Hasan Minhaj kicks off his show with a bang

SCREEN CAPTURE / YOUTUBE

Hasan Minhaj tackles affirmative action and conservative Asian Americans in the premiered of his Netflix show

By Louis Chan,
ASAM NEWS

HASAN MINHAJ'S NEW SHOW on Netflix debuted Sunday, and if the premier episode is an indication, the former correspondent for The Daily Showwon’t hesitate to speak from his perspective as an Asian American and Muslim.
“Affirmative action as we know it, is about to die, and guess what Asian Americans, we are the ones who can kill it,” Minhaj says in the premiere episode of Patriot Act speaking about the lawsuit alleging discrimination against Asian Americans by Harvard.

“I find it hilarious that this is the hill were willing to die on,” Minhaj said continuing to speak to Asian Americans.

Born in Davis, California, Minhaj comes from a Muslim family. His parents were born in India.

With a graphic behind him, he points out Asian Americans are 5.8 percent of the population, but 22 percent of Harvard admits.

“In classic Asian-parent fashion, we’re like 22 percent, why not 100 percent?”

He goes on to address Yukong Zhao, the head of Asian Americans Coalition for Education, who took on Harvard after his two kids were rejected by the Ivy Leagues. Minhaj called Zhao the “Chinese Joe Jackson.”

Minhaj then talked about Ajay Kothari, who’s challenged affirmative action from his perch as a leader in the American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin. Minhaj labeled Kothari an “Indian uncle” who confused the movie Akeelah and the Bee with “blackwashing” an Indian story.

He painted Edward Blum, who filed the lawsuit against Harvard, as a White guy who failed in his effort to challenge affirmative action in Abigail Fisher v University of Texas. Fisher, Minhaj said, was a White student with bad grades.

You can watch the episode below: