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Title
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Black and Desi: A Shared History
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Subject
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Black- Asian solidarity
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civil rights history
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cross-racial alliances
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immigration policy
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anti-racism
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South Asian American activism
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India Currents
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Description
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Black and Desi: A Shared History,” written by Anirvan Chatterjee and published in the June 2015 issue of India Currents, is a landmark article tracing over a century of solidarity between African Americans and South Asians in the United States.
The article highlights key moments and figures in this intertwined history, including:
Swami Vivekananda speaking against anti-Black racism in Pasadena in 1900
The Black Bengalis of Harlem and early South Asian–African American intermarriage (1880s–1940s)
Civil rights collaborations between Indian freedom activists and African American leaders (1920s–1947)
Jawaharlal Nehru and W.E.B. Du Bois, global anti-colonial dialogue, and mutual ideological influence
African American activism in the 1960s overturning racist immigration laws that restricted South Asian migration
Modern movements such as #Asians4BlackLives and the work of DRUM (Desis Rising Up & Moving)
Through personal narrative, historical analysis, and contemporary activism, the article reveals a deep legacy of shared struggle against racism, casteism, colonialism, and xenophobia. It reframes how both communities understand solidarity today.
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Creator
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Anirvan Chatterjee
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Date
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June 2015
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Format
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Text article with accompanying photographs (JPEG images of print pages)
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Language
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English
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Coverage
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United States (California, New York, Mississippi, Washington D.C.); South Asian and African American communities
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Rights
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© India Currents Inc. and Anirvan Chatterjee. Used for educational and non-commercial display.
