South Asian Americans Must Do Better on the Political Divide
Along with 11 other South Asian/Desi American organizers, I co-authored this piece published by Brown Girl Magazine.
It was cathartic co-authoring this with this group of amazing Gen Z and Millenial South Asian/Desi Texan Democrats.
While trying to organize with various communities from the South Asian population, I constantly was met with pushback from individuals and groups which was rooted in resentment, bigotry, competitiveness, and ignorance towards each other. I understand that people experienced real trauma overseas, but we live in this nation together and we must work through this trauma together.
It was awful hearing “oh why does Biden have a Muslim outreach and a plan for Muslims and not for Hindus” or “why did Biden hire so many Indians” or “why did Biden hire so many Pakistanis”, or “Bernies campaign manager is Pakistani so Bernie is anti-Indian/Hindu”, or “Kamala Harris is Indian so I can’t vote for her” or being told that I couldn’t discuss the brutal military occupation of Indian administered Kashmir or Modi’s Right Wing Fascist government because “we were a big tent”.
If the South Asian community wants to be as powerful of a voting block as we say we are, we are going to have to start actually speaking to each other, and having honest and uncomfortable conversations, and face some inconvenient truths.
No selective concern for human rights. No communalism, and no nationalism. What’s wrong is wrong, wherever it is happening and whoever it is happening to.
And we want candidates and our elected officials to also understand this and to have platforms and policies which reflect this. If you’re a candidate or an elected official that can’t reach this balance, then don’t say that you represent the South Asian community’s concerns.
It’s time for our communities to understand we have been taught myths about each other, and that we are actually all so much more alike than we are different.
Shoutout to Brown Girl Magazine for publishing this, and to Karthik Soora for leading this effort. And love and respect to all of my co-authors
