One of America’s most successful television shows, “The Simpsons,” is saying goodbye to Hank Azaria, the voice of controversial character, Apu. The Times reported that, “To these critics, many of whom are of Indian descent, Apu is a servile stereotype,” most likely due to his thick accent and ownership of Kwik-E-Mart. Apu should not only anger Indian Americans, but all Americans.
Stereotyping is a byproduct of harbored racist thoughts, committed by those, unable to see that the definition of an “American,” is not limited to one’s skin color.
In Season 7 Episode 23 of “The Simpsons,” Apu, likely undocumented, obtains fraudulent papers, including a US Passport, from a forger, who then says Apu “is now American.” I have come to the realization that whether you are born in Chester County, USA or are undocumented, some individuals still wonder if you are truly ‘American’.
“Indians are taking away our jobs” or “Do your parents own a Dunkin Donuts” are comments teens like myself have often heard.
The purpose of my extracurriculars is NOT to get me into Harvard.
We do NOT know the people who leave scam calls.
I attribute part of the stereotyping problem, to the film industry’s confinement of Indian actors and actresses to roles such as the computer hacker or illiterate immigrant.
To the writers of “The Simpsons” I ask: Was humiliating my Indian ethnicity through the role of Apu, worth it for a couple of laughs?
This Op-Ed was written in response to "Why Hank Azaria Won’t Play Apu on ‘The Simpsons’ Anymore," published by the New York Times (February 2020).