South Asian Organizing in the US

Organizing on the West Coast 

In response to rising anti-South Asian prejudice that often veered from the rhetorical into physical violence, many newly-arrived South Asians established social groups or political organizations to address the living conditions and racial prejudices of their new homes. One group established in 1913, the Ghadar Party, would eventually become a critical force advocating for the rights of South Asians both in the US and India. Another student group, the Oriental Students’ Association of the University of California, founded in 1907, was the first known Asian-American student association at UC Berkeley, and included Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and Thai students. The Students’ Association defined its primary goals as “sociability and mutual protection,” both a nod to students’ desire for community and the need to organize themselves against racist violence.

Thus, the West Coast was undeniably an important landing point for immigrants seeking employment opportunities and economic mobility, and of the South Asians who sought out American higher education, many found themselves in universities in California and the Pacific Northwest. But the East Coast was also a significant stage for South Asian intellectuals in their anti-colonial fight against the British Empire. Though New York City would not be the long-term home for many of the South Asian intellectuals who passed through — many would return to California, particularly as community enclaves became more established in the 20th century — their presence in New York represented an intensely productive period for political thought and publishing. Within the relatively cosmopolitan confines of New York City, where other immigrant groups’ political organizing and publications thrived in a wide variety of languages, South Asian intellectuals met and shared plans, ideas, and publications, all with the shared goal of liberating India from centuries of colonial occupation.