The story of Eddie Huang’s life is being broadcast to millions of people. And after months of gearing up for the ABC premiere of Fresh Off the Boat — a sitcom based around a Chinese family living in Orlando — Huang says the people most uncomfortable with it aren’t even Asian.
“There’s always white people tweeting me saying, ‘This is so offensive! This is a racist show!'” he explained. “And I’m like — ‘I don’t know if you know any of us, because it’s not racist.'”
But he doesn’t lay claim to being an authority on his race. “Just because I’m Asian doesn’t mean I can speak about everything in Asian America. I can only speak about the things I know.”
Watch Eddie Huang’s take on race and identity in America in the video above.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year
- Why We Chose Trump as Person of the Year
- Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- The 20 Best Christmas TV Episodes
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com