My friend Tom is an Angry Asian Guy.

Born and bred in Boston, his Chinese features still beget questioning glances - strangers sometimes slow their speech - and yes, it bothers him (especially since Tom talks faster and more than anyone I know). Since I met Tom four years ago, our conversations have revolved around being Asian in America. He, the American, chafes at being treated like a foreigner while I expect it because I am one.

Once, over dim sum, Tom told us about his friend, Angry Korean American Guy. This friend once kicked in a car containing four white guys at a traffic light after they taunted him by shouting “Ni hao!” as he was walking down the street. “Ni hao,” is of course the Chinese hello.

So I was curious to see what Tom thought of Ni Hao, Kai Lan.

After Dora the Explorer - that cute shouter of Spanish phrases along with English - became a world-wide phenomenon, Nick Jr. set its sights on the next hot language - Mandarin Chinese, creating Kai Lan, a little Chinese American girl.

Kai Lan’s voice, incidentally, is that of Jade Lianna Peters, an 11-year-old from Milwaukee.

When I told him about “Ni Hao, Kai Lan,” Tom looked incredulous, then laughed. I guess it’s hard to be offended by a kids’ show. Even one that, according to the Nick Jr. site, professes to promote such “Chinese American values” as “mind-body connection” and “being a good member of a group” (Aiyaa.)

No such mixed feelings from my girls, 2 and 4. Kai Lan is the first thing Zoe and Maya ask to watch when they roll out of bed on weekend mornings.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 29th, 2008 at 6:56 am and is filed under TV. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.