“Fresh off the boat” (FOB) is a phrasing used to describe immigrants that have arrived from a foreign nation that have not yet assimilated into the host nation’s culture, language, and behavior. The phrase is commonly used in the United States, specifically in ethnic Asian circles, as a derogatory term. The term originates from the olden days of immigration, where people migrated to other countries via ship.
When asked what comes to mind when one says the word “fob,” junior Rachana Gor said, “Someone who has bad grammar, has a weird accent, and probably dresses like how their people dress back home.” The term fob has a generally harmful and negative connotation for immigrants. FOB typically translates to the stereotypical behavior of new immigrants such as poor driving skills, working low-skilled jobs, and the use of broken English. “FOB” generally translates to a push for adhering to the customs and culture the ethnic group has migrated to.
Interestingly enough, there are also terms for ethnic groups that oppose the very idea of cultural integration into a host nation’s customs.
For instance, the term “American-Born Confused Desi” (ABCD) disputes the entire notion of losing one’s native culture in assimilation. ABCD refers to people of South Asian origin (many of which are second-generation, meaning their parents are naturalized U.S. citizens) that adhere to western lifestyle and values. Freshman Landon Attokaren said the term “retains the pride in their native country, because it forces people to be proud of where they’re from, in a sense, and not to conform.” Stereotypes such as “ABCD” reinforce the idea of their cultural differentiation as they see it as a source of pride.
When used pejoratively, these stereotypical terms serve as devices to discriminate and separate people. Junior Dejah Thomas commented on the issue and said it’s not fair because “we were founded by people of other countries coming together as a melting pot.”
It is often overlooked that innumerable ethnic groups are still connected to their parents’ heritage, or that some customs will eventually take hold in some ethnicities. Segregation on both sides of the ethnic argument (pushing for cultural assimilation i.e.-FOB, versus pushing for cultural differentiation, i.e. ABCD) have led to oversimplified categorization of many people of different cultural backgrounds.