In 6th grade, I moved back to the United States after living in Saudi Arabia for 4 years. After moving across the globe, I was exhibiting the effects of a culture shock. I was at a loss of friends, so I took to the Internet to remedy my insecurity within my religious and cultural identities. Between 6th and 8th grade, I immersed myself within the vloggers, beauty gurus, and comedians of YouTube. However, the lack of representation within the popular creators I watched did nothing to mollify my case of imposter syndrome. One evening, when I was communicating my desire to return to the Middle East to my sister, she showed me Liza Koshy’s page on YouTube, which was filled with comedic sketches. Liza Koshy was Indian-American, and a lot of her humor was centralized around the stereotypes surrounding her racial identity. She communicated the tribulations of the children of immigrants, which I could relate to. Liza also portrayed a wide array of characters that she created with different accents, mannerisms, and facial expressions, including Jet Packinski III, Helga, and Carlos. She filled in her eyebrows and drew in facial hair to represent her different male characters, and I admired her inability to feel embarrassed in her efforts to make people laugh. Liza inadvertently made light of the insecurities I was facing with my identity upon returning to America, and despite the fun she poked at racial stereotypes and her immigrant parents, she was nothing short of proud of her heritage. She was a comedian, but she was also an advocate for marginalized communities across the country. Through her videos, Liza gave me someone I could relate to and admire. I grew more comfortable with my identity as an Arab Muslim-American after watching her videos, and the aspects of my personality that I carefully concealed from my peers slowly began to shine through. After cultivating my confidence within myself, I wanted to emulate the positive effect Liza had on me. In 7th grade, I decided to join my middle school’s Speech team, and I performed a humorous monologue. I contorted my face into different caricatures and incorporated various accents in my piece, and by the end of every performance, I felt physically drained from my efforts. It was worth it, however, when laughter would permeate the room. Since YouTube, Liza has grown as a comedian. She initially had a series on YouTube Originals titled Liza On Demand. Recently, she has grown past the Internet. Her movie Work It premiered on Netflix in 2020, and her talents as an Indian-American female comedian are being recognized globally. I have also grown as a comedian and a representative of the Muslim community. Since commencing my Speech career in the 7th grade, I’ve become captain of my high school’s Speech team. My favorite part of my leadership position is being able to help underclassmen that come in riddled with insecurity grow into self-assured public speakers. By being who she is and sharing her comedy on the Internet, Liza revitalized my pride for my heritage. Liza is one example of how important representation is in the media, and I hope to one day join her in the impact she has created for POC everywhere.
1 Comment
Shikha Barla
10/23/2020 07:51:05 pm
I really enjoyed reading your blog post. I can also relate to finding solace in someone who shares my cultural background on the internet. I enjoyed reading about the personal connections you had with Liza because I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way and could look to her as an inspiration for using your voice. I look forward to seeing who will be next!
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