Elon Musk’s ex-partner, the Canadian singer Grimes, has revealed that she grew up in a half-Indian household. The revelation came in the context of the sudden anti-India sentiment that overwhelmed American social media in the days following Sriram Krishnan’s appointment to the Donald Trump administration.
Grimes was among the prominent voices that called for a stop to the racist and bigoted posts targeting Indians. The singer, whose real name is Claire Boucher, took to X yesterday to reveal that her stepfather is Indian and that she grew up in a half-Indian household.
Grimes on “anti-India energy”
“Suddenly concocting anti Indian energy out of nowhere is embarrassing y'all. Also, they were clear they planned to do this,” Grimes posted on X.
She opened up about her childhood, writing: “My step dad's Indian, I had a fire childhood in a half Indian household. Indian culture jives very well with western culture.”
Grimes was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. After her parents divorced, her mother remarried Ravi Sidhoo, the director of East India Carpets in Vancouver.
Grimes not only called for an end to racism against Indians but also defended her stance in the comments section.
{{/usCountry}}Grimes not only called for an end to racism against Indians but also defended her stance in the comments section.
{{/usCountry}}Asked if “India would be okay with being flooded with American culture, so much that it changes their culture significantly,” she replied: “We already did this to them. It has caused a ton of problems for them.”
She clarified that she meant India had been flooded with American gadgets, not companies. If the country had actually been flooded with American companies, it would have benefitted through greater job opportunities, she indicated.
Job creation and outsourcing is at the centre of the controversy, with millions of Americans claiming that Indian workers are taking away employment opportunities from Americans. The row has also put the spotlight on the issue of green cards and H1B visas, through which highly skilled workers can live and work in the United States.
(Also read: Far-right activist schooled for slamming Indian-origin Sriram Krishnan's appointment as Trump advisor)