I'm An Immigrant. Here's What You Don't See On '90 Day Fiancé.'
Fascinated by the cult following and rave reviews of “90 Day Fiancé,” I recently rallied my three roommates together to indulge in what seemed like a worthy guilty pleasure.
The show’s premise is a simple one: Each season follows six couples as they navigate the K-1 “fiancé” visa process, in which a U.S. citizen petitions for their foreign significant other to enter the country. Once approved, the couple has 90 days to marry, or else the foreign national must return to their home country.
As we quickly progressed through the first few seasons in a matter of days, I found myself increasingly uncomfortable. Consistent with other TLC shows, “90 Day Fiancé” emphasizes conflict to keep viewers hooked — 15 year age gaps; parents who disapprove of interracial marriages; accusations of cheating; foreigners who barely speak English finding themselves needing to navigate redneck America.
My American roommates and I devoured it all, yet I couldn’t bring myself to laugh or roll my eyes at each cringe-worthy interaction as freely as they did.
I moved to the U.S. from Hong Kong six years ago for my undergraduate degree at the University of Southern California. It was preceded by a decade of motivation. I was 2 years old during Hong Kong’s handover to China. The city’s bleak future was a staple dinnertime topic throughout my childhood, the conversation becoming increasingly agitated over the years. Uncertain of the truth behind “one country, two systems,” my parents enrolled me in an international school. Like many upper-middle-class parents in Hong Kong, they hoped my exposure to Western culture meant I could comfortably start a new life anywhere, if necessary.
My American roommates and I devoured the show, yet I couldn’t bring myself to laugh or roll my eyes at each cringe-worthy interaction as freely as they did.
I began exclusively listening to Billboard’s Top 40 and befriending children of expats. It was easy to pretend I...
