We’ve all seen the trend on TikTok recently that involves a bunch of kids talking about their goals and expressing their patriotic sentiments for Pakistan. The principal leading this event usually responds with “great” after students talk into a microphone and express their career goals. While it is amusing to watch and hear countless kids express their desires to better their country, this trend can also result in racism.
Firstly, the kids all have accents which are noticeable because English isn’t their first language. As such, many people have taken to responding with “grape” (instead of great) to mock the principal. While this may seem amusing at first, it could actually reflect deep rooted racism or a microaggression. This type of sentiment is similar to the “go back to your own country” because people are viewing the kids with a “them versus us” mentality. One may be used to hearing English spoken with the typical American accent, which can make these kids appear to be “foreign,” which makes this amusing. This type of behaviour can cause more alienation and feelings of isolation for people whose native language isn’t English. Mocking their accent and laughing at their pronunciation are all ways to make them feel unwelcome. Instead, let’s think more about how these kids probably know how to speak Urdu, Punjabi, and an assortment of Pakistani languages, which makes them diverse.
Additionally, Pakistan has a history rooted in White supremacy and colonization. As such, when privileged people mock these kids it is hurtful to Pakistanis. Many of them want to have fair skin (skin lightening products and colorism are still major things in Pakistan), mimic the British colonizers, and “Westernize” their country. When others mock these kids, they feel more insecure about their skin colour, accent, and own culture. This reminds the kids of the gap between their culture and British officials who colonized the subcontinent and only offered high-paying jobs to light-skinned individuals. Many people have said that this type of mockery is hurtful to them and their Pakistani background but were later shunned and said to be “sensitive.” While one may not have had the intention of being hurtful, or may not have been aware that their actions were hurtful, it is not someone else’s place to tell people from a certain background what is/isn’t offensive.
Finally, the effects of these sentiments can have far-reaching effects for Pakistani immigrants. Many of them may face acculturation and cultural shock when they immigrate to Western countries and try to “fit in” more. Their strongly-scented lunches, baggy Pakistani Shalwar Kameez, and being seen with their parents who have strong accents, can cause these kids to feel uncomfortable. This affects their mental, physical, and overall wellbeing and this type of stress can persist into future generations. What started off as an internet meme and TikTok trend can have horrible implications for these kids and other Pakistanis. Thus, we need to do a better job to normalize the kids’ accents and cultural differences, and instead find humor in things that aren’t harmful to people from different backgrounds.