Comedian, actor and writer Hasan Minhaj discussed Donald Trump supporters, privilege and being Muslim in America to a large crowd in Graham Chapel Sunday evening.

Known for his work as a senior correspondent on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” Minhaj is an Indian-American Muslim who uses his platform to examine American society with a critical lens. His web series, “‘The Truth with Hasan Minhaj,” and off-Broadway show “Homecoming King” have earned acclaim and have been featured in a variety of publications, including The New York Times.

Comedian, actor and writer Hasan Minhaj speaks to Graham Chapel about his personal experiences on Sunday. The event was sponsored by the Muslim Students Association, Azadi: South Asians for Justice and Solidarity and Washington University Students for Justice in Palestine.

The event was sponsored by the Muslim Students Association, Azadi: South Asians for Justice and Solidarity and Washington University Students for Justice in Palestine. Mohamed Gabir, president of the Muslim Students Association, described Minhaj’s presence as a rebuttal against the typical stereotypes assigned to Muslim Americans.

“We are not considered to be a funny bunch. We are angry, depressed, vengeful and intolerant. Therefore, how on earth can we be funny?” Gabir said.

Minhaj included personal stories about his experience growing up as a Muslim in America post 9/11, disappointing his parents by pursuing comedy and working with both Jon Stewart and Noah on the “Daily Show.” Politics was a frequent topic of conversation, as Minhaj engaged the audience by weaving comedic bits in with the realities of living in a society that continuously doubts one’s allegiance to America.

“I think as immigrants, we are living in strange times, where, unfortunately, whenever something happens in this country, we always have to audition to prove our patriotism. To show that we’re good enough—that we belong here. We have to live our lives to make the majority feel comfortable,” Minhaj said.

The comedian also included emotional retellings of conversation with his father about navigating the social climate in a nation that commonly attributes terrorist attacks to the Muslim community. Minhaj discussed an incident of racially charged vandalism on his family home following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. His father’s lack of anger highlighted the generational difference in how Muslims view instances of bigotry and racism.

“My dad—like a lot of immigrant parents at the time—he’s from that generation where they believe that if you come to this country, you pay this thing called the ‘American Dream tax.’ You’ll have to endure some racism, and if it doesn’t cost you your life, then you’ve lucked out,” Minhaj said.

Junior Jennifer Smith enjoyed Minhaj’s inclusion of an anecdote acknowledging that he still comes from a position of privilege, even as a minority. He described a rather uneventful interaction with police when he attempted to unlock a car he had mistaken for his own. According to Minhaj, if he was a black man, he would have likely been accosted by the police officers, who may have assumed he was operating with ill-intent.

“I’m coming from a place of white privilege, so I’m very aware of all that I’ve been fortunate of, having just because of where I was born and [with] what color my skin is. But even him as a minority, he still has it better than some people of other minorities. And I hadn’t really thought of it as a hierarchy, but it is, which is interesting,” Smith said.

Freshman Veda Gadiraju recognized the similarities between conversations Minhaj had had with his parents with her own personal experiences, as her parents advised her on how to navigate the current social climate.

“The conversations [he and his parents] had about respecting people of different identities and being able to be pragmatic in this society is something that my parents have always said, and I’ve struggled to reconcile with [it],” Gadiraju said.

After concluding his talk, Minhaj responded to multiple questions from the audience, on topics ranging from his experiences working on the “Daily Show” to self-care and remaining hopeful in the current political climate. An event debriefing, sponsored by the same organizations who sponsored Minhaj’s talk, will be held on March 4 in Mallincrodkt 305 from 3 p.m.- 4 p.m. in Mallinckrodt Center, Room 305.