New Delhi: A few fallen leaves in a suburb in the United States turned into a dispute and then a social media spectacle.
A video showing an Indian-origin woman arguing with her neighbour over leaves in their neighbourhood has gone viral online, with viewers split over who was in the wrong. In the video, the woman, dressed in pink and carrying a leaf blower, appears to clear leaves and other yard debris from the pavement and curb toward the street while arguing with her neighbour, identified as “Stephanie”.
“Put your trash in the dustbin, not in my yard,” the woman can be heard saying.
The person recording then responds: “Those are your leaves you are blowing.”
The argument has since drawn a stream of reactions online, with some commenters criticising the Indian-origin woman for yelling at her neighbour. Several users have since dubbed her the “Indian Karen”.
“Aunty, please come back; your garden and grass are in India. It’s Stephanie’s country and leaves,” read one comment on Instagram.
Others, however, urged viewers not to rush to judgment. One commenter suggested that the Indian woman could be right if the neighbour had been repeatedly dumping leaves on her property and recording her reactions to provoke her.
“What if she is telling the truth and the neighbour does this frequently just to annoy the Indian? And of course record them and post it,” wrote one commentator.
Some criticised the woman yelling, and even said that they should “keep her and not send her back to India”. Others still empathised with Stephanie and even apologised to her in the comments.
The incident has since sparked a controversy about “Indian mentality” in foreign countries. Several users are debating the poor behaviour of non-resident Indians and people of Indian origin. This sort of behaviour has been further highlighted by the recent crackdown on immigration by the Trump administration.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)