Why Rashi Agarwal says your "lazy" racism is the least interesting thing about her
Stand-up comedian Rashi Agarwal does not have time for uninspired bigotry. Since moving from Coimbatore, India, to the Netherlands six years ago, the 6-foot-1 storyteller has become a viral sensation by dissecting Dutch culture with surgical precision. But as her profile grows, so does the volume of digital vitriol—and she has a professional critique for her detractors. The Amsterdammer sat down for this week's episode of the Dam Yankee podcast, hosted by Zack Newmark out now on YouTube, with audio-only versions available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and on many more services.
Rashi Agarwal on Dam Yankee - Episode Highlights
- Embracing her "come at me" mentality, Rashi directly addressed a "VIP table" of white ambassadors while performing for the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs during a Diwali event, pointing at them while delivering the line, "Date your colonizer". [view clip]
- Rashi describes receiving her Dutch citizenship as holding "gold in your hand," a stark contrast to the grueling reality of life with an Indian passport. Europeans and Americans may think a passport is a simple ID; for Rashi, it’s a hard-won ticket to freedom. [view clip]
- The vitriolic hate comments she receives online often focus on stereotypes about India being "dirty" or "backwards." She finds it offensive, but as a comedian. "If you're going to be racist, make it creative or funny... otherwise, this is so lazy." Amsterdam has its own "poop bacteria" and "trash on the streets," she says. [view clip]
Agarwal addressed the wave of what she calls a "lazy form of racism" she encounters daily. From comments about "shit on the streets" to "dead bodies in the Ganga," the comedian says she isn't offended by the malice so much as she is bored by the lack of creativity. During the interview, she recounts how she flips the script on trolls by pointing out that "there's poop bacteria" in Amsterdam’s own tap water and historic canals, and "trash outside my street," a long-standing complaint from many city residents.
The defiance does not stop at anonymous trolls. Agarwal also took aim at a phenomenon she calls being "white by proxy"—a trap she sees many fellow immigrants fall into when they attempt to defend their host country’s flaws to prove their own belonging. Her message to those telling her "if you don't like it, leave" is blunt: no matter how much you defend the status quo, the systemic dynamics remain the same.
[See her full reaction to the trolls at 24:45]
Agarwal’s journey to the Dutch stage was anything but conventional. Before she was selling out shows like Person of Colour, she was a high-flying accessory designer and sustainability consultant. Armed with a degree from the London College of Fashion, she launched her own sustainable handbag brand, Raff, before pivoting to the Fair Wear Foundation. Today, she balances her comedy career with activism, advocating for ethical fashion and endorsing GroenLinks in municipal elections.
However, it is her identity as a "Person of Colour"—the title of her hit stand-up special—that provides the most profound insight into her worldview. In India, Agarwal explains, she was part of the privileged majority, a woman who rarely had to think about the color of her skin. That changed the moment she touched down in Schiphol Airport. She describes the surreal experience of "becoming" a person of color overnight, a transition that unveiled layers of societal friction she never anticipated while living in Coimbatore.
This shift from the "oppressor" class to a minority demographic has given Agarwal a unique perspective on privilege. She doesn't just talk about racism; she talks about the invisibility of power. She shares a story about the irony of her first brush with prejudice in the Netherlands, a moment that left her questioning everything she thought she knew about European "tolerance."
[Listen to her breakdown of the ‘White by Proxy’ trap at 21:31]
The stakes of her comedy reached a fever pitch last year during a performance at the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs Diwali party. Agarwal found herself in a room filled with high-level government officials and ambassadors. Rather than softening her set for the "VIP table," she leaned into the tension.
She recalls the moment she locked eyes with a group of white ambassadors and delivered her most provocative line: "Date your colonizer." The room went silent for a heartbeat, the kind of professional risk that could either solidify a career or end a residency. Agarwal describes the physical sensation of the spotlight in that moment, but she stops just short of revealing how those ambassadors reacted when the microphones finally turned off.
[Hear what happened when she pointed at the ambassadors at 07:00]
Beyond the political firebrands, Agarwal’s conversation with Newmark explores the practical "gold" of her new life: Dutch citizenship. For someone who spent years navigating the "insane" paperwork and travel restrictions of an Indian passport, the blue EU booklet represents a radical form of freedom. She details the psychological weight of the visa process—and the predatory scams that target those just looking for a better life—before explaining why she will never take a simple weekend trip for granted again.
From her early days of culture shock to her current status as a comedic powerhouse, Agarwal remains a direct, feminist voice in a country that prides itself on being "normal." Whether she is schooling her 69,000 Instagram followers on why a "broodje kaas" is not a real lunch or challenging the Ministry on its colonial history, she is proving that the most interesting thing about her isn't the hate she receives—it’s the truth she tells.
[Watch the full episode for the ultimate culture shock reveal at 02:20]
Rashi Agarwal frequently updates her performance calendar, with tickets on sale now for her upcoming shows in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Eindhoven. She also shares content and updates on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Watch this entire episode of Dam Yankee and YouTube, and subscribe to the channel for the latest updates. Dam Yankee is available on all major podcast platforms.
