From awkward spa remarks to assumptions at salons, her story sparks debate on microaggressions and unconscious bias
An Indian woman living near Toronto, Canada, has shared a personal account of the “subtle racism” she faces regularly, igniting a broader online conversation about the everyday prejudice Indians encounter abroad, reported hindustantimes.com.
In a Reddit post, the anonymous Non-Resident Indian (NRI) wrote:
“My ID always gets double-checked at concerts. At nail salons, they immediately say ‘It’s expensive’ before I even ask the price. We get looks when we go to nice restaurants, like we don’t belong there.”
While she said she had become somewhat desensitised to such encounters, a recent incident at a spa compelled her to speak out. A white woman asked where she was from. Upon hearing “India,” the woman responded, “Did you learn English after coming here? Your English is exactly like mine.” The NRI replied that she had spoken English all her life. “She just stared at me until her pedicure was done,” the woman wrote.
An NRI woman’s account of microaggressions in Canada—from backhanded compliments to racial assumptions—sparks social media debate about what really counts as racism.
The woman also addressed another recurring issue—being praised for “not looking Indian” because of her fair skin. “How is that even a compliment?” she asked, pointing to a deeper layer of racial stereotyping.
The post garnered mixed reactions online.
Some users sympathised with her exhaustion and agreed that these instances were common forms of microaggression—subtle, often unintentional expressions of bias.
Others felt the behaviour reflected ignorance, not racism. One user wrote:
“That’s not racism, that’s ignorance. Unsurprisingly, there’s a lot less of it in more diverse areas.”
A second comment echoed the sentiment of resignation:
“I grew up in the West. The only way is to grow a thicker skin. You’ll always be seen as second-class in some people’s minds.”
Another user urged the woman to brush off such encounters:
“They’re just people. Maybe you stood out to them, maybe they didn’t mean it that way. Take it in grace.”
The post has triggered wider reflection among expat Indians on how casual comments—no matter how unintended—can reflect deeper unconscious bias, leaving minorities feeling out of place, even in multicultural societies.
