The Hussein family struggles with assimilation and belonging in post-9/11 America, facing difficulties such as discrimination and the pressure to code-switch in their predominantly white neighborhood and school. Each family member copes differently, with the father becoming a token 'good Muslim' on a Fox News show and the son pretending to be someone he is not to impress his teacher.

The show explores identity through the personal and cultural challenges the Hussein family faces as Egyptian-American Muslims. It portrays different ways Muslims in America find belonging, highlighting struggles with assimilation, cultural expectations, and external pressures in a post-9/11 context.

The grandfather, who is tragically deceased, haunts Rumi’s mother, Sharia, serving as a spectral presence that influences the family dynamics and emotional landscape of the show.

Humor is used through surrealist elements and character situations, such as Rumi’s desperate attempts to impress his teacher and his father’s role on a Fox News show, to tackle serious themes like assimilation, discrimination, and cultural identity in a way that is both heartwarming and thought-provoking.

Rumi has a massive crush on his teacher, which motivates him to go to desperate lengths to impress her, including pretending to be something he is not. This subplot highlights his struggle with identity and belonging in his environment.