Cultural Production & Controlling the Narrative

Introduction: The Power of Representation

We've examined political organizing and community building. Cultural production is another form of resistance: the fight for control over how South Asian men are represented and understood.

For decades, South Asian men's images were controlled by others—colonial administrators, Hollywood producers, Western media. The result was the stereotypes we've studied: the effeminate Bengali, the nerdy engineer, the terrorist.

But South Asian male creators are increasingly producing their own narratives: complex, human, challenging stereotypes, exploring identity and masculinity on their own terms. This lesson examines that cultural production across media.

Part 1: Film and Television

The Evolution of Representation

Era 1: Background and Stereotype (1980s-1990s)

• Apu from The Simpsons (1990-present)
• Cab driver, doctor, convenience store owner roles
• Heavily accented comic relief
• No interiority or complexity
• Serving white characters' stories

Era 2: Slight Expansion, Persistent Stereotypes (2000s-2010s)

• Raj from The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019): nerdy, can't talk to women, virgin
• Kumar from Harold & Kumar (2004): stoner, subverts model minority but still stereotypical
• Slumdog Millionaire (2008): poverty porn, white savior elements
• More visibility but limited range

Era 3: Self-Representation and Complexity (2010s-Present)Key developments:

Master of None (2015-2017):

• Aziz Ansari writes, directs, stars
• South Asian male protagonist in NYC
• Explores dating, career, family, identity
• Episode on immigrant parents' sacrifices
• Episode on being "The Other" in Hollywood
• Complex, flawed, fully human character

The Mindy Project (2012-2017):

• While centered on Mindy Kaling, included South Asian male romantic leads
• Challenged desexualization stereotype
• Showed diversity of South Asian male characters

Never Have I Ever (2020-present):

• Created by Mindy Kaling
• Includes complex South Asian male teenagers
• Explores masculinity, identity, culture
• Challenges stereotypes while acknowledging real cultural dynamics

Films by/starring South Asian Men:

• Riz Ahmed in various complex roles (Sound of Metal, Mogul Mowgli, Encounter)
• Dev Patel as romantic leads (Lion, The Green Knight, Slumdog Millionaire)
• Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (wrote, based on own life)
• Hasan Minhaj's Homecoming King (stand-up special)

What's Changed?

Creative Control:South Asian men increasingly have:

• Writing and directing credits
• Producer roles
• Financing power
• Platform access (streaming)

Thematic Complexity:New narratives explore:

• Intergenerational relationships
• Dating and sexuality honestly
• Mental health
• Identity navigation
• Racism and microaggressions
• Career and ambition
• Masculinity and vulnerability

What's Still Limited:

• Still underrepresented overall
• Working-class South Asian men largely invisible
• Regional/linguistic diversity not captured
• Older South Asian men rarely protagonists
• Queer South Asian male stories emerging but limited

Part 2: Literature and Written Word

Poetry and Early Writing

Historical:

• Rabindranath Tagore (though Bengali, not diaspora)
• Ghadar Party revolutionary poetry
• Early immigrant letters and accounts

Contemporary Poetry:

• Ocean Vuong (Vietnamese-American, but relevant for Asian American masculinity)
• Tarfia Faizullah (explores gender, identity, migration)
• Ravi Shankar (explores hybrid identity)
• Kazim Ali (queer Muslim South Asian voice)

Themes:

• Migration and displacement
• Father-son relationships
• Colonial legacy
• Masculinity and vulnerability
• Belonging and alienation

Novels and Memoirs

Key Works:

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (2003):

• Explores Bengali American identity
• Father-son relationship central
• Immigration and assimilation
• Identity formation across generations

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (2007):

• Post-9/11 racialization
• Pakistani male protagonist
• Ambiguity and complexity
• Challenge to stereotypes

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid (2017):

• Migration and displacement
• Love and masculinity
• Speculative fiction approach to refugee experience

Brown Boy by Omer Aziz (2023):

• Memoir of growing up South Asian in Canada
• Explores identity, masculinity, belonging
• Mental health and family dynamics

The Devourers by Indra Das (2015):

• Queer Indian fantasy
• Challenges heteronormative narratives
• Explores desire and identity

Significance:South Asian male writers exploring:

• Inner lives and psychological complexity
• Challenging external stereotypes through interiority
• Multiple masculinities
• Vulnerabilities and struggles
• Political and social commentary

Part 3: Comedy and Performance

Stand-Up Comedy as Cultural Intervention

Why Comedy Matters:

• Challenges stereotypes through humor
• Makes audiences confront prejudices
• Controls narrative about South Asian experience
• Reaches wide audiences
• Subverts through laughter

Key Comedians:

Hasan Minhaj:

• Homecoming King (2017): Explores growing up as Muslim South Asian in America
• Immigrant parents' sacrifices
• Post-9/11 discrimination
• Prom rejection and racism
• Patriot Act (2018-2020): Political comedy with South Asian American perspective
• Addresses model minority myth, Islamophobia, U.S. foreign policy
• Speaks to power while being funny

Aziz Ansari:

• Stand-up exploring dating, culture, identity
• Buried Alive (2013): Relationships and marriage
• Master of None: Extends comedy into serial narrative
• Balances entertainment with social commentary

Hari Kondabolu:

• More explicitly political comedy
• The Problem with Apu (2017 documentary)
• Challenges stereotypes directly
• Discusses racism in comedy

Russell Peters:

• One of first South Asian comedians with massive success
• Focuses on cultural differences and immigrant experience
• Sometimes criticized for reinforcing stereotypes
• Opened doors for others

What Comedy Achieves:

• Makes white audiences laugh while educating
• Creates identification across difference
• Challenges stereotypes from position of humor (less threatening)
• Provides catharsis for South Asian audiences (seeing experiences reflected)
• Can sometimes reinforce stereotypes even while critiquing them

Part 4: Music and Hip-Hop

South Asian Hip-Hop

Why Hip-Hop:

• Genre born from marginalized communities
• Platform for political expression
• Masculinity performance and negotiation
• Cultural hybridity

Key Artists:

Heems (of Das Racist):

• Queens, NYC rapper
• Explores South Asian immigrant experience
• Political commentary on war, imperialism, racism
• Challenges model minority through hip-hop

Riz Ahmed (Riz MC):

• British Pakistani actor and rapper
• Englistan EP (2016): Explores British Muslim identity
• "Sour Times": About post-7/7 London
• Political and personal intertwined

SWET SHOP BOYS (Riz Ahmed + Heems):

• Collaboration exploring diaspora experience
• Political hip-hop addressing imperialism, Islamophobia
• Cashmere (2016)

Raja Kumari:

• Indian American female rapper (mentioned for context)
• Explores South Asian femininity
• Shows gender diversity in scene

Themes in South Asian Hip-Hop:

• Immigration and identity
• Political resistance
• Masculinity (both reinforcing and challenging)
• Cultural pride and hybridity
• Post-9/11 experience
• Class and economic struggle

Part 5: Social Media and Digital Creation

YouTube and Content Creation

Comedy and Commentary:

• Lilly Singh (IISuperwomanII): Though female, opened doors
• Jus Reign: Canadian Punjabi comedian
• Various smaller creators making content about South Asian experience

Educational Content:

• History and culture explanation
• Language teaching
• Political analysis

Significance:

• Democratized cultural production
• Anyone can create without Hollywood gatekeepers
• Direct audience relationship
• Community building

TikTok and Instagram

"Brown Boy" Aesthetics:

• Reclaiming and celebrating South Asian male identity
• Fashion, music, culture
• Sometimes superficial, sometimes substantive
• Youth-driven

Mental Health Advocacy:

• Creators discussing therapy, depression, anxiety
• Normalizing mental health discussions
• Challenging stigma through visibility

Political Content:

• Explainer videos on policy
• Activism and organizing
• Solidarity with other movements

Podcasts

South Asian Male-Hosted Podcasts:

• Discussions of identity, culture, politics
• Interview formats
• Comedy and commentary
• Mental health discussions

Examples:

• Brown Boy Joy
• The Desi VC
• Various regional and topic-specific podcasts

Part 6: Critical Analysis

Progress and Limitations

What's Improved:

• More South Asian men creating content
• Greater control over narratives
• More complex representations
• Discussion of previously taboo topics
• Reaching wider audiences

What Remains Limited:

• Still underrepresented overall
• Class diversity lacking (mostly middle/upper class creators)
• Regional/linguistic diversity limited
• Colorism (lighter-skinned South Asians more visible)
• Cishet perspectives dominant

Concerns and Critiques

Respectability Politics:Some cultural production aims to make South Asians "acceptable" to white audiences:

• "We're just like you" narratives
• Distancing from working-class or "too foreign" South Asians
• Avoiding difficult topics

Reproduction of Problematic Norms:Even progressive content can:

• Reinforce patriarchy
• Display anti-Blackness
• Maintain caste privilege
• Be homophobic or transphobic
• Reproduce colorism

Commodification:

• "Diversity" as marketing strategy
• Tokenism in mainstream media
• Superficial inclusion without power

Who's Centered, Who's Erased:Even in South Asian-created content:

• Women often sidelined
• Queer and trans people invisible or stereotyped
• Working-class experiences missing
• Certain regions/communities over-represented