For those of you that do enjoy a good stand-up show, there are plenty of them on Netflix and surprisingly a good number of them are Indians and Indian-American. Since October 2017, Netflix has been increasing the availability of comedy shows for young Indian comedians to take the center stage and talk about life from our perspective.
I'm sure, especially if you are brown, many of you know the infamous Russell Peter joke about his dad threatening to hit him and how it still rings in households of many Indians. Even if, "somebody is gonna get a hurt real bad," is not exactly what Indian parents say to their kids, something to that effect was conveyed before getting the beat down. But Russell Peters and his comedic shows, paved a way for the second-generation Indian-born Americans to throw their spin on growing up in a vibrant culture like India's.
Hasan Minhaj is definitely one of those individuals that embraced his Indian-Muslim culture and highlighted to the world what it means to be brown in the 21st century. Born and raised in Davis, California, Minhaj laments on his early years with his dad, growing up being the only Indian in school, and awkward adolescence with strict parents. Even though he wants to be white because "you just get asked less questions along the way," Hasan puts into words what every Indian feels: being an American-born confused desi is just hard.
While the jokes in his stand up show "Homecoming King," are geared towards Indians, the messages are clear and applicable to all audiences. Probably Hasan's prom experience is one of the most moving stories of his childhood because it teaches us valuable lessons on forgiveness. It is immensely easy to blame someone for their inactions and ignorance but it is extremely difficult to forgive them for it and Hasan teaches every young American that when he talks about his senior year. Bethany Reed, who was hailed as his white princess because she accepted his family wholeheartedly, did not have the guts to explain to her mother that she wanted to go to prom with him. Her mother mentioned that Hasan would not fit in with the photos that would be taken that night and promptly turns Hasan away that fateful night. Years later and many public Facebook replies later, Hasan learns from his father that he should've forgiven her because that's what it means to be a good person.
Hasan's prom story exemplifies how every young American especially our current generation is so desensitized to racism. For many people, hearing that this Muslim-American boy got passed up for prom by a white girl is outrageous, but no one really is bothered by white cops shootings black kids. Hasan's experiences tells us to stop and pay attention. Also, really listen when someone feels badly about an incident like that.
Exposing the inadequacies in people's perceptions of Muslims, Minhaj artistically paints the picture of his father facing racism in the post-9/11 era. With a broken car window and a threatening phone, Najmi Minhaj tells his son that this country offered them freedom and what can be done in a country run by hatred. A ringing endorsement from one immigrant speaks a lot of truth for many immigrants because if America is a melting pot of different ethnicities then all of us would show some respect for it.
In the end, Hasan Minhaj paved the way for every Indian American to stand up and be heard. Several new comedians also are featured on Netflix talking about life as a modern Indian. Vir Das explains the purely Indian perspective on American life in his comedic act "Abroad Understanding" and Aditi Mittal laments about the trials and tribulations of growing up as a modern Indian woman in her sketch "Things They Wouldn't Let Me Say." All three comedians bring a spicy perspective to everyday life and inspire brown folk to start a real introspection of their lives. Still, Hasan Minhaj's open expressions and crafty storytelling makes me and every other Indian-American come back for more.
