You’d think being an international star, headliner of her own primetime TV show and an American talk-show fixture would exempt Priyanka Chopra from facing everyday racism but apparently, it’s still prevalent.
During her much-talked about Koffee With Karan episode, the actress talked about facing racism on a flight because of the colour of her skin. During a flight from Europe to New York, she wanted to use the washroom but was stopped by a crew member who said that it was reserved for first-class passengers only. She made the assumption that Priyanka was not travelling first class, solely based on the colour of her skin. According to her, they soon realised their mistake and apologised for it.
This is not the first time that she has talked about facing racism in America. In an interview with Emmy magazine last year, she spoke about what it was like to go to a school in Massachusetts. “I attracted a lot of attention. Nobody looked like me in my school. I was skinny with crazy, frizzy hair. It was like Mean Girls,” she said, adding, “There was one girl who was just super evil. She kept calling me Brownie, and saying, ‘Go back to your country, you smell like curry’ – and I didn’t, by the way.”
Looking at her track record, it is clear that she didn’t let the hate get in the way of her success.
