Maya Hussein of London, Ont., is becoming a known figure in the world of social media for her satirical videos that show what life is like in a Middle Eastern family living in Canada.
Hussein makes comic references to her Lebanese roots through imitating her parents, witty tutorials on Arabic name pronunciations, and drawing comparisons between Canadian and Middle Eastern lifestyles.
“I live in an Arab full house, so I watch everything my parents say and do, and it’s crazy how many people around the world can relate to my videos and have lived the same life,” she said.
What started out as a casual pass of time during the March 2020 lockdown made Hussein an overnight star when her first TikTok video, poking fun at her dad, gained more than 2 million views.
“It was a lot to take in,” she said. “I was emotional because I got thousands of followers over night, and that’s when I was like ‘Woah, this blew up!'”
Since then, the self-proclaimed ‘stay at home daughter’ has garnered international attention, with a social media following that’s risen to about 700,000 on TikTok and 140,000 on Instagram.
‘Culture is very important’
Hussein, a kindergarten teacher by profession, said that creating these videos helps to keep her culture alive while educating others on its uniqueness.
“Culture is very important, when my grandmas were around, they kept traditions going, and it’s scary to see that disappearing in the new generations with things like social media,” she said.
“The sense of how our parents speak, what we eat, and how we dress are fading, and I’m trying to keep it alive, even as a memory because I grew up in that environment and it’s made me who I am today.”
Hussein says she adds English captions in all her videos so that non-Arabic speakers can also enjoy her content and feel included.
“The best part is you’re meeting so many people around the world, and making them smile and laugh… that for me is everything, and that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing,” she added.
Hussein credits the power of social media to giving her a platform to also bring awareness to social and humanitarian issues happening in different countries.
She wants Londoners of all backgrounds to connect to her videos in some form, and hopes that it might inspire others to get out of their comfort zones and channel their creativity.
