Twitch streamer Rajj Patel explains why he’s dropping his fake name
YT: AustinThe popular Twitch streamer previously known as Rajj Patel has announced he will be changing how he portrays himself online, including his own name and the name of his popular show.
The streamer, whose real name is Austin, has gone by Rajj Patel since 2013, after he based his persona on a character with that name. An entire brand has been built around that character, including the Rajjchelor talk show that amasses hundreds of thousands of viewers.
In a June 10 TwitLonger, the American explained that he does not want to take parts of Indian culture and that discussions with his friends in the Indian community have brought him to the conclusion that his name was inappropriate.
YT: Austin“When I look back on myself in 2013, I was ignorant and approached the Rajj character as an actor,” he explained. “I had a big group of friends in the Indian community and thought that meant that I understood the consequences and history of the choices I made on camera.”
He went on to explain that, as a white man, he can never understand the hardships and struggles experienced by people of color.
“The South Asian & Indian community,” he continued, “I would like to give you what is long overdue, I’m sorry… I don’t want any part of my image, name, or persona to be inappropriately borrowed from a culture that I don’t have the right to represent. So moving forward I will be going by my first name, Austin, and rebranding everything as a derivative of that.”
His new Twitter handle is @AustinOnTwitter, while the talk show previously known as ‘The Rajjchelor’ will now simply be called AustinShow.
He concluded: “We all need to stay aware that what we do and say affects others. Moving forward I want to continue educating myself and being sensitive to things that I will never fully understand. I invite you all to do the same.”