Abstract
South Asian Americans are now a well-established group in the United States (US), both economically and culturally. In this book, Sangay Mishra conveys a strong message that the group has arrived politically as well. From being ‘Asian-Indians’ in the immigrant generation, they are now ‘South Asian Americans’, a group that has been upwardly mobile, and has now come of age in the US, which is considered a nation of immigrants. Desis Divided is the story of South Asian American political participation in the larger history of immigrant political inclusion of minority groups in America. It is a well-researched academic book and makes an interesting read with several graphic stories of the political participation as well as exclusion of South Asian groups in mainstream politics. The methods employed in the study are both quantitative and qualitative with more than 60 interviews with South Asian American community members, including leaders and activists. Census and survey data that provide information about voting behaviour and political participation are also used in the study which is based in two locations—New York and Los Angeles, both cities with long histories of South Asian immigration. Interviews were conducted with people of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin; they underline the common yet distinct histories of each group.
In the introductory chapter, Mishra tries to project the diversity and schisms among South Asian Americans instead of presenting them as a unified ‘model minority’. The literature shows that a unified ethnoracial identity is politically astute and important for the empowerment of minority groups. Mishra demonstrates that there are aspirations of specific socio-economic groups that are diverse and irreconcilable. There are Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian people of different social classes inhabiting the identity of the ‘South Asian American’. The first chapter traces the political and social history of South Asians in the US against the backdrop of racial exclusion and rebellions. The divergent and convergent histories of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi American communities are examined within the larger context of a racially mixed America and Asian Americans as a whole. While technically part of the Asian American population, South Asians have always been apart from other Asians, with a distinct identity. Mishra draws from the US census of 1990, 2000 and 2010 as well the literature on the emerging South Asian diaspora. He does a comparative analysis of major Asian American groups, in terms of their socio-economic resources, political participation and educational resources. In terms of religious diversity, the South Asians are quite unique and their religious affiliations influence political participation as well.
Mishra proposes a framework that takes into account class, religion, gender, nation of origin and sexuality to explain political mobilisation among the South Asians. These trajectories of difference complicate a unified South Asian American or even Indian political mobilisation. Although ethnoracial categories continue to influence racial mobilisation, one needs to be sensitive to fissures and divisions that may forge new political connections. Mishra contends that post-9/11, religious identity became important in counter-mobilisation practices, in part as a response to the racial and religious targeting that many immigrant groups were facing in the US.
Mishra’s study reveals a systematic targeting of South Asians, particularly Sikhs and Muslims, not just by the public but also by law enforcement agencies. In a review conducted by the Department of Justice, it was clear that those of Arab and Muslim origin were detained by law enforcement agencies for no fault of theirs. In some areas, Sikh and Muslim turbans were distinguished and Muslims were the ones to be targeted. There are several cases of institutionalised racism and discrimination against Sikhs and Muslims that Mishra systematically presents. He finds a clear attempt by many of the people in the community to foreground Hindu identity and distance themselves from others, especially Muslims. Sikh groups were also slowly moving away from allying with Muslims. Racialisation post-9/11 was based on physical appearance but it did not end up forging an alliance among all South Asians; instead it made Hindus and others keep their distance from the Muslims. Therefore, South Asian political mobilisation post-9/11 is deeply shaped by differences of religion and community.
For the first time, we see in this book an overview of the political participation of South Asian Americans. The analysis is based on class, religion, gender, sexuality and immigration history. A large number of South Asian candidates who ran for state and federal level offices were from white majority districts across America. Many also got the Jewish lobby to vote for them. A great deal of the lobbying by political candidates is elitist and does not focus on the marginalised communities. A new and emerging reality is a different kind of political mobilisation by South Asians which focuses on working class segments, taxi drivers, wage and employment issues, domestic violence and those that take the path of multiracial organising. The aim is social and political justice; many of the organisations that work on similar issues came together under the National Coalitions of South Asian Organizations which looks towards equal and full participation in civil rights and liberties issues. They challenge the ‘model minority’ discourse of elite South Asians and show the diversity and complexities within the community. Mishra draws parallels between other immigrant groups and South Asians in their involvement in transnational political institutions and continued attachments to the politics of their home countries. He contends that internal cleavages such as caste, region, religion, language, gender and sexuality influence mobilisation of transnational groups. The data that Mishra presents in the book show new attachments to home and host countries to be of a dualistic nature and not in terms of an either/or affiliation to one country.
The most interesting contribution of the book is the demonstration of linkages between political and economic transnational organisations. Indian–American unity to create the US–India nuclear deal was an attempt to create a unified Indian nation. The elite Indian diaspora strengthened Hindutva politics in India that was further buttressed when Narendra Modi visited the US soon after he became the Prime Minister of India. At the same time, South Asian Americans have also mobilised against majoritarian Hindu politics. Theoretically, Mishra tries to invoke intersectionality among different groups both in the US and India to explain the ways in which political participation is consolidated. Desis Divided underlines the story of the varied political lives of diasporic South Asians.