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When I was growing up in the mid 1990s, the word "Indian" still was ambiguous in my area even though we had a high South Asian population compared to most parts of the U.S. In the majority of the U.S (mainly middle America and areas without high immigration rates), it still primarily referred to Native American Indians and those of us who were second generation had to clarify to our classmates (as in from India, not American Indian) and then the dot not feather thing became the thing around the early 2000s. Now, in most parts of the U.S, I imagine Indians from India are better known (we just had Apu on the Simpsons but now there are more mainstream Indian characters as well as celebrities in the media) but in some more rural parts as well as near Indian reservations, the word "Indian" could still refer to Native American Indians.
Would you say asking "dot or feather" is racist? It's a lot faster and easier to say than Native American or from India? I kinda like it but I've had other Indians tell me it's racist and that "Indian" should only apply to people from India and not the U.S. indigenous population because of Columbus's blunder.
I don't think 95% of us know what the hell you're talking about.
I didn't know what he was talking about...until reading most of what was written...remember that being said in a movie (48 Hours Part 2) back in the day. American Indians don't wear feathers much anymore and India Indians don't all have "dots"...I'd just differentiate if you had to ask by saying "Native American or from India"?
Entirely depends where the speaker sits in the intersectional hierarchy.
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