Sahana Kumar

The movie may have catchy songs, but it sensationalizes slavery - making it look like slaves in America were happy to do their jobs. There's a reason why Disney never speaks of this movie. They know it's just as racist as it was meant to be. It may be your childhood classic, but it attempts to rewrite history, making America's most shameful chapter seem like a jolly good time. I was hurt when I found out my favorite Disneyland song "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" and its ride was getting shut down, but when I learned that Disney is acknowledging it's converse and making sure everyone is represented, it ensures that everyone can be treated more equally. That's my two cents.

Oh god, how many times I've cried seeing this show. First of all, never binged a show that fasts before! As a south Indian, someone who rarely gets represented in media, seeing a photocopy version of me made me so happy! The little things in the show, like Devi's mom's wedding necklace, the same one my mom wears every day. Sure, the cast isn't 100% Tamilian, but the way they accurately portray a Cali ABCD (American-born Confused Desi) is astounding. I not only related to every thought running in my head, but Devi is a representation of who I want to be. My favorite part hands down were when she said the one thing she prayed for the most was her mother saying "I'm Proud of You", the one thing I've never heard from my tough love mother. I just wanted to thank Mindy Kaling for making me feel special and represented in today's media. The last time I saw an Indian episode was in The Office, the Diwali episode where the center of attention was mostly on Micheal, and it was still the most inclusive episode I've seen. When I told my (mostly white) friend group about this show, they were genuinely confused about why I was so excited, but when I explained to them that for someone who's only character representation was Kelly Kapoor (The Office) or Baljeet (Phineas and Ferb) or Ravi (Jessie), characters mainly based off of stereotype, this show is a blessing. I've actually started praying more because of it, so thank you, Mindy Kaling, for my small dream come true!