Ok Cha proudly embodies the qualities of a Korean mother, or to sum it in one word, a dictator. Sullivan & Son just wouldn't be as "Asian" without Ok Cha. She explicitly holds a disdain for American culture and does her best to enforce discipline, not only upon her immediate family, but upon the bar's customers as well. She's incredibly sharp, sarcastic, and an generally mean-spirited character who fully advocates the repression of emotions. To be honest, she's quite an awful person-and I think she's the best character in this show. She's evil, cruel, and "big fan" of Kim Jong Il, but she's never the antagonist. She says herself that her way of loving her children is by being harsh. For me, that especially resonates. While my own parents aren't nearly as strict or blatantly mean as Ok Cha, they do occasionally express the same "tough love" that seem prevalent in Asian upbringing, including the verbal abuse.
On the other hand, we have the black sheep daughter, Susan. Poor Susan has an intense inferiority complex as she sits in the shadow of her brother's success. I'm pretty sure many Asian American kids can relate to her because, honestly, not every Asian child is going to be live up to the high standards put up by parents like Ok Cha. The interactions between Susan and her mother emulate the stereotypical "tiger mom" upbringing by Asian parents. In one particular episode, Susan finally lashes out to Ok Cha insisting for her to stop the verbal abuse. Ok Cha's response just melts my heart: she says, "I know you are not fat. The reason you are not fat is because I call you fat. The reason you are not stupid is because I call you stupid." If this isn't the definition of tough love, I don't know what is.
-by Dylan Huynh
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