SOUTHERN FRIED RICE

A Korean-American girl, raised from birth by Southern Black parents, struggles to
defend and redefine her identity after being accepted into a popular HBCU.

Southern Fried Rice follows KoKo Johnson, a Gen-Z Korean-American adoptee raised in a tight-knit Black Southern family. When she leaves her small town to attend Wright University, an elite HBCU in Atlanta and her late father’s alma mater, she enters a world that challenges her sense of belonging. From being dubbed a "Culture Vulture" to exploring friendship and relationships, KoKo is thrust into an identity crisis that forces her to confront the complexities of race, heritage, and self-discovery.

Told with humor and heart, Southern Fried Rice explores identity, race, and privilege in today’s world. Through messy roommate moments, campus culture shocks, and emotional revelations, KoKo learns how to make space for herself, even when she doesn’t perfectly fit the mold. This witty and heartfelt dramedy explores coming-of-age through an unexpected cultural lens.