Nurturing India’s Affinity Diaspora

One of the most recognizable faces in Bollywood history has a name and complexion you might not expect. Tom Alter, the late great star of over 300 Hindi movies and theater productions, was at birth a white American passport holder. Years spent in Lucknow and the Himalayan foothills transformed him into a deep lover of India, a fluent maestro of Urdu poetry, and a transformational force for India’s entertainment industry. 

India is sitting on a treasure trove of Indophiles like Tom Alter. They bring a deep affinity for the people and land of India, an irrepressible motivation to take positive action, and in many cases, an unusual outside-the-box network they can galvanize. 

As India solidifies its status as a great power, it has an opportunity that could easily be missed: consciously cultivating the ranks of Indophiles around the world as a bold and strategic exercise of soft power. At a moment when many in the West too easily reach for damaging stereotypes, a committed community of non-Indians who know the country firsthand is one of the most credible counterweights available: people who can direct philanthropy toward trustworthy Indian institutions, and who will push back, where necessary, on misguided attitudes and policies. 

Much has been written about the 35-million-strong Indian diaspora and its potential to be, in the words of the influential group Indiaspora, “a global force for good.” The roughly 6 million people of Indian origin in the United States are thriving economically, politically, and academically. The Indian government is rightly focused on engaging with this vibrant community.

At the India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA), we are particularly interested in the potential of the diaspora to contribute their time, talent, and treasure to trustworthy nonprofits like the 26 represented on our board of directors and the 51 who participated in the most recent India Giving Day. We are making progress in engaging them: Indian American diaspora giving appears to have more than tripled in the six years after IPA’s founding, according to a recent Dalberg study, “From Closing the Gap to Setting the Standard.”

A segment of the Indian community that receives less attention is what we call the “affinity diaspora” or, perhaps more commonly, Indophiles. The government of Scotland, which together with Ireland, actively works to build its own affinity diaspora, defines this group as those “who have a different national or ethnic identity to a nation state but who feel some special affinity or affection for that nation state and who act on its behalf, whilst resident in the state, after they return home, or from a third country.” 

People arrive at this affinity in many ways—doing business in India, travelling there, studying its languages or history, marrying into an Indian family, or simply falling for its food, films, or faith traditions. The growing popularity of yoga is not to be underestimated. 

We are both proud members of this community. We have both lived in South Asia and speak a major Indian language well. We count among our closest friends people from across the region. We have repeatedly been welcomed into gatherings and groups where we were the only people not of Indian origin. We are grateful to have been exposed to the vibrant aspects of Indian culture during our youth, and for the friendships that we have formed over decades. 

Our leadership positions at the India Philanthropy Alliance and ATREE USA, the U.S. arm of India’s leading environmental institution, allow us to deepen our connection to India every day by supporting not just that nation’s top civil society organizations, but some of the most accomplished in the entire world. Indophiles like us lead Antara International and Magic Bus USA.  We track developments in India and among the diaspora and work to advance their interests through identifying and supporting anything that brings the people, governments, or private institutions of India and the United States closer together in pursuit of a more peaceful, prosperous, and vibrant world.

When looking for good practices for leveraging a diaspora, Israel is often seen as a model. But for growing an affinity diaspora, Ireland is one of the most active and merits study by those connected to India and wishing it well. 

Here are a few ideas about how we can all work together to grow the community of Indophiles:

Individuals and communities can:

• Celebrate long-time and new Indophiles at diaspora cultural events, and extend the famous Indian hospitality to them — especially when they are in a minority of one.
• Tell their stories — profile Indophiles like Tom Alter, so the path is visible and aspirational rather than accidental.
• Stay connected to those returning from India, so a budding affinity doesn’t fade once they’re home.

India-focused nonprofits can:

• Include non-Indians in fellowship programs, as the Sehgal Foundation and the American India Foundation already do.
• Give Indophiles real roles — invite them onto governing boards, into donor circles, and as ambassadors through vehicles like India Giving Day, not just as guests.

Governments, universities, and businesses can:

• Support the study of Indian languages in U.S. higher education, and encourage those who attempt to master one. (We both spoke Hindi and Bengali poorly before we spoke them well, and remain grateful to those who were patient with us.)
• Expand cultural and educational exchange, such as by growing the Fulbright Program.
• Further simplify visa procedures for those seeking to visit India for business, tourism, internships, or study.
• Engage the business community. Multinationals operating in India — and the employees who return from postings there — are a large, untapped reservoir of affinity.

If the Indian diaspora can join forces and grow the numbers of those like us who love India but are not from India, there is much good we can do in this troubled world. 

Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this article/column are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of South Asian Herald.

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