Woman's 'curry smell' comment sparks outrage as followers accuse her of racism

Shivee Chauhan, who is based successful San Francisco, creates contented astir Indian civilization - but has caused uproar aft posting a video successful which she created a mode of 'getting escaped of the odor of curry'

An Indian woman has been accused of reinforcing racist stereotypes aft creating a video connected "how to not odor similar curry".

Shivee Chauhan, who is based successful San Francisco, shares details of her beingness arsenic an Indian surviving successful the US done her fashionable societal media channels. In 1 video, which has been viewed 7.8million times, she showed herself cooking Indian food, and revealed a agelong database of steps she takes to debar smelling of spices portion cooking astatine home.

In the video, which was shared connected her Instagram, she explains: "I similar my Indian food. But I besides hatred going retired smelling similar Indian food.” She added that she has a acceptable of "cooking clothes", confessing that connected returning location she instantly swaps them for her location clothes.

She said: “The odor of the onion, ail and spices truly sticks to the apparel that you’re wearing. So it is worthy it to person apparel that you navigator successful and always, ever alteration retired of bureau apparel arsenic soon arsenic you travel backmost home. I besides alteration my apparel earlier going retired truthful that they don’t person that lingering odor of cooking.”

She besides told her followers to debar wearing jackets successful the kitchen, and to enactment them successful wardrobes, making definite the doors enactment unopen during cooking. She said: “If the odor sticks to your jacket, it’s conscionable not going to spell distant till you adust cleanable your jackets. And adjacent then, it mightiness not.”

The remark conception erupted, with immoderate followers praising her utile tips, portion others accused her of re-enforcing racist stereotypes. One wrote, “I deliberation this is simply a achromatic radical concept,” portion different asked: "Have you ever tried going backmost to India?”

Many jumped to support Shivee, with 1 idiosyncratic saying: “When you unrecorded successful the US oregon Canada and navigator Indian nutrient oregon dishes with spices and onions, you whitethorn announcement that the scent tends to linger more, dissimilar successful India wherever it doesn’t instrumentality arsenic overmuch to clothes.

“No substance however overmuch perfume you use, the scent tin beryllium hard to eliminate. Unfortunately, immoderate radical from different radical groups whitethorn stereotype america due to the fact that of this, making remarks astir however our apparel and homes smell. However, it’s not astir them – it’s astir you not wanting to transportation that scent.

“The odor sticking to apparel tin beryllium a important issue, and if the aroma was pleasant, we astir apt wouldn’t spell to specified lengths to negociate it. I don’t cognize wherefore radical are hating connected the video; these are utile tips. If you’re not surviving successful the state oregon haven’t experienced radical mentioning this, it’s not her fault. This is simply a large happening that radical woody with, and my household and I usage these tips too.”