Tension Brewing Between Indian Students and ABCDs

A discussion by international students and American Born Confused Desis, or ABCSs for short, draws out a disquieting issue within Indian communities in the U.S. Some international Indian students said they feel discriminated against, but not at the hands of greater American society. Instead, discrimination, according to them, comes from ABCDs born to Indian parents in America.

Another international student claimed a friend of his was verbally abused by an ABCS at a student organization, but white students intervened in support, making it now debated why some ABCSs are hostile toward new Indian students.

The behavior at times can also manifest due to a complex mix of identity issues: for people who struggle to balance their Indian heritage with American upbringing.

Most ABCDs undergo a variant of discrimination in trying to fit into American society. This may lead to feelings of superiority or detachment when dealing with international students who more closely reflect their Indian roots.

Such a situation denotes the breakdown that exists within the communities themselves, since it is nurtured and fuels by one common cultural experience hitherto approached, lived, and understood differently.