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astronotpoet's review against another edition
4.0
Solid book, well written. In all, I think it sets up a nice set of themes to interrogate around South Asian (American) identity and responsibility. He covers a lions share of relevant topics and sets the stage for good conversations - I read this through a reading circle and it provided good fodder for discussion.
[Some parts of it feel dated and that’s because it is - I wonder how some of his interrogation of South Asian political space would be different if he’d written it post-9/11 and all the racial profiling and hate crimes against SA folks that followed. This part is obviously not a critique, but rather, a note to self to find another text that examines the post-9/11 landscape more closely, that isn’t Desis Divided.]
[Some parts of it feel dated and that’s because it is - I wonder how some of his interrogation of South Asian political space would be different if he’d written it post-9/11 and all the racial profiling and hate crimes against SA folks that followed. This part is obviously not a critique, but rather, a note to self to find another text that examines the post-9/11 landscape more closely, that isn’t Desis Divided.]
szymborskasyeti's review against another edition
4.0
A one of a kind book in terms of content––I don't think I've read another book that analyzes the South Asian role with so much thought and careful research. Until I read this book, I had no idea about the earliest waves of Indian and other South Asian immigration, as well as the history of Asian-black solidarity (as well as the lack of it). The ideas around anti-blackness and the model minority myth are still so resonant today, especially after the protests around George Floyd. His analysis there could have easily been written just a few months ago. I love the distinction he makes in his Hindutva chapter between religion and culture, and how he emphasizes that culture is not a static set of rules, but ever-changing and ever transforming. The parts about first-gen Indian Americans resonated very personally with me. The one thing I will say is that this is less of a unified analysis and more a collection of essays. Prashad covers many topics, from the rise of the Hindutva right to the conception of India as posed by US orientalists. Once I started treating the text as multiple essays, it became easier for me to follow the different moving parts. Prashad's language lends the South Asian American community a preciseness that our short history lacks: e.g, the 'state selection' of Indian American immigrants, 'we must commit model minority suicide' etc. But for every one of these highly resonant characterizations, there are plenty of terms that don't really fit the characterization as well. While I appreciated Prashad's perspective as a Marxist, for example, his use of very characteristic Marxist language sometimes got in the way of the precise language he would have otherwise used. His politics really show through here, and while I wouldn't expect anything less from a great analysis, it sometimes leads to digressions about Communist movements that seem to be only tangentially related to the main theme (there are exceptions, of course, the mentions of the Ghadar party and the Association for Indian Leftists really gave me a better sense of the history of the Indian left in the United States). It's a dense read, but an interesting one if you're looking for a great analysis of South Asian American history (of which, admittedly, not many exist).
sushita's review against another edition
3.0
i found it kind of hard to get through, the author was a bit repetitive at times and i wished for some less academic/concise writing. overall, learned a good amount of info and appreciated the arguments.
sharanya's review
4.0
This was a heavy dose of history & insightful truths about the Indian American experience. It’s a thoughtful look at the relationships between India, America, and the people who exist on the lines in-between— how those relationships were formed, who had power in them, and how those structures of power are maintained. I loved learning the history! but I wish more was said about showing solidarity with other marginalized communities. ★★★½.
sheelal's review
5.0
this completely changed how i look at the diaspora and my own identity. so necessary
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