Discourse about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) presence in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has reached a boiling point lately, and people like Nasra Ahmed are trying to raise awareness. Unfortunately, her attempt to shine a light on an encounter with ICE has now been turned into a meme.

Recently, Ahmed earned the nickname "Bananas and Rice Girl" after she nervously tried to explain what it means being Somali-American with an anecdote about eating bananas and rice, turning her into a meme overnight.

But why was Ahmed talking about bananas and rice, how is she being used in memes, and what did she actually mean? Here's what we know about the viral video and catchphrase.

Who Is The 'Bananas And Rice' Girl?

Nasra Ahmed is a 23-year-old Somali-American woman from St. Paul, Minneapolis. Following the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by ICE-involved shootings, she spoke at a news conference at the Minnesota State Capitol press briefing room about her own problems with ICE.

According to Ahmed, she was wrongfully assaulted by ICE agents to the point of concussion, called a slur and detained for two days. She believes the ICE agents were going after two men she didn't know, and she got caught up in the crossfire just for being Somali, despite being an American citizen.

During the beginning of her speech, nerves seemingly got the best of Ahmed, and she started talking about bananas and rice while trying to explain that "Being Somali isn't just eating bananas with rice." She continued, "People don't think you can eat bananas with rice, but that's what it's like to be Somali and American," but her point ultimately gets lost.

This moment was clipped and rapidly went viral online, turning Nasra Ahmed into the "Bananas and Rice Girl."

The “banana and rice” clip is going viral. Here is the full video of Nasra Ahmed’s presser.

You have to watch it from beginning to end.

And then you have to attempt to determine what the actual facts are. pic.twitter.com/4RJYw3QyIC

— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) January 23, 2026

How Is 'Bananas And Rice' Used In Memes?

The "bananas and rice" clip was posted online by numerous right-wing accounts like the X / Twitter account EndWokeness to millions of views.

Many of the clips are paired with disparaging captions about Somali people and Nasra Ahmed in general, poking fun at the way she awkwardly continues to talk about bananas and rice without articulating her point.

As the clip spread, it inspired memes that make fun of Ahmed for stumbling over her words. Some prominent versions of these memes portray her as only being able to think about bananas and rice, imagine her speech as an Impractical Jokers prank, and generally look to troll both Ahmed and people standing against ICE.

What Are Some More 'Bananas And Rice' Memes?

---

For the full history of the Bananas and Rice Girl meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.