hello ! im indigenous from seasia but im always scared of describing myself as so because i feel like im faking/lying or not indigenous enough. thank you for posting about indigenous asians
Hi!
Ah yes, there’s so much contention around Indigenous Asians which is ludicrous because you don’t see this much hemming and hawing when it comes to distinctly Brown and Black peoples where some fit the stereotypical “look” of indigenous peoples, and where some cultures fit the typically screened “aesthetic” of indigeneity.
The treatment overall is incredibly indigemisic / anti-indigenous to groups that are already seen as indigenous, as well as groups that have lesser visibility and are invalidated for indigeneity on the basis of colonial and Anglospheric whims. It is racist to Black and Brown peoples too, where it frames Black and Brown bodies as “barbaric” which is synonymous with “indigenous”. It’s clear they think all Indigenous peoples look the same, behave the same and have the same cultures (which to them is all categorically “savage and uncivilised and barbaric”).
And along with this there is this implicit notion of inferiority and barbarism of indigenous cultures, so they see anything that has even a semblance to the modernity [colonially claimed but constructed by stealing other cultures’ technologies], as less indigenous.
This shit isn’t coincidental either. It is systemic discrimination. This is why colonisation against Asians are seen as a lesser plight and a lesser suffering, which allows for people to turn a blind eye to colonisation and imperialisation of the global south.
I’ll talk about it in another post next time.
But thank you for your anon!! I welcome you back anytime 🥰🙌