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Indian Express
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Why the row over Zohran Mamdani eating with his hands is essentially about racism
Written by Shaarvi Magazine A Texas Congressman has told Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for Mayor of New York, to 'go back to the Third World' after Mamdani posted a video of himself eating rice with his hands. In the face of criticism, Representative Brandon Gill, 31, has doubled down on his claim, posted on X, that 'civilised people in America do not eat like this', and his wife, who has Indian roots herself, has jumped to his defence. Civilized people in America don't eat like this. If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World. — Congressman Brandon Gill (@RepBrandonGill) June 30, 2025 'I did not grow up eating rice with my hands and have always used a fork. I was born in America. I'm a Christian MAGA patriot. My father's extended family lives in India and they are also Christian and they use forks too,' Danielle D'Souza Gill posted on X. D'Souza Gill, who is the daughter of the Conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza, ended the post with 'Thank you for your attention to this matter', the signoff line that President Donald Trump frequently uses in his posts. I did not grow up eating rice with my hands and have always used a fork. I was born in America. I'm a Christian MAGA patriot My father's extended family lives in India and they are also Christian and they use forks too. Thank you for your attention to this matter. — Danielle D'Souza Gill (@danielledsouzag) June 30, 2025 Critics have posted pictures of the senior D'Souza eating with his hands, and of the Congressman himself enjoying pizza using his hands. Why this outcry and debate over the way literally billions of people around the world have eaten for thousands of years? A large number of communities and cultures across South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and parts of South America, representing a large chunk of the global population, eat using their hands. Several items of food, including tacos, burgers, pizza, sandwiches, and hot dogs are eaten using hands around the world. While it comes naturally to most Indians who instinctively use their hands to eat, it is also variously argued that doing so leads to an increase in immunity – provided fundamental principles of hygiene are followed – promotes mindful eating practices, and is better for the environment. Art of Living, the popular yoga and wellness initiative, makes a connection between eating with one's hands and Ayurveda, in which the five fingertips are seen to represent the five elements of nature. In a comment published in 2012, mythologist and author Devdutt Pattanaik wrote: 'In Vedic texts, food is a goddess and fingers are the midget sages known as Valakhilyas. The sages carry the goddess to our mouths so that we sustain ourselves. In Jyotisha, the five fingers are associated with the five elements: earth (little finger), water (ring finger), air (middle finger), ether (index finger) and fire (thumb). Thus when we eat by hand, the five elements get symbolically connected with the food.' The reaction of most people is triggered by the shock of encountering an unfamiliar cultural practice, who then judge it as being 'gross'. Thus Oprah Winfrey is alleged to have asked some years ago whether Indians 'still' ate with their hands, the actor Shilpa Shetty was bullied and shamed on a British reality TV show for eating with her hands, and there was an online debate on 'manners' and 'hygiene' recently after a woman did the same on the London Tube. Like many such judgments, however, the roots of this culture of shaming often lie in a racist view of the world that is essentially intolerant and inward-looking. It has been pointed out by scholars and historians that the use of cutlery can be traced back to European imperialism, American colonisation and African slavery, as part of which the culture of eating by hand came to be associated with 'natives', labourers, and servants. This culture of shaming of non-Western traditional practices has been passed down to the present, and is often celebrated by modern culture warriors, even those who come from non-Western cultures. In the way this imposition of cultural hierarchy works, practices such as eating with one's hands becomes acceptable when White people do it, but 'barbaric', 'gross', or 'uncivilized' when non-Whites are involved. The escape route for this thinly disguised racism is often sought in distinguishing between types of food – thus, pizza is OK, but rice is not. My culture lesson for Mamdani: Eating with your hands is acceptable when it's bread, naan or pizza. Not when it's soup, meatloaf or mashed potatoes. Indians sometimes eat rice with their hands in India, but it's much more common in rural areas. In America, it's considered gross. — Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) July 1, 2025 In the end, the objection to eating with one's hands is not about etiquette; it is about power, prejudice, and the lingering shadow of colonialism. The writer is a student who is a summer intern at The Indian Express.
Mint
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
‘I don't eat with hands': US leader's Indian-origin wife after husband's racist dig at NY mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani
Indian-origin Danielle D'Souza Gill, who is wife of Republican lawmaker Brandon Gill, has responded to backlash after her husband mocked Indian-origin Democrat Zohran Mamdani, telling him to 'go back to the third world' over a video showing Mamdani eating with his hands, prompting a major backlash. As people on social media reminded Brandon Gill that his wife is a South Indian and 'grew up eating rice with her hands', Danielle D'Souza Gill replied, 'I did not grow up eating rice with my hands and have always used a fork. I was born in America. I'm a Christian MAGA patriot." 'My father's extended family lives in India and they are also Christian and they use forks too. Thank you for your attention to this matter.' Danielle D'Souza Gill's remarks distancing herself from 'eating with hands' came after Brandon Gill took a jibe at Zohran Mamdani after a video showed him eating with his hands. In a post, Brandon Gill said, 'Civilized people in America don't eat like this.' 'If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World.' Several persons slammed Brandon Gill for 'cultural insensitivity' and racist remarks on Zohran Mamdani, reminding him that he married into a South Indian family where eating rice with hands is culture. 'Congressman Brandon Gill with his Indian-origin wife Danielle D'Souza and her parents. @RepBrandonGill , Did you deliberately insult your wife @danielledsouzag and her parents?' Danielle D'Souza Gill is the daughter of Indian-origin commentator Dinesh D'Souza. Some people also dug out old pictures of Brandon Gill's in-laws showing them eating with their hands. 'How do you eat Tacos, french fries, burgers etc? Do you eat Lays with a fork too.' 'Hello Civilised person from America. Here's your father-in-law Dinesh D'Souza 'eating like this'' another said.
Hindustan Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘I don't eat with hands': Brandon Gill's Indian-origin wife defends Zohran Mamdani diss
Danielle D'Souza Gill, the Indian-origin wife of Congressman Brandon Gill, has supported her husband's remark on Zohran Mamdani's video showing him eating with hands. She posted, 'I did not grow up eating rice with my hands and have always used a fork.' Danielle D'Souza Gill, while defending her husband Brandon Gill's remark on a video featuring Zohran Mamdani, said she is a MAGA supporter. (X/@Danielle D'Souza Gill, @RepBrandonGill) It all started when an X profile shared a video of Indian-origin New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani eating rice with his hands. Texas Congressman Brandon Gill reshared the video and wrote: 'Civilized people in America don't eat like this. If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World.' The post quickly prompted outrage on social media, with many pointing out that Gill's wife is of Indian origin. They added that it's a common practice in many South Asian countries to eat with hands and that Gill's wife probably uses the same way. Danielle D'Souza Gill defends husband: Danielle D'Souza Gill, however, supported her husband's remarks, adding that she always uses cutlery while having food. Taking to X, she wrote, 'I did not grow up eating rice with my hands and have always used a fork. I was born in America. I'm a Christian MAGA patriot. My father's extended family lives in India and they are also Christian and they use forks too. Thank you for your attention to this matter.' Take a look at the posts: This is not the first time Brandon Gill has earned the irk of the internet with his remarks. On June 9, the Republican Congressman from Texas' 26th District denounced mass migration in a controversial post. In the share on X, he compared two pictures and added the caption, 'California in 1960 vs California today.' Also Read: Zohran Mamdani, 33, billed as 'America's Sharma ji ka beta' by internet after defeating Andrew Cuomo Indian-American lawmaker and renowned filmmaker Mira Nair's son, Zohran Mamdani, created a stir in American politics with his win over rival Andrew Cuomo to secure the primary victory in the NYC mayoral race. The former mayor of NYC, Cuomo, conceded to Mamdani after the 33-year-old gained commanding leads across various regions.
Time of India
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
No, I did not grow up eating rice with my hands: Brandon Gill's Indian-origin wife joins Zohran Mamdani row
Indian-origin author, Danielle D'Souza, wife of GOP leader Brandon Gill, said she never grew up eating rice with her hand. Danielle D'Souza Gill, the Indian-origin wife of Congressman Brandon Gill, said she always used a fork to eat rice and never grew up eating rice with her hands. The statement follows an elaborate controversy that started with a video of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani eating rice with his hand . The video was from the campaign period but it went viral Sunday, with social media users finding it nauseating that Mamdani eats rice with his hand. It was compared with Indian-origin Vivek Ramaswamy sitting barefoot for an interview -- and soon snowballed into an India-hatred spree. Republican leader Brandon Gill also found Mamdani eating with his hand uncivilized as he said: "Civilized people in America don't eat like this. If you refuse to adopt Western customs, go back to the Third World." To this, Brandon was told that he married an India and his wife must have eaten rice like this all her life. "I did not grow up eating rice with my hands and have always used a fork. I was born in America. I'm a Christian MAGA patriot. My father's extended family lives in India and they are also Christian and they use forks too. Thank you for your attention to this matter," the wife in question, Danielle D'Souza Gill, replied. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 모공각화증, 이제는 만지지말고 집에서 이렇게 해보세요 현명한소비자 Undo Danielle's post also went viral with many X users questioning the need to issue a statement that belittled India. "You are bragging about something that stupid?" one wrote. Some users posted a photo of her father Dinesh D'Souza eating with his hand and called Danielle a liar. 30-year-old Danielle D'Souza Gill, daughter of right-wing commentator Dinesh D'Souza, is an author and commentator. Daniell got married to Brandon Gill in 2017. Recently, Brandon was criticized for denouncing mass migration as he compared a photo of California in 1960 with California today. At that time, too, he was reminded that his wife's family had migrated to the US.
