Navigating Hinduphobia

A Manual for Students, Parents, and Educators

Why a Manual?

Namaste! I developed this guide to help diasporic Hindus students, parents, teachers, and professors successfully navigate the complex, troubling world of Hinduphobia in schools. Although Hindus have been subject to and survived Hinduphobia for over a thousand years, many Hindus are not accustomed to talking about it. Hinduphobia has become so normalized across societies that it can be difficult to recognize or to successfully explain to those who don’t understand how it works.  In fact, you may have heard – through social media, activist friends whom you respect, or from one of your professors – that Hinduphobia isn’t real, that it’s a modern invention. This is a harmful and dangerous lie. 

 

HINDUPHOBIA IS VERY REAL.

 

Whenever you see the term Hinduphobia used in this manual, we are referencing the Working Definition of Hinduphobia that was developed as a part of Understanding Hinduphobia 2021. If you’re not familiar with the term – or have only heard that it’s false – we recommend starting here. My hope is that this guide serves as a nexus of resources to help educate, create awareness about, and advocate successfully for change within our educational institutions to both recognize and address Hinduphobia. Thus, there is a strong focus on equipping everyday Hindus and our allies to call people into the conversation about Hinduphobia. And remember, this is a living resource – it will grow over time. 

 
Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu.

Indu Viswanathan, Ed.D.

Co-Director, Understanding Hinduphobia Initiative

The purpose of this guide is to:

Help you refine your understanding of Hinduphobia and how it manifests​.

Understand your rights and the limitations and biases of the laws regarding religious freedom in the United States​

Provide you with language to reframe and situate Hinduism within the history and language of American society and institutions so that you can more effectively unpack your experiences and articulate them to others.​

Help you identify, deconstruct, and navigate common Hinduphobic strategies in formal (i.e. the classroom) and informal (i.e. the playground, media) spaces​.

Help you take care of your well-being and decide how to take action.

Address any concerns you may have about your parents’ or your immigration status if you speak out about Hinduphobia​.

Provide a rich bank of resources to help you along each step of the way​.

Also Included in this Manual: