Kamal Ghorui
A viral street interview from a US protest has sparked reactions online, with conservative commentator Dinesh D’Souza criticising what he called the “wrong” kind of cultural assimilation among some Indian Americans.The controversy comes from a clip filmed at the “No Kings” protests across parts of the United States. The demonstrations were aimed at opposing US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, particularly tensions involving the Strait of Hormuz. However, a bizarre exchange captured went viral.
In a video, a street interviewer asks a sarcastic question to a protester, asking whether it is “a little bit homophobic that we’re so focused on the straits of Hormuz and not the gays of Hormuz”. The woman responds: “Yes, I agree. Yes, for sure… They’re going for the straits of Hormuz but they’re not willing to protect the gays of Hormuz. That’s not cool.”The phrase “gays of Hormuz” is fictional, a play on words referring to the strategic waterway. Yet the protester appears to treat it as a real issue, even attempting a historical explanation about discrimination.The clip went viral. Indian-American Dinesh used it to comment on cultural identity and assimilation. Posting on X, he wrote: “Even I have a problem with certain Indians, and not because they haven’t assimilated…. It’s because they HAVE assimilated—to the wrong America.”In a split-screen video, he elaborated further as the viral video played: “So someone at the No Kings protests goes to this activist and poses a very ‘straightforward’ question. You know, until recently, we Indian Americans of this country have had a reputation of being somewhat smart. People like me have worked hard to earn that reputation. We sometimes think of the immigrants and wish they would assimilate…. but you know what? This young woman has assimilated. She has assimilated into America, but which America? Not our America, not traditional America. She is assimilated to the America she knows. The media, the elites, the progressive, that’s the America she knows, and she has picked up all of her cliches, all of its prejudices”.Some internet users questioned whether the woman was even of Indian origin, as there is no confirmation of her ethnicity, while others defended her, arguing that she was expressing empathy, albeit in a confused context. People called out D’Souza and pointed out his own immigrant background, accusing him of hypocrisy.The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, with roughly a fifth of global oil shipments passing through it. Right now, tensions are high due to ongoing friction between the United States and Iran. There are concerns about potential disruptions, military posturing, and threats to shipping lanes. Any escalation could impact global oil prices and trade. In short, it is a serious geopolitical hotspot with real economic and security consequences worldwide.
