She was one of the few people who broke down barriers for all South Asian people. She proved to many that you can be successful when you boldly follow your dreams.
1. She made a pathway for South Asian women in the entertainment business
She is one of the very, VERY few South Asian people who have become successful in the entertainment world. For many South Asians, we were raised up thinking that we could only be either doctors, engineers or lawyers when we would grow up. People like Superwoman proved to our community that it was completely okay to be in a field that wasn't all about STEM. She broke down the barriers and showed us that we should be proud of our talents and feel unashamed of not being in a field of high respect like medicine.
2. She isn't afraid to show off her culture
When I was growing up, I felt ashamed of my background and culture. As sad as it seems, being of a different culture wasn't as accepted and embraced as it is today. I wanted to be "normal" and tried my best to be as "American" as possible. Culture to me was something to hide. It was something that was meant to be only kept at home. After South Asian people like Superwoman started to become more popular and successful, I realized how beautiful my culture is and how I shouldn't be afraid of it.
In her YouTube videos, Superwoman is always talking about her culture in some way or form. She creates skits based off of the Indian culture and embraces its flaws with satiric comedy. She showed me that Indian culture is something to be proud of and how it's our job to show others that our culture is something so beautiful.
3. She broke stereotypes
Recently, Singh announced her bisexuality and it immediately caused a stir in the media. A South Asian woman being bisexual? It seemed like something like that would never happen in our community. Sexuality is seen as a taboo subject in the South Asian community but Singh came out boldly and it really did affect many people. A lot of South Asians felt encouraged to also come out to their friends and families as a result of her boldness.
4. She continues to be a role model for young girls
Lilly is famously known for her use of the word, "bawse," for which she has a book and lipstick named after. She makes sure she practices what she preaches by always encouraging girls to be leaders in a male-dominated world. Although it's not easy for South Asian women, in particular, to be successful, Lilly Singh proved otherwise. While there might not be a lot of South Asian successful role models out there for young boys and girls to look up to, Lilly Singh constantly reminds her younger viewers to keep moving forward and to keep achieving their dreams.
5. She has her OWN NBC late-night talk show!
Uh, Hello!! Her OWN NBC show! That's not a big deal at all, right? (heavy sarcasm, obviously). Until now, everyone who has ever had their own late-night show has always been non-South Asian males. When she announced that she would be having her own show, it really did break the Internet for many South Asians. Someone from our community having their own show? Unimaginable. I'm so incredibly proud of Lilly Singh and of her many accomplishments. Here's to having many more successful South Asian women, like her.
