The “exploitation” of South Asian immigrants in multiple narratives

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Immigration in America has always been a tricky balance. The underlying racist structure of the US in the late 19th and early 20th century, when one of the largest wave of migration came, made it difficult for White Americans to come to terms with the fact that immigration was necessary for the country to thrive. However, a sort of self constructed compromise has created a “natural” separation between the various minorities, and for South Asians who arrived in New York in the early 20th, this created a parallel between the situation they now find themselves in and the situation of British rule on the subcontinent.

In both cases, the South Indian populations were subjected to orientalism by the Westerners. As Bald puts it, “ In their original context, Orientalist narratives and imagery had performed a particular kind of work. The British portrayal of India as the seat of a once great but now decaying civilization provided moral and political justification for the imposition and maintenance of colonial rule. In the American context, Orientalist notions were more free-floating.” (Bald 17) In this way, we can see how the South Asian identity was exploited for economic benefits. However, a notable difference is in how the South Asians in America themselves used this to prosper in their new home. Bald speaks of an “insatiable desire” for “Oriental goods”, which drove early South Asian immigrants to tie themselves in the societal networks.

Bald speaks of this narrative of this entrepreneurial immigration of South Asians but also about how this narrative has been rewritten to convey a message which ties itself more with the “American Dream” ideal. I find this to be symbolic in the way that it shows that the South Asian diaspora is often given the role that suits the country it is in best. While early 20th century were given an exotic oriental trait, it seems today, it serves better the American narrative that South Asian immigrants are the fruit of America’s inspiring role in the world.