Hasan Minhaj, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah senior correspondent and stand-up comedian, came to the University of Oregon Straub Hall on Saturday, April 16 to perform his Homecoming King show as part of the Students of the Indian Subcontinent’s annual Utsav festival.
Minhaj’s set – originally performed as an off-Broadway show – ran from 5-7 p.m. He recounted a handful of stories about growing up in northern California as a first-generation immigrant, which were hilarious and devastating in equal measure. From the awkwardness of having a foreign name during grade-school roll call to being raised by a stern father, Minhaj poked fun at the cultural and racial differences that influenced him throughout his life.
During the show, Minhaj often referred to the Hindi phrase “Log Kya Kahenge,” which roughly means “What will people say?” The phrase resonated with many members of the audience as Minhaj told the stories of his Muslim father’s reluctance to approve his marriage to a Hindu girl and how his high school crush’s parents forbade her from going to prom with him, since they were going to take some pictures for family living in Nebraska.
“I didn’t expect him to take that angle, but I’m glad he did,” said SIS President Meghna Agarwal. “I feel like it really resonated with me and a lot of us here.”
This is the first time a stand-up comedian has performed at the Utsav festival, which is usually composed of cultural performances from students and community members. The performance was funded by the ASUO and through fundraising by members of the association.