Natasha Khwaja (NK): This week, Faryal got lost in Europe, so we have a very amazing guest to fill in for her! And it’s not just because her name is also Natasha.
Natasha Karunaratne (nK): I’m also Natasha, otherwise known as “little Natasha” (hence the nK) in our overlapping communities. I know “big Natasha” from the South Asian Political Action Committee (SAPAC), an on-campus organization that strives to (and is struggling to) bring the political voice of South Asia to Medford/Somerville. Natasha and I have a lot in common, as both of us are South Asians and non-Indians -- I’m Sri Lankan and Natasha is Pakistani. We're considered the “leftovers” of South Asia, often overlooked in representations of the region. NK: South Asians, both at home and in the diaspora, have long been labeled as “apolitical,” which has made it increasingly difficult to politically organize through SAPAC. We’re constantly faced with obstacles, whether it’s the model minority myth in the United States or the post-conflict scars that tend to open frequently in the region. This has been most challenging for SAPAC when it comes to bridging the interests and perspectives of international South Asian students with those who also identify as American. nK: Another obstacle that I’ve had to face as a South Asian American, besides those of race and gender that permeate all parts of life, is age, especially in terms of being “political” when it comes to issues that are held so close to my ethnic culture. In my Sri Lankan diasporic community, I’ve been raised to internalize an ideal of how a young Sri Lankan woman should act, and that never encompassed a political voice. While this doesn’t affect me as much on campus, it still remains at the foundation of why I don’t understand as much about my culture politically -- because those conversations were never meant for me to be a part of. It’s been really hard to process all of this independent from my diasporic community, but luckily I’m part of communities at Tufts like SAPAC that let me think this through with people of similar identities in similar situations. NK: I see SAPAC as a great community, like you said, for those who want to engage politically with the region, but the challenges we’ve faced are definitely reflective of deeper ones. These include dynamics within South Asia and its history of internal conflicts, the diaspora and its lack of organizing consensus and political consciousness compared to the greater Asian American community, and on top of that, the disjuncture between South Asians, South Asian Americans and everyone in between. nK: Exactly! Even as a South Asian, I think of my own identity group last when I think about the diasporic communities that organize around issues that affect them here in the States and at home. While I’ve never really seen South Asians take political action around issues that are so integral to the members of our communities, like immigration and citizenship status, those are all trends that SAPAC hopes to change. All I ask is that South Asians who are tired of being the “leftovers” join us and that our fellow diasporees join us in our struggles and successes.More from The Tufts Daily
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