When I first came to the U.S. - because I do accents and I've traveled the world. I have friends of almost every single ethnicity, and I would mimic them. And when I came to the U.S., I remember one day we're at "The Daily Show." And I mimicked my Chinese friend. And the guys at the show were like, oh, hey, don't ever do that again. That's really racist.
Trevor NoahI still live today with my mom sending me, you know, Hebrew Scriptures or phrases or celebrating.
Trevor NoahOften, people who can do, donโt because theyโre afraid of what people that canโt do will say about them doing.
Trevor NoahI guess that is the strange part of the human brain that people have studied for eons - is hatred and self-hatred. You can convince people that the problem is not coming from the top but is, rather, being created by the people who are being oppressed.
Trevor NoahIt's the reason the United States fell into the Patriot Act - because they were reacting.
Trevor NoahThe police [in South Africa] would check in on you randomly. And they would come into the house, and they would look through that registry and look at all the names of all the people who were registered to be living in the house. And they would, you know, cross-reference that with the actual inhabitants of the dwelling.I was never on that piece of paper. I was always hidden. My grandmother would hide me somewhere if the police did show up. And it was a constant game of hide and seek.
Trevor Noah