Humor about Life of Immigrants in the U.S. in a Stand-Up Comedy Show Ronny Chieng: Love to Hate It (2024)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze how the stand-up comedy show Ronny Chieng: Love to Hate It (2024) represents the life of immigrants in the U.S. Using Berger’s theory of humorous devices, the analysis identifies strategies such as exaggeration, redefinition, irony, ridicule, analogy, repetition, literalness, bombast, and self-deprecation. These devices enable Chieng to transform everyday immigrant struggles into comedic narratives that simultaneously entertaining and criticizing. Beyond technique, the study highlights the recurring themes in Chieng’s humorous material: stereotypical representations, experiences of discrimination, and challenges of cultural adaptation. The research reveals how Chieng satirizes racial misidentification, undermines xenophobic claims, and dramatizes generational and cultural misalignments. The analysis demonstrates that immigrant comedy functions as a mode of cultural negotiation, balancing insider critique with self-deprecating vulnerability. Ultimately, Chieng’s stand-up affirms the role of humor as both coping mechanism and cultural critique for immigrants navigating life in the U.S.