The University of Mississippi’s Department of Public Policy Leadership and The William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation welcomes scholar-activist Deepa Iyer this week to speak at several scheduled presentations and events. Iyer will focus on how the country is becoming more diverse.
Iyer is recognized as an activist working with South Asian and Asian American communities to talk about the issues immigrants and people of color face in the United States. She currently teaches at the University of Maryland through the Asian-American Studies program while working on a new book, which discusses the shifting American racial landscape. She recently left her position after ten years as executive director of a nonprofit organization called South Asian Americans Leading Together.
Jennifer Stollman, instructor and academic director of racial reconciliation at the William Winter Institute, thinks Iyer’s experience as an educator at the college level makes her uniquely qualified to reach the university’s students.
“She doesn’t just focus on South Asian racial dynamics,” Stollman said. “She is looking on how race manifests itself differently across the nation.”
Iyer said she will be discussing different questions with students during her panels based on how we deal with race, how our country is becoming more diverse and what roles Asian-Americans play in the South. Iyer wants to show students there are more issues with race than just black and white.
“I think that it is not at all surprising that, given the history in the South and the demographics in the South historically, we use a black and white paradigm or black and white lens when we look at race issues,” Iyer said.
Iyer believes communities are changing in the South with Asian-Americans being the fastest-growing race. She thinks it is important to have a more inclusive strategy when talking about race and immigration.
“Well, I think for all of us, it is very important that we start to become more comfortable talking about what equity means, what diversity means, what immigration means,” Iyer said.
The week of events will begin today with a Brown Bag discussion at noon at the Winter Institute. Events will continue through Thursday.
