Interested in stand-up comedy? Unique storytelling? Political humor? Look no further than the entertainment of Hasan Minhaj.
The 30-year-old comedian has made a name for himself as a correspondent on Comedy Central's satirical political news program "The Daily Show," making his first appearance in November 2014. He will be performing stand-up in Mesa this week as part of his "Homecoming King" tour.
"It's a one-man show, just me discussing my life as a first generation Indian-American," said Minhaj. "It's mainly about personal experiences, like falling in love and my family, and I'm really figuring out what the American dream is. It's a blend of storytelling and comedy, with a little political satire thrown in."
Minhaj's parents migrated from India to Davis, California, where he was born in 1985. He said his unique upbringing played a major part in shaping him as a person and as a comedian.
"I had self-recognition in two very unique worlds," Minhaj said. "I identified myself as American, but at the same time, I had family in India, and recognized my heritage and what was happening over there. I considered that to be a privilege, and used that to figure out what I could add to the American narrative."
While his material on television is limited to whatever's happening in politics, Minhaj gets a little more personal when performing on-stage.
"With stand-up, I enjoy exploring the power of story-telling. This show is about my experiences with love, and falling in love with a girl in my Calculus class," Minhaj said. "It's also about my experiences with racism, and how I couldn't take that girl to a school dance, despite having kissed her and having been in her house, because of racism. Those experiences led me to ask the question 'What is it really like in this country?' And 'How can we grow personally and as a country?'"
Those questions have always rung true for Minhaj, but they are especially pertinent now. The topics of Islam and immigration seem to have been scrutinized more during this presidential election than others in recent memory. Minhaj, being a Muslim and a son of immigrants, can offer some perspective on the subject.
"Trump is talking about building a wall to keep immigrants out and is taking a harsh stance on the ideological wars happening in America right now," Minhaj said. "The message he and other members of the GOP are sending to voters is that immigrants are coming to hurt you and to take what's yours. On the contrary, I believe that immigrants add to the narrative of America."
Minhaj said we shouldn't necessarily look to our past to define our future.
"Trump talks about 'Making America Great Again,' and you get the impression that he's referring to a time before civil rights," he said. "I think we have a lot to be proud of in our history, but we also have a lot of things that we shouldn't take pride in, like segregation and slavery."
He said that immigrants are a valuable part of American society, and should be welcomed as such.
"I want to tell voters that they shouldn't be afraid of immigrants," he said. "They have almost nothing to start out with, but carry an appreciation of this country and a desire to add to the narrative."
While, as it's part of his profession, he is quick to point out what's wrong with America, Minhaj can't help but retain a sense of optimism of the U.S. and its future.
"America is one of the modern world's greatest social experiments," Minhaj said. "All of our stories are relevant, and I believe we do have the potential to change things for the better."
ASU junior Kyle Brague, who is the head of development and treasurer for the University's comedy club "Tempe Late Night," said he believes that having a unique background offers an advantage when it comes to comedy.
"I think that the beautiful thing about comedy is telling the life experiences that make you unique," Brague said. "Being different is something innate to everyone by just being a person who lived a slightly different life than your neighbor — storytelling in such a way that taps into the universal struggles and triumphs of the human condition is the heart of comedy."
Casey Blake, the Director of Public Relations for the Mesa Arts Center, said that Minhaj's show fits right in with the types of events that the MAC tries to bring to the public.
"The Mesa Arts Center presents roughly 60-80 live performances every year," Blake said. "Our mission is to have those shows be acceptable, relevant and diverse. We strive to make sure we present experiences all across the spectrum. Minhaj has a great set and is an accomplished comedian. We are very excited to have him perform."
Minhaj will be performing in the Piper Repertory Theater at the Mesa Arts Center on Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 7:30 p.m., which can be accessed directly off the light rail stop at Center and Main. Ticket prices range from $35-45 and can be purchased here.
Reach the reporter at gwrober2@asu.edu or follow @gmoney_roberts on Twitter.
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