South Asians @ NYU-Tandon Now
From my understanding of the list of clubs at what is now NYU Tandon, there is no extracurricular for specifically South Asian students anymore. Even though I discussed in the previous section that there is an essence of “South Asianness” on the administrator level, I feel that there are huge disparities in the way in which student clubs are labeled and marketed to who can join. I decided to do a small ethnographic study consisting of self-identifying South Asian undergraduate students and their (un)belonging to student clubs and organizations. The student names have been anonymized to protect their membership to the student clubs and organizations. Three clubs that were brought up: Graduate Indian Student Association (GISA), Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers (SASE), and the Tandon Muslim Students Association (MSA).
From what I have gathered about the clubs available at NYU Tandon presently, it seems there is not a specific extracurricular tailored for South Asian students anymore. Despite mentioning earlier the presence of a “South Asianess” within the administrative sphere, I perceive significant disparities in how student clubs are categorized and promoted for membership eligibility. In response, I conducted a brief ethnographic inquiry involving self-identified South Asian undergraduate students and their sense of belonging or lack thereof within student clubs and organizations. For confidentiality, the identities of the students involved have been anonymized to protect their affiliations to these student clubs and organizations. Among the clubs discussed were the Graduate Indian Student Association (GISA), the Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers (SASE), and the Tandon Muslim Students Association (MSA).
Student A: “I was a part of my high school’s ISA for three years and was disappointed that Tandon only has an ISA for grad students. I think it’s mainly for Indian International kids too. But after going to the [Washington] Square, I joined the ICC [Indian Cultural Club] at the main campus. They have more social clubs and sororities.”
Student B: “SASE is great and has lots of networking events. Since this is anonymous, I will say I wish some events were more on the South Asian side. Most conversations seem more related to East Asians.”
Student C: “I love the Tandon MSA. I love the iftar events we do during Ramadan because even my non-Muslim friends break fast with us. I do wish we had more cultural clubs at Tandon. I am a part of NYU BSA [Bengali Student Association] at the main campus, and I love that too. But I have Pakistani-Muslim and Sri Lankan-Buddhist friends that get imposter syndrome going to BSA events because they are not Bengali.”
Based on this short study, South Asian students are missing a space in Tandon and venture to Washington Square main campus to seek out this place. Moreover, South Asians are people from various faiths such as Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity, Jainism, and Zoroastrianism (Jacobsen, 2008). Based on South Asia's colonial past of dividing the subcontinent by religion (mentioned in the "What does South Asian mean?" section), it is logical that creating a club to unite South Asians also includes uniting South Asians from different religious backgrounds.
I do resonate with Student C’s answer the most. As an Indo-Caribbean student, there are limited spaces available for people like. I tend to find myself going to NYU BSA’s events with my friends mainly because of extravagant events such as Pohela Boishakh (Bengali New Year) and the Mock Shaadi (Fake Wedding). However, I would still like to see more South Asian student groups on campus to account for distance and inclusivity.
In summation, the insights I have uncovered through this archival exhibit underscore the urgent need for greater South Asian representation at NYU Tandon. The archives serve as evidence of South Asian spaces existing on campus and being successful. However, amidst numerous administrative shifts, the lines between what should distinctly represent NYU (Main Campus) and NYU Tandon (MetroTech) has become somewhat blurred, potentially resulting in the neglecting the importance of cultural clubs at NYU Tandon. Documenting and studying past clubs allows us to recognize the contributions of earlier generations of South Asian students and their efforts in carving out spaces for cultural expression and engagement. I hope this exhibit is used as a reference in improving South Asian Student life at what is now NYU Tandon.