#1 Happy Family USA Explores Muslim-American Life Post-9/11

#1 Happy Family USA is a new animated series on Prime Video co-created by Ramy Youssef and Pam Brady, depicting the comedic yet poignant struggles of an Egyptian-American Muslim family in New Jersey following the events of September 11, 2001. Drawing from Youssef's own childhood experiences, the show uses satire and irreverent humor to explore themes of Islamophobia, assimilation, and the pressures of surveillance culture in post-9/11 America. Animation provides the creators with the freedom to tackle sensitive topics, such as internalized racism and the absurdities of American paranoia, in a way that is both accessible and provocative. The series lampoons not only the suspicion and discrimination faced by Muslim Americans but also broader aspects of American society, like capitalism and the pursuit of the American Dream. Through its exaggerated storylines and colorful cast, the show offers a rarely-seen perspective on how immigrant families navigated identity and belonging amid heightened national anxiety. Critics note that while the show is set in the early 2000s, its themes remain strikingly relevant to contemporary debates on race, migration, and patriotism.