Diversity Week event examines racial issue

10/8/09 - Race can be a tricky subject to discuss, but during a lecture as part of the University of Rhode Island's Diversity Week, human development Professor Sunil Bhatia tackled the topic head-on. In a discussion shadowing his latest book, "American Karma," Bhatia, visiting from Connecticut College, focused on the perceptions of Indian culture and the ongoing struggle of race relations.

"How do you talk about race?" he asked the audience before delving into a debate about the South Asian population living in the Western World. Bhatia said that Indians and South Asians, in general, try to stay away from the "otherness" and bold generalizations produced by race labels, by asserting individual merit, acknowledging the universality of racism and recognizing the problem as a result of human nature. This coping mechanism can be summed up, Bhatia said, by the phrase, "Let's not talk about it."

He further explained that instead of Indians trying to "place-make" themselves through assimilation to American culture, they should "space-make" by acknowledging their differences without fear of alienation.

Bhatia ended the discussion by suggesting that through coalitions with other racial minorities and the acknowledgement of poverty, racism and xenophobia can be a constructive approach for Indians to discuss their identity.

Junior Josh George and freshman Abe Owen, were both interested in learning more about Indian culture and enjoyed Bhatia's discussion.

Growing up in a small town, "It's something [I] don't see [often]," Owen said.