Asian American / Asian Research Institute
The City University of New York
Identity is often fraught for multiracial Douglas, people of both South Asian and African descent in the Caribbean. In this groundbreaking volume, Sue Ann Barratt and Aleah N. Ranjitsingh explore the particular meanings of a Dougla identity and examine Dougla maneuverability both at home and in the diaspora.
In this presentation, Dr. Kevin Nadal will discuss the history of the “Brown Asian American Movement” as a way of contextualizing historical power dynamics that have been pervasive in Asian American communities since the 1960s. Dr. Nadal also provides recommendations as to how current Asian American leaders, activists, and policymakers can be mindful of ways that colorism and privilege impacts invisibility and community dynamics.
This presentation focuses on the writings and performances of Dr. Anandibai Joshee, who graduated from the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1886 and became the first Indian woman to gain a degree in medicine. Param Ajmera investigates how Anandibai used the influence provided by her university to develop relationships with the American feminist movement to gain support for the social and economic upliftment of women in India.