‘Targeted because you are Indian’: How two Indian-Americans are healing from racial trauma

Summary

The video script narrates a personal journey of racial identity and healing. It features individuals confronting racism and embracing their cultural heritage, particularly the Indian-American experience. From childhood struggles with cultural acceptance to adult realizations of the importance of self-identity, the script highlights the power of sharing personal stories to challenge perceptions and foster racial healing. It underscores the resilience and hope in overcoming racism through community engagement and cultural pride.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The video discusses the impact of racism on personal life, highlighting a moment when the speaker was told they were targeted because of their Indian heritage.
• 🏙️ The speaker embarks on a journey to challenge racial perceptions by traveling and engaging in one-on-one conversations to promote racial healing.
• 🌐 The conversation takes place in Washington, DC, with Kevin Fong, the founder of The Kakule Institute, which focuses on cultivating communities of belonging.
• 👶 The speaker's name, Omash, has cultural significance, and they discuss the tradition of passing down the father's name in Tamilan culture.
• 📚 The speaker's experience with their name at school led to a desire to assimilate by considering a more common name to avoid mispronunciation and confusion.
• 🌈 Growing up in a predominantly non-Indian community, the speaker faced challenges in embracing their culture due to a lack of understanding and acceptance from peers.
• 💼 The speaker recounts a personal experience of job loss due to racial bias, being told that a 'brown person' was not wanted to represent the company.
• 🍛 The speaker's mother's traditional Indian cooking was a source of pride but also led to bullying at school, causing the speaker to hide their cultural identity.
• 🏡 A traumatic event, the burglary and desecration of the family's home temple, was a turning point for the speaker, leading to a re-embrace of their Indian heritage.
• 📘 The speaker uses their platform to educate and promote acceptance, sharing personal experiences with microaggressions to foster understanding and change.
• 🌱 The video concludes with a call to action for viewers to share their stories and contribute to the collective effort of ending racism, one story at a time.

Q & A

What is the primary mission of the Kakule Institute founded by Kevin Fong?

The primary mission of the Kakule Institute is to cultivate communities of belonging and engage in conversations to challenge perceptions of who we are and what we can do to bring racial healing to our communities.

What is the significance of the name 'Omash' in the script?

Omash is a Sanskrit word that means 'Heaven'. It is the first name of the person being interviewed, which was passed down as a last name in Tamil culture.

Why did the interviewee consider changing their name during middle school?

The interviewee considered changing their name to avoid the difficulty of having their name mispronounced by substitute teachers and to make it easier for people to understand.

What was the cultural challenge the interviewee faced growing up in the suburbs of Georgia?

The interviewee faced the challenge of being one of the few brown kids in their community, and the lack of acceptance and understanding of their Indian culture by their peers.

What incident led to the interviewee losing their job post-911?

The interviewee lost their job because they were told that the company did not want a brown person representing them, highlighting a direct experience of racism.

How did the interviewee's schoolmates react to the traditional Indian food they brought for lunch?

The schoolmates did not understand or appreciate the traditional Indian food, making the interviewee throw out their lunch because it was considered 'stinky' or unappealing.

What was the turning point for the interviewee in 2017 that changed their perspective on their cultural identity?

The turning point was when their house was burglarized and the intruders disrespected their home's temple, leading the interviewee to realize the importance of embracing their Indian identity.

How does the interviewee use their platform to combat racism and promote acceptance?

The interviewee uses their platform to encourage people to be more accepting of others' opinions, to educate about microaggressions, and to console and help people recover from racial experiences.

What is the role of curry in the interviewee's narrative and how has it been used to bridge gaps between people?

Curry is used metaphorically as a foundation for the interviewee's blog, where they write about different narratives and aim to build bridges by sharing their own experiences and encouraging others to make the recipe their own way.

What is the interviewee's hope for the future in terms of racial healing?

The interviewee holds hope that racism can be ended within their lifetime and is committed to using their platform and experiences to educate and promote acceptance and understanding.

What advice does the interviewee have for others who might be experiencing racial challenges?

The interviewee advises others to share their stories, embrace their cultural identity, and use their experiences to educate and help others understand the importance of acceptance and racial healing.