Fresh off the boat
Encyclopedia
The phrases Fresh off the boat (FOB), Off the boat (OTB), or just simply Boat; are terminologies used to describe immigrants that have arrived from a foreign nation and have not yet assimilated into the host nation's culture
, language
, and behavior. Within some ethnic Asian circles in the United States, the phrase is considered politically incorrect
and derogatory. It can also be used to describe the stereotypical behavior of new immigrants as, for example, their poor driving skills, that they are educated yet working low-skilled or unskilled jobs, and their use of broken English
. The term originates in the early days of immigration, when people mostly migrated to other countries by ship
.
In the sociology of ethnicity, this term can be seen as an indicator of a nature of diasporic
communities, or communities that have left their country of origin and migrated, usually permanently, to another country. The term has also been adapted by immigrants themselves or others in their community who see the differentiation as a source of pride, where they have retained their culture and have not lost it to assimilation. In fact, instead of taking this harm-intended phrase as an insult, many Korean, Japanese, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Indian, and Chinese people (especially their American-born children) use this term to describe their cultural Asian habits and fashion sense, for example "fobby clothing", "fobby glasses" and "fobby accent."
In some instances, an "ethnic community" may find it difficult to shed an FOB image, independent of the degree of their assimilation. Although some try to assimilate, they may fail due to the very swift transition to the host continent.
In the United Kingdom 'fresh off the boat' are referred to as freshies or simply FOBs and in the United States they are referred to as F.O.B (fresh off the bone or boat).
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
, and behavior. Within some ethnic Asian circles in the United States, the phrase is considered politically incorrect
Politically incorrect
The phrase "politically incorrect" may refer to:* Someone or something which does not meet a standard of political correctness* Politically Incorrect, a late-night U.S. political talk show* Politically Incorrect, a German political blog...
and derogatory. It can also be used to describe the stereotypical behavior of new immigrants as, for example, their poor driving skills, that they are educated yet working low-skilled or unskilled jobs, and their use of broken English
Broken English
Broken English is a 1979 album by singer Marianne Faithfull. It is often cited as Faithfull's definitive recording; Faithfull herself describes it in her autobiography as "the masterpiece"...
. The term originates in the early days of immigration, when people mostly migrated to other countries by ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
.
In the sociology of ethnicity, this term can be seen as an indicator of a nature of diasporic
Diaspora
A diaspora is "the movement, migration, or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral homeland" or "people dispersed by whatever cause to more than one location", or "people settled far from their ancestral homelands".The word has come to refer to historical mass-dispersions of...
communities, or communities that have left their country of origin and migrated, usually permanently, to another country. The term has also been adapted by immigrants themselves or others in their community who see the differentiation as a source of pride, where they have retained their culture and have not lost it to assimilation. In fact, instead of taking this harm-intended phrase as an insult, many Korean, Japanese, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Indian, and Chinese people (especially their American-born children) use this term to describe their cultural Asian habits and fashion sense, for example "fobby clothing", "fobby glasses" and "fobby accent."
In some instances, an "ethnic community" may find it difficult to shed an FOB image, independent of the degree of their assimilation. Although some try to assimilate, they may fail due to the very swift transition to the host continent.
In the United Kingdom 'fresh off the boat' are referred to as freshies or simply FOBs and in the United States they are referred to as F.O.B (fresh off the bone or boat).