The pandemic has restricted every single one of us from traveling, taking vacays, or hanging out with friends. And this is where Netflix comes along – filling every second of our free time to escape reality and enter a world of fantasy. And now with Emily…. we can escape to Paris!
The newest Netflix series ‘Emily in Paris,’ had brought a lot of mixed reviews ever since it premiered on October 2, 2020. Much like the movie ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ the American romantic comedy takes us to a world of fashion and luxury. From food and wine to the clothes and breathtaking sceneries, clearly who doesn’t want to live this luxurious lifestyle?
As Netflix’s synopsis puts it, “Emily in Paris is all about an ambitious 20-year-old Chicago marketing professional, who suddenly lands her dream job in Paris after her company acquires a French luxury marketing company. Aside from Emily’s commitment to revamping social media campaigns; her current life in Paris is packed full of adventures and unexpected obstacles.”
There are many questionable things about Emily, but there’s more to discuss about Mindy Chen–Emily’s young Chinese-Korean friend whom she met while strolling around the city. In a Chinese-Filipino perspective, it is somehow amusing to base her character’s backstory on the typical reality of having strict tiger parents.
1. Mindy was born into a family of Chinese-Korean.
Mindy’s father is Chinese, and her mother is Korean, which makes her Chinese-Korean. Her family lives in Shanghai where her father owns a zipper manufacturing company. Mindy names her father the ‘King of the Zippers’ because the success brought by the business made him incredibly wealthy.
2. At a young age, her parents involved her in lots of extracurriculars.
Most times, tiger parents would invest a lot in their children not only in academics but also in extracurricular activities. When living in China, Mindy took part in a televised singing competition dubbed Chinese Popstar. Although she lost in the competition, she hasn’t lost her voice. She continues to sing excellently while in Paris and even landed a job at a club.
3. If not for Paris, Mindy Chen was supposed to take over her father’s company.
Since Mindy is the only child, her father wanted her to join the company and ultimately take over the family business in China. But, she would rather live in Paris. So, to achieve this dream, she pursued a business degree in Paris then dropped out later. Since Paris is a very expensive place to live in, she works as a nanny teaching Mandarin to the children.
4. Mindy’s father didn’t approve of her choices.
As Chinese, we all probably know by now that our parents are very hands-on especially when it comes to our education and careers. Even from a young age, they’ve set high expectations in terms of skills and academics.
When Mindy’s father discovered that she had dropped out of business school, he cuts her off financially in hopes she will return to China. He even tried bribing her with expensive offers such as a luxury car and a mansion located next to theirs. That’s the typical tiger parent mentality in every Asian family.
5. She is a strong-minded woman.
Influenced by her Asian upbringing, it is clear to say that Mindy had grown to be a strong-minded woman. Hence, her determination to stay in Paris and live her dream. This also reflects very well with her personality when she speaks truthfully without sugarcoating her words of advice directly to Emily.
