"Hum Bhi India Hain": Arunachal Girl's Response To Being Called 'Chinese' Melts Hearts

A video of a young girl from Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, has gone viral online after she spoke about being called 'Chinese' because of her appearance. In the heartfelt clip, the child reportedly responds to someone who questioned whether she was 'Chinese'. She makes it clear that she is Indian and says she feels hurt and angry when people question her nationality because of her facial features.

"Hum log Indian hain. Aap humko Chinese bolne se hum bohot gussa hotey hain, bohot dukhi hote hain. Humko Indian bolo. Hum India ka hai. Hum Itanagar mein rehte hai (We are from India. When you call us Chinese, we get very angry and very sad. Call us Indian. We are Indian. We live in Itanagar," the girl said innocently. 

Her emotional response has struck a chord with many viewers, who said the incident highlights a problem faced by people from Northeast India. People from the region have often spoken about being stereotyped or having their nationality questioned simply because of their appearance.

Watch the video here:

"प्लीज हमकों Chinese मत बोलो, हम लोग India हैं...
आप हमें चाइनीज बोलते हो, हमें बहुत दुःख होता है..." 💔

अरुणाचल प्रदेश की इस मासूम बच्ची का दर्द पूरे देश को झकझोरने के लिए काफी है!

जब चीन हमारी सीमाओं पर आँखें दिखाता है, तब यही अरुणाचल के लोग दुश्मन देश की छोटी से छोटी… pic.twitter.com/C4Om413hqJ

— Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan (@withbharatjodo) August 20, 2026

The video has also sparked a wider conversation about India's ethnic and cultural diversity. The Northeast is home to numerous communities with their own languages, traditions and histories, while being an integral part of the country. Many users found it upsetting that a child felt the need to explain that she belongs to India.

Many social media users also praised her for confidently standing up for her identity, while others used the moment to highlight the racial stereotypes and insensitive comments that people from the Northeast can face.

One user wrote, "The pain of this innocent little girl from Arunachal Pradesh is enough to shake the entire nation! When China shows us its eyes at our borders, it is these very people from Arunachal who bring us news of even the smallest actions of the enemy country... Our brothers and sisters from the Northeast are not one bit less patriotic than anyone else."

Another commented, "The rest of India needs to understand that they are our part, our family. We can't say them like this. See how cutely she is saying she gets hurt when people call her Chinese. Please don't do that. They are our beloved brothers and sisters."

A third added, "No child should ever have to plead for recognition in her own country. Those who casually call Northeastern Indians “Chinese” or treat them as outsiders based on appearance are the ones creating this hurtful situation, and they need to stop. India's strength is its diversity."