Tracing the anti-black sentiments in parts of the Bengali community

Art by Iffy Kaysar 

Blog by Kamrul Khan

How can we trace the anti-black sentiments we see ingrained in parts of the Bengali community?

Say you live in a majority Hasidic Jewish neighborhood and are driving one day, and get hit by a car; the chances of you getting hit by a driver who is a Hasidic Jew are high. Not because all Hasidic Jews are bad drivers, but because the majority in that neighborhood are Hasidic Jew. However, a narrative gets created that Hasidic Jews are bad drivers.

But it’s not true; it’s a basic probability.

For many Bengalis, a narrative has been ingrained in us that Blacks are more likely to commit crimes.

But it’s not true; it’s a basic probability.

The late 1980s and 1990s were the height of crime in big cities in the US. It also paralleled the height of immigration for Bangladeshis to the US. Most Bengalis immigrating to the US at this time moved into big cities in neighborhoods that were predominantly Black, such as Jamaica, Parkchester, and East New York.

When crime rates peaked in NYC, Bengalis found themselves in the most underprivileged parts of the city. If a Bengali person was mugged in one of these mostly Black neighborhoods, the chances of the mugger being Black was higher. This is not because the majority of Blacks are muggers, but because the majority of the neighborhood was Black. Black people didn’t and don’t have a tendency to commit crime at a higher rate. It was a basic probability. It’s a narrative that’s dangerous and extremely hypocritical.

Bengalis and other minorities owe much of their arguably recent American history to the sacrifices made by Black people. The United States has historically restricted non-white immigration to promote white supremacy, a form of racial oppression that was highlighted by the Civil Rights Movement. The movement’s deracialization efforts influenced the passing of the 1965 Hart-Celler Act, which opened up emigration from Asian countries and is responsible for the majority of today’s Desi American population.

Our communities have thrived due to the work of Black activists. Therefore, we owe a debt of gratitude to call out racism whenever we see it. It’s difficult to do because sometimes it’s someone we love or respect, but it’s necessary.

Standing up for Black lives today decides what happens tomorrow. As the artist of this piece @Iffykayser states, “there doesn’t need to be a next, but the painful reality is that if things remain the same, there will be. Time is not on our side.” This is not the time for indifference. A day will come when we once again need others to stand up for us, too.