Overview

• Texas Rep. Brandon Gill has refused to retract tweets labeling Mamdani’s hand-eating “uncivilised” and urging him to “go back to the Third World.”
• Online critics have pointed to commonplace hand-eating of burgers, tacos and pizza in the US to expose the hypocrisy and racial undertones of Gill’s comments.
• Observers note that forks only became standard in polite European society by the 18th century, arguing that the debate reflects lingering colonial attitudes toward non-Western customs.
• Danielle D’Souza Gill defended her exclusive use of forks, citing her Indian Christian upbringing, which intensified accusations of cultural insensitivity.
• The dispute remains a live flashpoint in the New York City mayoral campaign as supporters of Mamdani defend cultural authenticity and decry xenophobic rhetoric.