How racism made me funny | Ruven Govender | TEDxMacquarieUniversity

Ruven Govender didn’t realise how Indian he was, until he moved to New Zealand. With an upbringing across cultures and countries, he shares his experiences of racial stereotypes that he has been faced with, and explains how humour can be used to entrench or to erode racism. He ponders how traditional fashions might have held him back in his pursuit of love, and what the concept of a gym looks like from the lens of two different cultures. Ruven Govender is a South African born Indian, who grew up in New Zealand and since moved to Australia. It’s a colourful and diverse path that has provided him with a lot of fodder for stand-up comedy, which he has has been writing, performing and directing since he was 16 years old. Today Ruven is the Director of Laugh Mob Entertainment, who get people laughing all around Australia. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at