An insane number of characters on Duolingo are immigrants. What’s curious is that they are depicted very differently than non-immigrant characters.
The immigrants are all high-strung, very anxious, socially inept neurotics. The natives are all very laid back, relaxed and competent without striving. Pretty much every story the app offers depicts a neurotic immigrant acting neurotically and foolishly and a laid-back native easily besting the immigrant at everything.
At least on the Spanish Duolingo, the Indian Vikram comes across as more competent than the white Eddie. It is kind of like Apu being the most competent person in Springfield.
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Yes, they are competent but this competence is kind of sad in the intensity of its striving.
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“a neurotic immigrant acting neurotically and foolishly and a laid-back native easily besting the immigrant at everything”
In other words… the exacet opposite of every tv show and movie now….
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Yes. It’s really interesting. Like something rising from the depths of the creators’ subconscious.
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A conservative literary critic and college professor
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