“You’re gorgeous… What are you? Arab, Latina?... Oh! You’re Indian, never mind…”
I wish that I was hyperbolising the countless experiences I’ve had within my life. I wish that this wasn’t the conversation I’d had more times than I can count.
I’ve often joked that I’m ‘racially ambiguous’, often being mistaken as Colombian or Turkish. When people see me as something other than South Asian, they find me intriguing or attractive. Then, when they’re met with the truth, their interest disappears.
This isn’t just a coincidence; it’s a reflection of deeply ingrained racism. Eurocentric beauty standards dictate who is considered attractive, and South Asians often fall outside that scope.
Racism against South Asians has always existed, but in recent years, it has been repackaged, normalised, and disguised as ‘humour’ or ‘preferences.’ It’s ingrained in social media culture, mainstream conversations, and even everyday interactions. Whether it be in TV shows, or TikTok trends.
From openly mocking Indian accents to the continued use of racial slurs, the casual dehumanisation of South Asians is on the rise. Yet, ironically, the same people who belittle us have no problem appropriating our culture when it benefits them.
The internet has made racism more accessible than ever. South Asians are regularly targeted with harmful stereotypes—being told we smell, are undesirable, or dangerous. On platforms like TikTok and Twitter, memes have turned outright racism into viral trends. Posts like “I’d rather die than be Indian” gain traction, and yet no one bats an eye.
When people openly say, “I’d never date an Indian,” they’re not stating a preference—they’re participating in a long-standing system of dehumanisation that paints South Asians as lesser.
There are countless TikToks where people claim they’d rather be raped and killed, commit suicide or be sent to Auschwitz than be Indian.
And let’s not forget the dangerous stereotype of South Asian men being automatically labelled as sex offenders. This is rooted in racist narratives that have existed for centuries, demonising brown men while ignoring the reality that sexual violence is an issue across all races.
Why is it acceptable to paint an entire group as predators while excusing the same crimes when committed by others?
The Home Office commissioned a study in 2020 and it speaks for itself – "Research has found that group-based child sexual exploitation offenders are most commonly white."
Despite the blatant racism, Western society has no problem picking and choosing elements of South Asian culture to suit their aesthetic. White women wear dupatta scarves and rename them “Scandinavian shawls.” Henna—once seen as ‘dirty’ when used by South Asians—is now a trendy way to create fake freckles. Hair oiling, a South Asian tradition for centuries, was ridiculed until TikTok rebranded it as the next big beauty trend.
Then there’s the chai tea debacle—an unnecessary repetition of words that already mean “tea” in Hindi. Why was it mocked when South Asians drank it but elevated when sold in overpriced coffee shops? The same people who once turned their noses up at these traditions are now capitalising on them, proving once again that South Asians are only valued when their culture is detached from them.
It’s simply ignorant and the rise in cultural appropriation is ironic.
Cultural appropriation has been at the forefront of social discourse for years, yet somehow, the wellness industry continues to escape real accountability. Conversations about Black hairstyles in South Africa, Native American headdresses at festivals, and even the misuse of East Asian traditions have sparked global outrage. But when it comes to South Asian spirituality—yoga, Ayurveda, the Om symbol—Western wellness culture has managed to strip these traditions of their meaning while profiting from their aesthetic.
Yoga, for example, has been transformed from a sacred, deeply spiritual tradition into a fitness trend dominated by white influencers in expensive leggings. According to Statista, the yoga industry in the U.S. alone was worth $1.56 billion in 2020, yet how many of those profiting from it actually acknowledge its Hindu roots? The wellness industry has turned a centuries-old practice meant to connect the mind and body into a workout, with overpriced mats and trendy studios replacing its spiritual essence.
As Ravi Dixit, an Indian yoga teacher in West London, stated in Glamour UK, “You can find yoga training led by teachers who’ve never been to India or don’t really understand the basics, like the Sutras of Patanjali or the Eight Limbs of Yoga. There are online courses to become a yoga teacher in three weeks. It takes years of study to master it all – how is that possible in three weeks?”
What makes this appropriation even more infuriating is the historical irony of it all. Under British colonial rule, yoga and Ayurveda were either banned or heavily discouraged in India. Hindu spiritual practices were dismissed as primitive and unscientific. Indians were ridiculed for engaging in the same rituals that Western influencers now profit from.
Think about that for a second. Hindus were once penalised for practicing yoga in their own land, yet now it’s a billion-dollar industry dominated by white voices. The hypocrisy is staggering.
And it’s not just yoga. Ayurveda, an ancient system of holistic medicine that has existed for over 5,000 years, is now being rebranded in the West as “alternative medicine.” Expensive wellness brands market Ayurvedic remedies as trendy new discoveries, completely erasing their Indian origins. When South Asians practiced these remedies, they were called backward—but now that Goop sells them, they’re suddenly revolutionary?
This isn’t just cultural appropriation—it’s cultural erasure.
Oh, and don’t get me started on the normalised usage of racial slurs. Whether it be being called a ‘paki’ or being referred to as a ‘curry muncher’. I vividly remember being 14 years old and receiving a text message from a girl that I went to school with where she labelled me a ‘dirty paki’.
I can’t even walk the streets without being subject to racism, the same word hurled at me and my dad when we were shopping. The word that 11-year-old Zara didn’t understand when she was called it. The word that haunts countless South Asians.
In the UK, the racial slur ‘Paki’ is still thrown around like it’s nothing. Despite its deep-rooted history of being used to dehumanise South Asians, it remains widely used, even by influential figures.
When KSI casually used the slur in a public video (thanks for that, mate!), the backlash was there—but not nearly as severe as it should have been. If the same word had been used against another minority group, the consequences would have been far more severe.
Despite its violent origins, Paki is still commonly used in the UK, often in ways that reinforce racism in daily life. One of the most blatant examples is the term “Paki shop.” Across the UK, many people casually use this phrase to refer to South Asian-owned corner shops, as if it’s a neutral description rather than a racial slur. This normalisation reinforces the idea that South Asians are permanently outsiders, reducing their businesses to a derogatory label.
A 2021 study by the Runnymede Trust found that more than 60% of British Asians had experienced racial slurs in public spaces, with Paki being one of the most frequently reported. The slur is not just a relic of the past—it is still actively weaponised today, often under the guise of ‘banter’ or ‘just an old habit.’
One of the most infamous ‘Paki bashing’ hate crimes was the murder of Altab Ali, a 25-year-old Bangladeshi textile worker, who was stabbed to death by white teenagers in 1978 simply for being South Asian. His death symbolised the everyday racial terror faced by South Asians in the UK. To this day, the word Paki carries the weight of that violence, yet people still insist on using it as if it’s harmless.
Why is anti-South Asian racism still treated as a lesser issue?
In Western media, the South Asian accent is still seen as a joke. While other accents have become romanticised or accepted, the Indian accent remains a lazy punchline. Shows like The Simpsons used Apu as a caricature for years, reinforcing harmful stereotypes that persist today. Even modern content isn’t exempt—stand-up comedians, TV shows, and internet personalities still rely on outdated, offensive impressions to get a cheap laugh.
This is particularly frustrating because the mockery of our accents is often tied to a stereotype of South Asians being uneducated or unsophisticated. Yet, India is home to one of the largest populations of English speakers in the world, and South Asians are some of the most academically accomplished immigrant communities globally. But no, let’s reduce an entire group to a poorly imitated accent for entertainment.
One of the most common racist insults against South Asians revolves around poverty and hygiene. But let’s set the record straight—India was one of the wealthiest nations in the world before the British Raj drained it of its resources. By the time the British left, they had extracted over $45 trillion from India, leaving behind economic devastation. So why is South Asian poverty turned into a joke, as if it’s an inherent flaw rather than the result of centuries of exploitation?
The irony is that people mock South Asians for their living conditions while ignoring the historical context that caused them. Instead of pointing fingers, maybe it’s time to acknowledge the role colonialism played in shaping modern economic disparities.
With all this constant racism, is it any wonder that so many South Asians grow up hating their identity? I was once ashamed to be Asian. The constant jokes, the mocking, the feeling of never being seen as attractive or desirable—it gets to you.
The normalisation of racism against South Asians needs to end. It’s not just ‘dark humour,’ it’s not just ‘a joke,’ and it’s not just ‘a preference.’ It’s racism, plain and simple. We can’t let it continue being brushed under the rug while other forms of discrimination are rightfully condemned.
If I had to try and explain to my nani that it’s practically a crime to be her grandchild, it would break her.
So how can we combat this?
- Call It Out
- Educate Yourself and Others
- Hold Media Accountable
- Stop Turning Racism into Memes
- Push for Stricter Social Media Policies
- Challenge Everyday Microaggressions
- Highlight South Asian Achievements
- Stop the Whitewashing of South Asian Culture
- Tackle the Use of Racial Slurs
- Support South Asian Creators & Businesses
- Engage in Political Advocacy
- Encourage Open Conversations
We shouldn’t have to be portrayed as the ‘weird, dorky tech worker’ or corner shop owner with an ‘exaggerated accent’ to exist within the media. Writing this has even allowed me to acknowledge my own bias. How I conform to the racist agendas and encourage / allow jokes to be made. Jokes that were so normalised to me that I didn’t acknowledge the harmful repercussions until now.
We deserve respect. We deserve to be heard. And most importantly, we deserve to live without constantly having to justify our humanity.
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