Critically analyzing four decades of television situation comedies from The Honeymooners to The Bill Cosby Show, Hamamoto shows how the sitcom reflects, explains, legitimates, and challenges the society in which it is grounded, illumining the power of laughter both to reaffirm and to question existing social structures.
Challenging perceptions of the Asian American elite, the book explores their significant roles in various sectors amid the rising influence of China and India in the global economy. It draws parallels to historical waves of intellectual migration, emphasizing the current influx of skilled workers from Asia tasked with developing the infrastructure for a new global order. Rather than inciting fear, the work aims to clarify how these knowledge workers contribute to a centralized governance system shaped by advancements in technology and finance.