We have written about casteism way too much, but the discussion never gets old (even if the system is centuries old). But apparently, casteism is not the only racist sentiment we possess.
A Desi man on Twitter shared how his Indian uncle called him before sending his son to grad school in New Jersey, USA. This uncle had some reservations about the existence of “black people” in Newark.
The anti-black and anti-Hispanic prejudice that a lot of US desis have is not something passive and leftover. It is actively taught and perpetuated through social networks almost every time an Indian moves to the US. The “here be blacks” warnings, often given with a frown.
— Gaurav Sabnis (@gauravsabnis) August 24, 2022
And where do these bigoted sentiments even come from? The movies that have time and again tried to show the Black guys as the bad guys? Or is it our ancient obsession with the Aryan race and unshakeable assumption about its supremacy?
Or perhaps, this is just one of the side-effects of our ancient and rigid caste system that has proclaimed the superiority of one caste over another for no reason. Since we already are casteist, Desis thought, let’s also become racist and colourist pricks! Right?
What particularly annoys and saddens me is how if you do small talk with a US Desi long enough, they will eventually bring up some kind of bigoted sentiment that they assume you also agree with. One minute you’re talking samosas or music and suddenly an anti black quip arrives.
— Gaurav Sabnis (@gauravsabnis) August 24, 2022
It’s like we ran short of things to hate on, so we went to America and adapted their bigoted sentiments because Americanized bigotry sounds cooler. But it’s not like we forgot are casteist roots. Now we are mean to both Desi and the Black community abroad.
You know how people who are really into CrossFit keep introducing each other to newer exciting workouts? US Desi circles are the bigotry equivalent of that. Is there a bigotry you haven’t tried before? Here, try on randomly sitting far away from black folks in a bus for fun.
— Gaurav Sabnis (@gauravsabnis) August 24, 2022
To the sensible ones: here’s hoping that you do speak up!
I don’t know if my terse scolding had an impact on my uncle and changed his way of thinking. I hope it did. But even if it didn’t, it’s something I have to go and we all have to do. Actively push back against any expression of bigotry. At least annoy them if nothing else.
— Gaurav Sabnis (@gauravsabnis) August 24, 2022
Here’s how Twitter reacted to obnoxious Desis who’ve decided to hate on everything!
I so agree with everything on this thread. I remember being beyond shocked when I first heard what the other desi students called Hispanics and African Americans. Just because you use a slur that’s not in English doesn’t make it less of a slur.
— allytude (@allytude) August 24, 2022
AT ALL LEVELS; AT ALL PLACES; EVERYWHERE!
Yes there is no historic basis; BUT desi minds have been conditioned to discriminate. Person in UP moves to Bangalore; same bigotry; or visits Bihar from Delhi. Its as if desis are taught to hate anything that looks different than themselves; religion, region, cast at all levels
— AJ (@ajhopenow) August 24, 2022
Ahh! This is so pathetic.
This 🧵 reminds me of an Indian colleague in the UK who moved back to India when he had a girl child. His reason “Kya pata kisi kallu se shaadi karegi to main kya mooh dikhaoonga “ https://t.co/HZVNg0aIay
— Think QuestionEvolve (@Maila_Kameez) August 25, 2022
Many desis forget that we Indians are also considered coloured. So it’s hypocrisy at its peak when we begin perpetuating racist attitudes, being on the receiving end of racism ourselves.
The same bigotry exists in India as well. African students at SPPU often talk about it. there's no reason to hate them and worship whites, aren't they equally foreign? Ig it is rooted in their false sense of supremacy, proving racists will be racist no matter what the conditions.
— Earendil ⭐⛵ (@earendil_1) August 25, 2022
Casual racism is so casual that its practitioners don’t even realise they are racists. https://t.co/r2B1EuRYbc
— Sachin Kalbag (@SachinKalbag) August 25, 2022
Bigotry has no vaccine!
— Dr. Raghuraj Hegde (@raghurajs_hegde) August 25, 2022
It is a non-communicable disease. More of a toxicity of being close to environmental waste! https://t.co/wy5Er6sFdK
As we say back home- “we are like this only.”Highly ignorant, extremely bigoted, terribly racist and unapologetic worshippers of whiteness. https://t.co/Us32ut3GGq
— debipriya (@debipriya) August 25, 2022
Poor brining up n value systems that engenders such racism & bigotry which they happily pass on!
— Hemanth DP (@DPHemanth) August 25, 2022
But worse’s the unbridled Hypocrisy whn they scream ‘Victim’ whn they get treated similarly!
Tell the uncle, yes ther r colored folks here, us, cos that’s how some white look at us! https://t.co/fm2GWSgsyd
This thread. Have had such conversations with US desis. And you often see it here too in India to black people. Bigotry, racism and prejudice – where does it come from? Worshipping whiteness. Education needs to be different https://t.co/Lwb13EPDwZ
— Aparajita Datta (@AparajitaDatta4) August 25, 2022
Oh yes, hopeless indeed! Just last month, a Sikh man was denied accommodation by a Desi Couple in Ireland because he was a non-vegetarian.
Where I’m living, I find another variant of this, where people openly shamelessly post on social networks: Where can I live/find/meet with other “only this language speaking” people, or vegetarians only, and have even requests for “other brahmins only”. Indians are beyond hope. https://t.co/eXEhwJpPMI
— ExtremelyExhaustedEngineer (@PhKiran) August 24, 2022
Indians have internalized slavery and the education system that churns out teachers pets, that grow up to be white man’s pets https://t.co/NgsSM9CRtu
— Thakurign (@thakurign) August 25, 2022
Indians- worst kind of racists. They are at the receiving end from fairer people so are harsher to people darker than them
— jaytp (@jaytp3) August 24, 2022
no it isn’t just second hand acquired bigotry, it is a transferred existent bigotry from the color coded caste system. Indians seek out white neighborhoods to live in, and would in ‘liberal’ families allow their kids to marry ‘goras’ but not ‘kallus’. The contempt is real. https://t.co/HTdIu85Ze3
— Yoda Lisque (@yodalisque) August 25, 2022
It’s time we start seeing people as people, and not their caste, colour, race, religion, gender, and whatnot! And can we please do away with this obnoxious ‘White Worshipping Syndrome?‘ Is it some kind of a colonial hangover because it literally makes no sense?
