Hasan Minhaj gives tips on how to deal with racist desi elders

The comedian thinks the uncomfortable conversations we have in our living rooms are really important

Renowned comedian Hasan Minhaj recently sat down with a couple of South Asian teenagers and imparted his two cents on toxic desi traditions that he believes everyone needs to let go off.

Minhaj also explained how the elders with rigid mindsets could be approached on anti-Black sentiments that run deep within the South Asian families. He said “It’s very prevalent in our community and I think these uncomfortable conversations we have in our living rooms are really, really important.”

“I think coming at it from a place of, ‘Hey, you’re a member of my family. I love you. I’m not trying to tear down your character or who you are as a person. This is just an important thing to talk about.’”

Minhaj added, “There’s a difference between ignorance and abject hatred. And for the most part, I think a lot of people aren’t filled with hatred. There’s just a lot of ignorance. Don’t let things just ratchet up to yelling or screaming. Nothing good ever comes out of that.”

On breaking the unconventional rules strictly followed by parents in a brown household, Minhaj continued, “I’m a softie. I thought I would be hardcore, I thought I’d be strict but I am not. We had this no iPad rule. Beena was like ‘No iPad!’ and I was also like ‘Yeah! No iPad!’ And then my daughter started crying and she was like, ‘Please! Can I please have it?’ And I was like if she is polite, just give her what she wants. Can’t we honour being polite?”

As far as his future aspirations of falling into the desi stereotypes as an adult were concerned, the former Daily Show correspondent quipped, “I cannot wait to go full desi uncle. I want the gut. I want the full ET body.”

"Skinny arms, gut, mustache, cricket on in the background, not listening to any family members, forwarding conspiracy theories on WhatsApp, eating pistachios, almonds and mango all the time, blaring ghazals in the car. I’m already a step or two there,” Minhaj hilariously concluded.