Being an Indian, I always see these people being oblivious and stupid.
1) Like Hasan Minhaj said, “we’re practical”. So as long as a politician helps these people get money and status, they’re willing to bear other social costs. They don’t care about integration and assimilation, they’d rather have money and a good position.
2) Most immigrants in the US are ultra-privileged Indians who see themselves at par with white Americans (because they consider their social standing equitable, with the only difference being their skin colour. Hence the term “coconut desis”; brown on the outside, white on the inside.) So they see themselves “on the same side” as white Americans. Which hurts the heads of Indians from India, and probably POCs in the US.
3) They think that being a “law abiding, and good community” will make them an exception. And the US has honestly rewarded the Indian diaspora a lot. So many I know who led average/below average lives in India, immigrated to the US are now leading successful lives with large mansions, amazing educational opportunities for their kids, and a lot more money in their banks. They think the party won’t end, and they’re not a part of the same club as “other minorities” with worse stereotypes attached to them. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
4) Unfortunately many indians who are privileged, are used to using their social capital against others, even going so far as to be casteist, racist, etc. But since they’re still “minorities”, they get away with it most of the times. Which is just bullshit. But they’ll certainly call others out if they face the same behaviour.
Republican Supporters like these always seem to have very short and very selective memories.
In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, a number of reprisal attacks were carried out on Sikh communities, not Muslims, by Islamaphobes who believed that Sikhs were Muslims.
Indeed, a 2013 study published by Stanford Peace Innovation Lab found that Americans associated turbans with bin Laden and that 49 percent of Americans believed that Sikhism was a sect of Islam. Ironically, the vast majority of people who wear turbans in the United States are Sikh. But, through racial and religious heuristics, too many Americans often misidentify Sikhs as Muslims and, because of their prejudice, as terrorists.
And the through line to today, Harmeet Dhillon gave a speech and led a prayer at the RNC 2024. Over which she was attacked because 'she is Muslim'
You are brown. Therefore you are Middle East. Therefore you are Muslim. Therefore you are a terrorist.
Bleaching your skin to be whiter doesn't help. Looking whiter doesn't help. Marrying white doesn't help. Talking like a white doesn't help. Being rich like a white doesn't help. Supporting whites doesn't help.
It literally does not matter that entire ethnic and religious and national groups within South Asia can be extremely diverse, across a broad spectrum, and have been competing with each other, and the groups as diverse as Americans to British. Under this American Capitalist White Supremacist System, you are Brown, we are White.
You'll always be on a leash, you'll never be invited to the club, and even if you are invited to the club you'll never really be accepted and it is always transactional and even then you are a stone's throw away from being lobbed to the wolves.
I feel like the 2024 election was defined primarily by so many out-groups deluding to themselves that they are in the in-group.
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u/PersonalPromenade 2d ago edited 2d ago
Being an Indian, I always see these people being oblivious and stupid.
1) Like Hasan Minhaj said, “we’re practical”. So as long as a politician helps these people get money and status, they’re willing to bear other social costs. They don’t care about integration and assimilation, they’d rather have money and a good position.
2) Most immigrants in the US are ultra-privileged Indians who see themselves at par with white Americans (because they consider their social standing equitable, with the only difference being their skin colour. Hence the term “coconut desis”; brown on the outside, white on the inside.) So they see themselves “on the same side” as white Americans. Which hurts the heads of Indians from India, and probably POCs in the US.
3) They think that being a “law abiding, and good community” will make them an exception. And the US has honestly rewarded the Indian diaspora a lot. So many I know who led average/below average lives in India, immigrated to the US are now leading successful lives with large mansions, amazing educational opportunities for their kids, and a lot more money in their banks. They think the party won’t end, and they’re not a part of the same club as “other minorities” with worse stereotypes attached to them. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.
4) Unfortunately many indians who are privileged, are used to using their social capital against others, even going so far as to be casteist, racist, etc. But since they’re still “minorities”, they get away with it most of the times. Which is just bullshit. But they’ll certainly call others out if they face the same behaviour.
But of course, not everyone is the same.