On the Edges of Belonging: Indian American Dalits, Queers, Guest Workers and Questions of Ethnic Belonging

Abstract

Questions of assimilation and belonging remain as important themes in the immigration and ethnicity literature. Most research focuses on ethnic groups and their sense of belonging to the societies they live in, with less attention given to processes that affect belonging among ethnic subgroups. Using primary and secondary data, we examine cases of three Indian-origin groups – Dalits, Queers and Guest Workers – in the USA to discuss the structures that shape belonging of Indian Americans, particularly those in these subgroups. Drawing on the notion of dynamic multi-layered ethnicities, we discuss the intersections of race/class/caste/sexuality/gender that structure their belonging. We argue that focus on the entire ethnic group is insufficient for analysing the factors that shape belonging; instead, we posit that examining how the social location of the main ethnic group intersects with the structural positions of subgroups is crucial to discussions of the concept of belonging.

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