vietnamese heritage. The daughter, Lily, expresses a desire for a cheeseburger and uses a word that is not allowed, prompting a discussion about cultural respect. The parents, who are gay, are concerned about their daughter's identity and her connection to Vietnam. Lily's rejection of her Vietnamese identity and her claim of being 'gay' causes a scene in the restaurant, leading to a heated debate about cultural heritage and the importance of acknowledging one's roots. The conversation also touches on the challenges of maintaining cultural identity in America and the parents' fears of losing their children to assimilation.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Cheeseburger

A cheeseburger is a popular type of sandwich consisting of one or more cooked patties of ground meat, usually beef, placed inside a sliced bread roll or bun, along with cheese. In the script, the cheeseburger symbolizes assimilation into American culture and the loss of cultural identity, as it is juxtaposed with traditional foods like pho, a Vietnamese dish.

💡Pho

Pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, rice noodles, and various meats. It is a traditional dish that represents cultural heritage. In the script, the mention of pho is used to highlight the importance of preserving cultural traditions and the connection to one's homeland.

💡Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage refers to the traditions, languages, and objects that are inherited from ancestors. In the script, the concept is central to the theme of maintaining a connection to one's roots despite living in a different culture. The characters express concern about losing their cultural heritage to the dominant American culture.

💡Assimilation

Assimilation is the process by which immigrants or their descendants are absorbed into the dominant culture of a new country. In the script, assimilation is a concern for the parents who fear their children will lose touch with their cultural origins and become 'boring old white people'.

💡Identity

Identity refers to the characteristics determining who or what a person or thing is. In the script, identity is a central theme as the characters grapple with their personal and cultural identities. The daughter's confusion about her identity is highlighted when she claims to be 'gay' to distance herself from her cultural heritage.

💡Vietnam

Vietnam is a Southeast Asian country rich in cultural heritage. In the script, Vietnam represents the ancestral homeland of one of the characters and is a point of contention when the daughter denies her connection to it, reflecting a struggle with cultural identity.

💡Colombia

Colombia is a South American country with a rich cultural heritage. In the script, it represents the homeland of another character and is suggested as a place to visit to reconnect with their cultural roots and enrich their family's cultural understanding.

💡Prep School

A prep school is a private preparatory school in the United States that prepares students for admission to selective colleges and universities. In the script, prep school is mentioned as a symbol of the American educational system that the parents fear may further distance their children from their cultural heritage.

💡Gay

Gay is a term used to describe someone who is attracted to people of the same sex. In the script, the daughter's claim to be gay is a metaphor for her desire to assert a different identity and distance herself from her cultural background, causing confusion and conflict within the family.

💡Confusion

Confusion is a state of uncertainty or lack of mental clarity. In the script, confusion is experienced by the daughter who is struggling to understand her identity and place within her family and culture. Her confusion leads to a public scene in the restaurant.

💡Family

Family refers to a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). In the script, the concept of family is explored as the characters discuss their diverse backgrounds and how they come together to form a loving unit despite their differences.

Highlights

Desire for a cheeseburger amidst a discussion about cultural food.

Introduction of Pho, a traditional Vietnamese soup.

A request not to say a certain word, indicating sensitivity or taboo.

A child's assertion of identity, claiming not to be Vietnamese.

A parent's correction of the child's identity, emphasizing cultural heritage.

A child's confusion about their identity, claiming to be 'gay'.

A parent's reaction to the child's identity confusion, dismissing it as a phase.

A child's expression of frustration and desire to go home.

A parent's insistence on celebrating the culture of ancestors.

A child's rejection of their cultural heritage.

A discussion about the loss of cultural identity in America.

A suggestion to visit Colombia to reconnect with cultural roots.

A comment on the prevalence of 'boring old white people' in America.

A parent's concern about their child losing their Spanish language skills.

A child's feeling of loneliness due to cultural differences within the family.

A parent's reassurance that family is about love, not shared origins.

A suggestion to cause a scene in a restaurant as a form of cultural expression.

A debate on the importance of maintaining cultural heritage.

A proposal to pull the car around, indicating a decision to leave the restaurant.