MORE THAN 'OTHER': SOUTH ASIANS AT HARVARD

Quick--how many South Asians go to Harvard?

If you answered with a blank stare, you're not alone. Harvard doesn't keep statistics on the number of South Asians, as opposed to the number of East or Southeast Asians, enrolled in the College. South Asians are often simply referred to as "Indians" or lumped together with all other Asians.

However, the South Asian Association (SAA) is trying to change all that.

The association, which has grown noticeably in size and activity over the past few years, wants to ensure that administrators--and others on campus--recognize the existence of a separate South Asian voice, distinct from that of the Asian-American Association (AAA).

Who Are South Asians?

Defining South Asians as a distinct group isn't always easy. The general definition, according to SAA members, incorporates natives of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives and Butan, as well as their descendants living in the U.S.

SAA members said that they rarely think of themselves, or are thought of, as being "Asian."

"I don't think of myself as Asian," said SAA member Maitri Chowdhury '93. "I think of East Asians and South Asians as being totally different. When I think of AAA, I think of Chinese students, Korean students, et cetera."

Chowdhury isn't the only member who feels somewhat out of place in AAA. Though SAA members say the organization works with the AAA at times, they generally see AAA as an association of East and Southeast Asian students.

There are no South Asians on AAA's executive board.

This feeling was strengthened this year by the AAA's political theme of "Yellow Power," a phrase which South Asian students considered to exclude members of their ethnic groups.

"Yellow Power' might have been an accident, but it's indicative of the way AAA can't represent South Asians," said Uday N. Kumar '94, co-president of SAA.

SAA members also stress that AAA is specifically for Asian Americans, while SAA includes non-American Asians in its constituency.

However, SAA members point out that AAA, although considered an "umbrella group" of Asians by many, refuses to accept that definition. And some students say they prefer having a separate group specifically for South Asians.

"I don't think my cultural experience is close enough to those of the people in AAA...Culturally, there's a sharp difference--the South Asian culture is relatively new to the States, while the Chinese and Korean are not," said Sahil A. Parikh '95.

The problem comes when, according to members, the University assumes that AAA speaks for all Asians on campus.

"The University thinks of us as Asian, but the AAA is willing to cordon us off," said co-president Mona M. Patel '94. "If we're not represented by AAA, there seems to be a gap between what the University sees is going on and what we see going on."

This situation, say SAA members, was reflected in the ethnic groupings on Harvard's admissions form in years past, which offered only the category "Asian/Pacific Islander." The only other option for South Asians was the general "Other."

Last year, after complaints by one South Asian student, the category was changed to "Asian American," accompanied by a request for "country of family's origin."

Nikhilesh M. Korgaonkar '95, the SAA academic and political chair, says the group is working to have a voice in administrative affairs.

"What I'd like to do is secure a place for SAA on the Foundation [the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations]," Korgaonkar says. "The biggest thing that AAA has that SAA doesn't is that they can get the University to look at them."

A Changing Role

The SAA was originally created as a social organization. Last year, when the group spoke out against the invitation of City University of New York professor Leonard Jeffries to campus, it took a political stance for the first time in its history.

However, members say this step was preceded by many other shifts in the way the SAA operates. Two years ago, the organization decided to expand its executive board to include eight members: president, treasurer, social coordinator, academic and political coordinator, liaison, publicity coordinator and two members-at-large. Since then, the members-at-large have been replaced by a gender issues coordinator and an executive coordinator.

The new emphasis on academic and political affairs was shown clearly last year during a campaign by the organization to keep Ali S. Asani, an associate professor of Indo-Muslim culture, at the University. Asani remained at Harvard, and the effort encouraged a more active policy for the SAA, members say.

The addition of a gender issues coordinator, say students, is typical of the new directions the organization is taking.

"The numbers of women in the SAA have increased dramatically from last year...maybe because we're more willing to address gender issues," says Sujatha Baliga '93, the gender issues coordinator.

"It's such a diverse culture in and of itself. I'd like to see us all learn from each other," she says.

Along with the development of the academic and political side of the SAA has come an expansion of the cultural and social side, say members.

Ghungaroo, the group's annual cultural festival including singing, dancing and acting, is also growing in stature. "There were more than 300 audience members last year. One hundred people were turned away at the door, [and] we expanded it to two nights of performing," said Mukesh Prasad '93, last year's co-president.

Growing Numbers

A few years ago, say members, there were about 10 active members of SAA. Now, an average meeting draws about 40 people, with more coming occasionally for special events.

Many members attribute this growth to the leadership of Prasad and Muneer I. Ahmad '93, the other co-president last year. "I think we had amazing leadership for the past few years, very active leadership," says Chowdhury. "When I got involved as a freshman, it seemed a very passive social organization. I think it's changed, and change could only be for the better."

Prasad says the growth has also been caused by the sheer increase in South Asians admitted to Harvard, quoting figures compiled by the SAA at registration.

"In 1977-78 there were 12 South Asians in the graduating class. In the class of 1996, there are 80 South Asians alone, about five percent of the class," says Prasad.

Prasad says he believes immigration trends in the U.S. have accounted for the increased number of South Asian applicants. As the children of South Asians who arrived in America in the 1960s come of age, he says, colleges across the country are experiencing a rise in South Asian students applying.

Although Prasad says he feels the number of South Asian applicants will eventually level off, he believes the SAA can continue to grow and change, mentioning such projects as Ekta, a magazine of South Asian issues the group began last spring.

"One thing I'd like to see is more education among ourselves," he says.