This spring, communications professor Faiza Hirji worked with Little Mosque on the Prairie creator Zarqa Nawaz on a series of discussion panels exploring what it means to be a Muslim woman in TV and film.
Unlike other brown characters who have appeared on television before her, such as The Simpson’s Apu, Devi is more than a sidekick or a figure of fun. She drives the narrative, and in ways that are alternately inspiring, cringe-worthy and relatable.