The Making of the Racial Middle: South Asians, Skin Color, and the Racial/ Ethnic Divide

• In Event: 174 - Section on Racial and Ethnic Minorities Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 10. Race and Color in Contemporary Society

Abstract

Sociological literature is debating the placement of the colorline and racial classification as newer immigrant groups grow in size. While some argue that future race relations will fall along the white/non-white divide or black/non-black divide, others argue that the division will be likely tri-racial (Bonilla-Silva 2004). Missing from this work is the theorization around the role of skin color as it intersects with gender, religious identity, and culture in the racialization of newer immigrant groups. To address this gap in the literature, through 80 in-depth interviews, I study native-born South Asians who, as a darker-skinned but on average highly skilled group, complicate the conventional understanding of race in the U.S. The findings reveal that racial identification is complex and contextually situated for many South Asians. They are routinely mistaken for a wide variety of other racial groups due to skin color. Experiences of skin color for children of newer immigrant groups reveal the ambiguous nature of their perceived identity. As a result, they actively resist identification with white or black racial categories and situate their experiences as outside of the black/white divide. Moreover, South Asian experience of discrimination is based on the intersection of skin color with religious identity, gender, and class. While some of my participants are perceived as part of model minority, others are viewed as terrorists and foreign. The findings demonstrate the complex and diverging experiences of skin color among the growing new minority and indicate the making of the “racial middle.”

Author

• Radha Modi, University of Pennsylvania