Monday, August 22, 2016

Turns out, 'Superstore's' Filipino/American character is undocumented



Reprinted from AsAm News
FOR THE FIRST TIME on network TV, a regular character is being depicted as an undocumented immigrant, reports the Inquirer.

Filipino/American Nico Santos plays Mateo on the NBC comedy Superstore, which already broke ground by introducing Mateo as gay.

In the Olympic episode which aired recently in prime time right after the Olympics' closing ceremony, Mateo learns for the first time he is undocumented.


Nico Santos
It’s a good bet Superstore will return to this plot line in the future, although NBC has not confirmed this.

RELATED: Asians-on-TV revolution continues into 2016
Define American, a nonprofit which strives to improve the portrayal of immigration in the media, posted the above clip on YouTube. In the description beneath the video, Define American wrote:

“On the premiere of season 2 of NBC sitcom, Superstore, Mateo, a gay character from the Philippines, discovers that he is an undocumented immigrant. In humorous form, he discovers that the green card he has is fake. This strains an already contentious relationship with Glenn, his manager. While Mateo tries to convey this fact to Glenn, his boss; he is supported enthusiastically without real comprehension about his status.”

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