Simplistic narratives threaten our notions of community
The thwarted mass shooting at the Hindu temple in Aurora was horrific, though tragically unsurprising. At the heart of the Republican Party’s identity crisis — whether to embrace minority representation or adopt a new-age populist nationalism — lies the so-called “Indian Question.”
Indian Americans now have the highest median household income of any ethnic group in the United States. Accompanying this distinction, many began embracing traditionally conservative beliefs, including limited government, lower taxes and individual liberty, reflected perhaps in the rise of figures like Vivek Ramaswamy.
Far-right commentators, however, criticize Indian immigrants under the benchmark of “assimilation,” yet doubled down after a viral screenshot showing Indian American students wearing cowboy hats and polos at a University of Texas football game.
This phenomenon is not unprecedented. During Italian mass migration to Chicago and the U.S., immigrants were subjected to pseudoscientific theories portraying them as inferior. In 1891, an angry mob lynched 11 Italian Americans in New Orleans.
Contemporary claims that the U.S. was founded on Judeo-Christian theology primarily to serve its earliest settlers reflect a misunderstanding of the nation’s founding creed. Thomas Jefferson wrote, “It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty Gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.”
This is not to suggest that debates over immigration, the controversial H-1B visa program or even assimilation are unwarranted. Rather, social media strips these debates of nuance, grace and complexity in favor of simplistic narratives.
Alexis de Tocqueville described America as possessing an “equality of conditions,” a social hierarchy flatter than those of much of the world. During leisure, Americans of different backgrounds broke bread and participated in their communities for participation’s sake. That spirit ought to triumph. I implore we not forget the affections of community that this country continues to exemplify.
Aaryan Pathak, St. Charles