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New Delhi: An Indian-origin influencer called out a TikToker after she posted a video mocking the Indian accent. In her video, the TikTok user @itsjustluxe imitated the Indian woman who was arrested for shoplifting at a Target store in the US. Her video, titled 'Indian lady at Target', ridiculed the woman's accent.
Indian-origin content creator Cassandra Jerome took to Instagram to slam the TikToker's video that amassed more than 1.4 million views online. She said that it came across as "uneducated", despite thinking stereotypes can be funny if presented tastefully. "If the Indian accent is used in a joke that has some context and is done so well that it shocks me, it gets a laugh. But when the punchline is that we sound weird, I have learned something about you," said the woman.
She continued, "All it tells me is that your worldview has not moved much past your nose. When does it stop being funny?"
Speaking from her experience, the woman revealed that she faced issues due to her accent when she moved to the US. She concluded, "You're hehe-ing and haha-ing over an accent that tons of people have. Expand your horizons and leave us alone, please," said the TikToker.
Jerome's video garnered the attention of many people. They sided with her point of view and lashed out at the TikToker's video. "Honestly. Everyone’s accent is beautiful and special, whether it’s Indian, French, Mexican, Chinese, African, Central American, it doesn’t matter. Everyone speaks differently, and if you laugh at that, I feel like you’re uncultured," said one user.
Some were furious to see that the mockery came from a person of colour.
"I’m going to say this as someone who is both black and desi, I found it ironic how some black Americans are quick to make fun of accents, but when other races of people make fun of how black people speak or they make fun of AAVE, they get upset," said one online user.
