Uncovering Hidden Afro-Asian Histories
When people think of the term ‘African’, two images are conjured in their minds. Native Africans that are often depicted in terrible situations, facing humanitarian crises and lack of development in their countries; as well as the marginalized African-American living in suburban areas of North America. While there are definitely many images that people immediately think of, such as successful Black celebrities and entrepreneurs, there is one group of people that we tend to forget: the Afro-Asians.
A quick search in Google Trends shows that terms such as ‘african american’ or ‘black american’ consistently appear more frequently in browser searches than the term ‘afro-asian’. With decolonization efforts during the latter half of the 20th century having had much impact on the consciousness of global societies, it is no wonder that people tend to only think of the indigenous people of African nations who stepped up to fight for justice. Black culture in the United States has been thriving alongside these decolonization battles, giving rise to many prominent stars like Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Morgan Freeman, and many more. While the continuous influx of Black actors and actresses, singers, and hosts are something to be proud of, it would be remiss for Black History Month — a month celebrating all the contributions and sacrifices of those in the history of the African diaspora — to neglect the marginalized groups of the already marginalized.
This is why we need to start paying more attention to Afro-Asian histories. Afro-Asian histories are a result of the interactions between Africans and Asians during the colonial era and the World War II period. Many of these interactions resulted in unions between Africans and Asians, and the birth of families. Most notably, the Bandung Conference of 1955, the then-largest gathering of Asian and African nations, was held in Indonesia. Its aim was to promote collaborative efforts between Asia and Africa to decolonize as well as resist the neo-colonial impulses of both the West and the Soviet Union. Historically, countries on both continents have acknowledged their weakened status due to colonization by the West, showing solidarity by forming coalitions and diplomatic ties.
However, mixed-race families living in both Africa and Asia have been suffering discrimination and marginalization by their societies for decades. In today’s politics, Asia and Africa no longer have a united identity. Asia’s rapid development has elevated it above the Third World status of most African nations, causing a distinct economic difference between the two continents. In recent times, China’s Belt and Road Initiative sees it as the superior power coming in to provide support for the development of Africa. With these changing relations, I believe that it is harder for Asian societies to accept Afro-Asians into their culture, and vice versa. Let us take a look at two groups of Afro-Asians that are hidden in today’s world.
The Siddi community in India
The Siddi are a community consisting of migrants from Africa who arrived in India during the 16th and 17th centuries. These migrants settled down in India and formed communities in various parts of the country. With such a small population, they are a marginalized group in Indian society. Adding to their insignificance in society is that the Siddi communities have characteristic differences across different parts of India. This means that it would be wrong to characterize all the Siddi in India as one type of people. Their diversity ranges from their religion (Christianity, Hinduism, Islam) to language. With little official documentation about their population size and little success of the various Siddi communities coming together to champion change, their marginalized status in Indian society remains the same.
A majority of the Siddi population is illiterate, facing poverty, and lacking proper education. Even though they are not in the caste system, they are treated on par with Dalits, effectively becoming an ostracised and stigmatized group of society.
In recent years, however, activists have been trying to campaign for improved access to basic services as well as education and livelihood opportunities for the Siddi community.
Afro-Asians in East Asia
Most of the early Afro-Asians were children born to American soldiers and Asian mothers during World War II. In Korea, these children were largely born out of prostitution, although there was quite a number born out of legally-bound marriages. However, with the withdrawal of American troops after the Korean War, many Amerasian children remained in Korea. Since World War II, many Afro-Asians in Japan and Korea have started families and still have descendants living there today. The problem was that post-World War II, as ethnic nationalism returned to resist the colonial imposition of values and systems, Afro-Asians in Japan and Korea faced discrimination and ostracism by society.
For this group of Afro-Asians, they are ostracised by the societies they have grown up in and lived in all their lives just because of their physical appearance. These Afro-Asians, given another physical body, would blend in with the ethnic majority easily: their culture, language, and identity is firmly rooted in the East Asian society they live in. However, they continue to be discriminated against, whether it be being excluded from social gatherings, having a tougher time finding employment, or having uncertain citizenship status in their home country.
These are the hidden stories that the media rarely reports on because the media in East Asian countries holds similar prejudices towards Afro-Asians as a society. They are less likely to report their stories of struggle against discrimination or celebrate Afro-Asians who are successful.
Fortunately, there are iconic Afro-Asian figures who have brought the media spotlight onto them, not just for their backgrounds but also for their achievements. The Afro-Asian football star Hines Ward Jr. was born in Seoul to a Korean mother and an African-American father. His success in American football has brought much attention to his mixed ethnicity as both Korean and African. In 2006, he started the Hines Ward Helping Hands Foundation, with its purpose to support mixed-race Koreans like himself who suffer discrimination. Other prominent figures like Crystal Kay, a Black-Japanese singer-songwriter, have risen due to the recognition of their talents.
Conclusion
African communities are everywhere, all around the globe. It is time that we recognize the diversity of these communities, rather than confining our understanding of them to the African-American and indigenous African communities. Being aware of the existence of various communities is the first step. This Black History Month, we should also commemorate the unique histories of Afro-Asians, mourning for their struggles while celebrating the progress of their communities in the fight against discrimination.
Sources:
https://stories.minorityrights.org/afro-descendants/chapter/asia/
https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/globaltides/vol5/iss1/6/