When Punita and John married, they joined the growing community of individuals in interracial marriages. Punita is Asian Indian, John is White and their son, Rahul, is multiracial.
While raising Rahul, Punita wanted to provide him with a solid foundation of both the Indian and American cultures. This desire led her to search for a multicultural community. When unable to find one, Punita and Rahul embarked on their own exploration of identity and belonging.
Co-authored by Rahul and Punita, Mixed Desis: Stories of Multiracial South Asians is a culmination of this pursuit, highlighting the diversity within the South Asian Diaspora. In marrying individuals from all ethnic and racial groups: White, Black, Hispanic, East Asians, Middle East, Indigenous, Native American or other Pacific Islander, South Asians are forming new unions that redefine what it means to be South Asian. Caste, colorism and regional background, which segregate South Asians, takes a new meaning with this growing group of mixed-race individuals.
“What are you?”, “Where are you from?” require discussions instead of simple answers. These questions are exemplified by the duality of simultaneously not fitting into a simple definition and the benefits of being part of two cultures.
The future is here. People of mixed descent represent the new ethnic landscape that confronts us in the twenty-first century. Multicultural and multiracial people are becoming increasingly common. The complicated identities of these individuals offer a broader spectrum of the meaning of race and culture.
In Mixed Desis, over sixty individuals, from teenagers to those in their late 70’s,provide heart-warming and thoughtful narratives about their lived experiences outside of the mainstream South Asian community. This is the first book that provides insight into mixed South Asian identities, relationships and families.
