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Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

Abstract

This essay explores Indian Americans’ nuanced identity, privilege, and historical relationship to Black Americans. Today, Black and Indian American racial identities are often isolated from one another due to the effects of White Supremacy and Anti-Blackness within the Indian American diaspora. This paper assumes that complicity and conflict are not the end, but anti-racism and solidarity are possible within the diaspora. The paper will begin with a brief explanation of terms and phrases concerning my paper. I will attempt to answer two major research questions: What systems were put into place by White Supremacist Institutions to position Indian Americans as a weapon of Anti-Blackness and racial estrangement? How do Indian Americans move toward anti-racism and solidarity? I argue that White Supremacy intentionally created a disconnect between Indian Americans and Black Americans. However, Black and Indian activists of the past teach us that disconnect can be overcome, and learning about the shared history and struggle propels us forward. The goal of White Supremacy globally is to divide BIPOC communities to conquer subsequently. Thus, a broad coalition of BIPOC communities is necessary for liberation. Individuals within the Indian diaspora have been working with Black Americans for a century, and this intertwined history is imperative to consider in today’s new progressive Civil Rights Era.

Author Biography

Tara Weber (she/her) is an American Studies and Asian Studies double major. She is grounded in representing the stories of Asia America. She is graduating from Macalester College in Spring 2025, and she is excited for whatever comes next!

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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