Teen Vogue’s culture and entertainment director Dani Kwateng-Clark writes about the significance of this year’s Golden Globe wins from Ramy Youseff and Awkwafina. Youseff took home the Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Ramy while Awkwafina became the first person of Asian descent to win Best Actress (Musical or Comedy) for The Farewell.
Kwateng-Clark makes the point: “More doors are opening and funding for diverse storytelling will continue. But equally as important is the acknowledgment of the storytellers in bringing truth to power, even if it threatens the traditional mainstream gaze.”
Kashif Shaikh, co-founder and executive director, Pillars Fund said in a statement: “Many Muslim and Arab Americans are thrilled that Ramy Youssef just won a Golden Globe for his role in a Muslim American sitcom. It feels truly historic after decades of seeing Muslims almost exclusively as villains on the big and small screens…
Ramy brilliantly conceived of a show from the unique vantage point of an Arab Muslim American living in New Jersey. As Ramy himself has noted, there are an infinite number of Muslim experiences worth exploring — whether we’re talking about Black Muslims, Muslim women, queer Muslims, or Muslim people with disabilities, to name just a few.”
