in my opinion, think to say that it is true to the filipino american experience would be going too far. i think that the film, while it had the intent of highlighting the fil-am experience, ended up presenting an exaggeration of the experience. because compared to other films focused on the experiences of other ethnic groups like, Mi Familia or Soul Food, the Debut doesn't even come close in terms of capturing the essence of Pilipino American life. Though I thought there were representations I can identify with, I think that the characters in the Debut were mere caricatures and didn't really present what it's like to be a Pinoy/Pinay in America. It would be different if the movie was meant to be a satire like the Flipside, but it wasn't.