While he was growing up, Hasan Minhaj’s father told him to separate his Muslim background from his career.
asserted
father → grow → career
Years later, the comedian and actor has done exactly the opposite.
asserted
comedian → do → opposite
In an interview with “Meet with Press”, Minhaj reflected on how his upbringing as a Muslim and child of Indian immigrants has been infused into his work.
asserted
upbringing → reflect → work
The comedian particularly recalled hosting the 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner and seeing his father in the audience.
asserted
comedian → recall → audience
I felt like, ‘Man, I hope you’re proud, and I hope you’re seeing that the house I grew up in, and the way we would talk about politics and the world, all of that influenced what I’m doing now,’” Minhaj said.
asserted
Minhaj → feel → what
Minhaj praised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, saying that it’s been an “incredible moment” to see the city’s first Muslim mayor in office.
asserted
it → praise → office
“In the past, the way politics was kind of navigated was vis-à-vis this kind of negotiation.
asserted
politics → navigate → negotiation
You give a little, give and take, be practical.
asserted
You → give → little
And I think here in New York City we got to witness, ‘Hey, I’m going to do it my way,’” Minhaj said.
asserted
Minhaj → think → it
“What if I win, lose or draw, start a campaign literally from Jackson Heights, from Queens, from the forgotten boroughs of this city?”
asserted
I → win → city
Minhaj said Mamdani’s campaign is reflective of how “so many great stories are taken from the margins to the mainstream.”
asserted
stories → say → mainstream
“What’s beautiful about this moment is this is a moment for a lot of us to walk and act with moral clarity.
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lot → ’ → clarity
‘Hey, I’m not compromising my core beliefs.
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I → compromise → beliefs
I’m walking through with this with clarity,’” Minhaj said.
asserted
Minhaj → walk → clarity
Minhaj said that his identity and experiences inspired his latest project, a film he co-wrote and stars in called “Best of the Best,” which follows two childhood best friends as they join their university’s competitive Bollywood dance team.
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they → say → team
It’s a love letter to my upbringing,” Minhaj said of the film.
asserted
Minhaj → ’ → film
“I’ve been asked this question, ‘How did you come up with this world?'
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you → ask → world
And the crazy part is I didn’t.
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I → do → ?
This world actually literally exists.”
asserted
world → exist → ?
Minhaj said one concept that he sought to articulate in the film from Hindu is “izzat,” which means dignity and self-respect, a notion that he referenced as a response to Islamophobia.
asserted
he → say → Islamophobia
He said when interviewing fellow comedian Kumail Nanjiani recently, Minhaj asked him whether he felt American, to which Nanjiani said, “It’s not about how I feel.
asserted
I → say → which
It’s about the way the country sees me.”
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country → ’ → me
“Your belonging in a group is about the way the group sees you.
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group → see → you
I thought that was really powerful,” Minhaj said.
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Minhaj → think → ?
“Izzat,” instead, means “it doesn’t matter what other people think of you,” Minhaj said.
asserted
Minhaj → mean → you
“I think about my grandmother, who raised me.
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who → think → me
She literally went to school under British colonial rule in British Civil Lines.
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She → go → Lines
So she was not seen as a whole person,” he continued.
asserted
he → see → person
“And she persevered despite that.”
asserted
she → persevere → that
Asked by moderator Kristen Welker about his own experience with Islamophobia, Minhaj said that he was “lucky I have this amazing platform.”
asserted
I → ask → platform
“I think about the taxicab driver.
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I → think → driver
I think about the people who are being snatched up and detained by ICE.
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who → think → ICE
I’m thinking about the Senegalese immigrant who is waiting for his green card to go through,” Minhaj said.
asserted
Minhaj → think → immigrant
Minhaj told Welker that while he’s worked through several mediums, from talk shows to film to podcasts, “Comedy feels the most at home.”
asserted
Comedy → tell → home
He said that while covering heavy topics, it’s essential to still prioritize laughter.
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it → say → laughter
“Inherent within politics are obviously horrible things: war, destruction, famine, genocide,” Minhaj said.
asserted
Minhaj → say → politics
“I also want to say that isn’t what entirely makes us human.
asserted
us → want → ?
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