New Indian American Representation on Netflix. Is it enough?

Who’s the first person you think of when you try to recall an Indian character on any of the shows you watched as a kid? Baljeet from Phineas and Ferb? Ravi from Jessie? Cartoons and live action shows from Disney and Nickelodeon rarely depict racial variation. Indian Americans in particular are repeatedly only viewed as comic relief. This not only affects how Indian Americans view themselves in real life, but also how others viewed their culture. Many young Indian Americans struggle with their identities because they’ve yet to see themselves depicted in a positive light. The tokenization of the entire Indian culture by the media forced Indian-American children to grow up without relatable protagonists. 

However, in this past year, two shows featuring multiple complex Indian characters were brought to Netflix, one of them being Never Have I Ever. Released on April 27, 2020, Never Have I Ever is a coming-of-age series that revolves around a first generation Indian American who faces the perils of high school. 

The show’s main character, Devi, is an American-born Indian girl who experiences the everyday life of an American student. Her character is arguably one of the most developed South Asian main characters in a young adult series to date. She doesn’t entirely fit the stereotype of a strictly raised, nerdy girl with a thick accent, but she also isn’t completely “white-washed” (portrayed with features associated with westerners). Despite being a great depiction of a young woman of color in America, there are still many flaws with the show that cause her character to be controversial. 

A fellow Indian American student at Del Norte, who prefers to remain anonymous and will be referred to as Anon, explains the benefits and drawbacks of Devi’s character. 

“I am glad that [Indian Americans] are being represented more. However, there are still obvious stereotypes present in these representations. Sometimes [the stereotypes] make me uncomfortable, but sometimes they are relatable and hilarious. It is relatable for people with strict parents and great grades…but not all Indian parents are super strict and religious…There are hundreds of different cultures and traditions in India. ”

– Del Norte Student

 This perfectly captures the downside of Devi’s character. Devi is only portrayed with stereotypical parts of being an Indian American, such as grades and aggressive parents. 

Though Anon often felt stereotypes in the show, she believes inaccurate representation is better than no representation at all. She reflects on her own experiences growing up as a first generation Indian American, stating: 

“I know that I felt embarrassed growing up and always wanted to be different. [Younger Indian Americans] might feel less ashamed to look different than their non-Indian counterparts. This [show] will make them feel like they are not alone.”

– Del Norte Student

Arushi Rai, another student of Indian descent at Del Norte, has this to say about the newfound representation: 

“I don’t believe that this show accurately depicts Indian culture and heritage. It doesn’t reflect my family and friends’ morals or values. The events that happened in the show could have happened to any teenager in America.” 

– Arushi Rai (10)

Comparing the show’s character complexity to other characters of the past (such as Baljeet, Ravi, and other tokenized characters), Rai admits, 

“Overall I think Devi was a more well rounded character. I have to admit that they didn’t portray the classic Indian stereotype (a book nerd that never stops studying). However, they still made her the smartest kid in the class with a super strict parent. I would’ve liked to see an Indian character that is just treated like a ‘normal’ kid because at the end of the day we are normal kids and the show should have done a better job at portraying that.” 

– Arushi Rai (10)

As Indian Americans with so little representation, we are not at all ungrateful for a main character that looks like us and has similar experiences. Despite having its flaws, this show is one of the first to give kids a chance to understand Indian American culture. In an ideal world, we would have characters that are good moral compasses for young people of color. But until then, we just have to wait to see if season 2 of Never Have I Ever improves upon itself and shows Devi as a respectable, fun, and accurate character.