South Asians, or Indians, are we? American Desis are perplexed.
For decades, Indian Americans in the United States have had a changing identity. For many, the Sanskrit word desh—meaning homeland—defines the term “Desi,” which also embodies a common link among people from the Indian subcontinent. Under one tent, the name welcomed Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and other South Asian neighbours beyond national lines. But as the generations have evolved, so has the meaning of the word, and with that comes a debate within the society: South Asians or Indians here?
The emergence of ‘Desis’ – the Indian Americans
Beginning in the 1960s and ’70s, the first significant wave of Indian immigration to the United States came, followed by another surge during the tech boom of the 1990s. Drawing strength from their common heritage, these communities adjusted to life in America as they expanded. Originally used as a catch-all to refer to people from the Indian subcontinent, the name Desi long linked families under one cultural umbrella.
Born in the ’90s and early 2000s, the children of this generation presently span mid-20s to early 30s. Having grown up in an America distinct from their immigrant parents’—a place where diversity was celebrated—they are the second generation of Indian Americans and the Democratic Party’s inclusive message helped the party to be a natural home. But today, changes in American politics and redefining of identity have caused some members of the society to doubt the once-assuming allegiance to the Democrats. For others, embracing Republican principles signifies a fresh start in their political path.
The Orthodox Change: Uncle and Aunty Epiphanies
Time went by, and Indian American households started to show notable financial achievement. Originally part of America’s working or middle class, the “aunties and uncles” who arrived in the 1980s and 1990s now occupy roles of power as lawyers, doctors, engineers, and successful company owners. Conservative on matters of family, religion, and economic independence, their views increasingly speak to the Republican Party’s low taxes, limited government, and pro-business mentality. And many Indian Americans believe the Democratic Party, which has veered further left, no longer speaks to their interests.
Some of these Indian American parents and their young adult children, who range in age from 18 to 25, have just started supporting Trump. Deep resonance comes from the classic Republican themes of economic strength, mistrust of “woke” culture, and patriotic fervour for an America they have created their life in. They look about at what they consider to be an America veering too far from the values they cherish—ideals that first drew them to this nation. Many think that MAGA’s “making America great again” motto fits their goal of preserving what they love about the nation they embraced.
The Generational Rift and the Open Legacy
Still, the narrative is not unqualified. Many of the second generation of Indian Americans who attended prominent colleges still lean left. Often supporting Democrats, these young professionals between the ages of late 20s and early 40s see great attraction in the party’s inclusive and egalitarian message. Raised in varied, progressive surroundings, they see the Democrats as supporters of diversity. Still, recent years have begged enquiries. Some today question whether inclusivity—at least in its current form—comes at a cost to the issues and identity of their community.
Frustrated, a former Kamala Harris, a 32-year-old Democrat, volunteered for campaigns. She enjoys the welcoming philosophy of the Democrats but finds the party too often mixes legal and illegal immigration. She talked of incidents inside the party where she was “corrected” for calling persons crossing the border without a visa the term “illegal.”.
Her own view of immigration and the party’s vocabulary about it clashing has caused her to question whether the Democrats really grasp the difficulties experienced by legal immigrants—challenges affecting around a million legal Indian Americans.
The community is developing an increasing sense of misinterpretation or neglect. Many Desis feel their unique cultural heritage and challenges as immigrants are confused when the Democratic Party pairs them with more general “South Asian” or “Asian American communities.” Some find that these labels weaken their identity.
The Frustrating South Asian Label
Not every member of the society is at ease being labelled as “South Asian.” Recently registered as a Republican, one well-known 56-year-old Indian American leader who was once an Obama campaigner He voiced his annoyance at the Democrats’ practice of classifying Indian Americans among other South Asians. Feeling that Democrats have utilised the moniker to enlarge their base while ignoring the uniqueness of every community, he said, “Why should we be clubbed with Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Sri Lankans?” India itself is immensely varied, he contends, and mixing it with other South Asian nations hides significant historical and cultural distinctions.
Trump’s overt approach to Hindu Americans and Indian Americans, as well as his tight ties to Prime Minister Modi, for him, signalled respect. Trump gave the Hindu community in India particularly a personal touch when he discussed them. For Indian Americans who want their ancestry acknowledged as distinctively their own, without being combined into more general geographical classifications, this kind of respect signifies something.
The dilemma of a new generation regarding “woke” culture
The politics of “woke” culture provide younger Indian Americans with still another level of complexity. Citing his unhappiness with the “woke” culture that dominated his high school and college years, a recent North Carolina graduate from college offered his motivations for voting for Trump. These ideas ran counter to the ones he grew up with. He discussed how some of his friends, trying to fit in, embraced progressive social ideas without really knowing them. For many, though, it left them perplexed and cut off from their background.
Likewise, a Connecticut 28-year-old attorney spoke about her own path. Having grown up in a conservative home, she embraced liberal ideas of inclusivity and identity politics in college in an effort to fit in. She found herself progressively going back to her cultural and family roots, which skewed more conservative, though when she started working, she thought about her principles. Her once-embracing “woke” culture felt, to her, like a surface identity anymore. Rather, she discovers she is more in line with her family’s conservative points of view, which reflects the change she notes occurring across her generation.
A New Realignment: A New Era
Currently negotiating a challenging moment of political and cultural realignment are Indian Americans. They no longer want to be taken for granted since they have become a major voting bloc. They want respect not only as another “minority” group but as a community with a specific voice different from more general Asian or South Asian classification.
From conservative ideas to liberal ideas of inclusivity, these Americans are reassigning the values they cherish. They are wondering whether the political parties they have sided with really advance their interests or rather act as a box to tick their vote.
In an America where identity politics has taken the stage, Indian Americans are stretching the bounds of their identity and seeking a way to be heard as such. Though they are desis, certainly, they want their identity valued on their own terms as Indian Americans, not merely another group inside the vague umbrella of “South Asians.” Though it’s a question they are progressively eager to answer on their own terms, who they are and which party represents them remains open.