Mindy Kaling's Brother Thinks He's Fighting Racism, Is Really Just a Jerk

Vijay Chokal-Ingam, brother of Mindy Kaling, has written a book (literally citing Soul Man as an inspiration for its tone) about how he got into medical school in 1998 by pretending to be black. He did this by changing his name to JoJo and identifying as African-American.

[caption id="attachment_466159" align="aligncenter" width="615"] [Photo Credit: New World Pictures][/caption]

OK, first, good thoughts to Mindy, whose name is being dragged into this nonsense. Second, did no one learn from the failing of the 1986 "comedy" Soul Man that this kind of thing is not OK?

After trying and failing to get into medical school with his mediocre grades, Chokal-Ingam decided to apply again, this time as an African-American. Here's how he tells it on his blog almostblack.com:

I became a serious contender at some of the greatest medical schools in America, including Harvard, Wash U, UPenn, Case Western, and Columbia. In all, I interviewed at eleven prestigious medical schools in 9 major cities across America, while posing a black man.

Not bad for a kid with a 3.1 College GPA, heh?

My plan actually worked. Lucky for you, I never became a doctor.

Purportedly, Chokal-Ingam is on a mission to benefit the underprivileged. For the record, he grew up quite wealthy. He also dropped out of St. Louis University Medical School after two years and went to UCLA for business school, where he was accepted as an Asian Indian-American.

Mindy's reaction?

She's not happy, according to the New York Post:

“I love my sister to death,” Chokal-Ingam, 38, told The Post in a telephone interview from Los Angeles, where he and his comedienne sibling both live. But they’re fighting over his revelation. “She says this will bring shame on the family.”

His posts on Facebook have been pretty eye-opening in how he views black people.

Twitter has been doing the lord's work and letting him know that this was not the best approach.

Apparently Mindy Kaling's brother is an asshole. Good to know.

— Negus Supreme (@toodrove) April 4, 2015

Mindy Kaling's brother is getting ready to run for office. Catering to racist whites worked out well for Bobby Jindal pic.twitter.com/z0S7dJdgIz

— sleepy বাঙালি girl™ (@NotAllBhas) April 5, 2015

I can't wait to see white folks come out the woodwork with "see! Affirmative Action IS racist!" because of Mindy Kaling's brother 😒 — Pettycine Alfredo (@jumpedforjoi) April 4, 2015

— Seahawks 2015 (@KaepernickStan) April 6, 2015

Mindy Kaling's brother. That is super awkward. — roxane gay (@rgay) April 4, 2015

Fascinating show of ignorance of US history for @VijayIngam to call affirmative action racist. Wouldn't need it if not for slavery/Jim Crow

— Headdy Murphy (@PhillyGameday) April 4, 2015

.@VijayIngam ...you know...ACTUAL racist policies that made AA necessary in the first place — Headdy Murphy (@PhillyGameday) April 4, 2015

Congrats on getting your few hundred white racist fans who will still treat you less than, just like us blacks, NO MATTER WHAT @VijayIngam

— Château La'shay (@poshstradamus) April 4, 2015

@VijayIngam you're not fighting a racist system, you're upholding a very racist status quo — Kevin Nelson (@sokvsays) April 4, 2015

*groan* GANDHI WAS RACIST “@VijayIngam: @SleepingLittleD my grandfather marched with Gandhi-I will never accept a justification for racism.”

— Deafchick (@deafinthecity) April 5, 2015

The Gossip Table has more on how Kaling's brother is making headlines.

[mtvn_player id="1735314" vid="1187512" autoplay="true"]

[Photo Credit: @VijayIngam, Getty Images]