Kiran Desai Returns to Jaipur Literature Festival with Powerful Observations on Race in America
Booker Prize-winning author Kiran Desai made a notable return to the Jaipur Literature Festival on Thursday. She had been absent from this prestigious event for more than ten years. During her session, Desai delivered a compelling analysis of racial dynamics in the United States. She stated that race becomes an unavoidable element there, framing every single aspect of life.
Race as a Pervasive Force in American Society
As soon as you go to the United States, life becomes all about race, Desai declared. She was responding to a question about the dark, often unspoken racist thoughts that many people harbor. Desai explained that this conversation about race infiltrates all institutions and daily interactions. Every single thing, every single aspect of life in the United States comes down to that conversation, she emphasized. She pointed to universities, courts, homelessness, and life expectancy as examples where racial discussions are central.
The Immigrant Experience and Racial Awakening
Desai described the gradual process through which immigrants come to understand America's racial landscape. As an immigrant, when you go to the United States, you're not aware of it at first, and then you gradually come to understand, she shared. She noted that entering this conversation can feel like a transgression because it involves a history that is not originally theirs. However, she argued that immigrants are immediately drawn into this framework. On the other hand, it's now your country. So you had better enter the conversation, Desai advised. She added that upon arrival, immigrants are designated as people of color, making them part of the racial dialogue whether they like it or not.
Racial Hierarchies Within Immigrant Communities
The author also highlighted what she called a completely bizarre hierarchy of race within various immigrant groups. She mentioned Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, Indians, and Hispanics as examples. Desai observed that similar hierarchies exist in India as well. Her latest novel, 'The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny', which was shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, addresses these issues directly. We all know the unbelievably racist things Indians say and think, Desai remarked. She described a scene in the book where a character voices such thoughts aloud, only to be hushed by another, illustrating both the ugliness and the absurd humor of these attitudes.
A Potential Final Deep Dive into Indian Themes
Desai suggested that this novel might be her last in-depth work about India. She explained that her visits to India have decreased since her father, Ashvin Desai, passed away in Delhi in 2008. I've now lived in the States a very long time, she said. During the writing process, her father was still alive, and she was actively taking notes during her trips home. Desai felt this was perhaps her final opportunity to write a profound book about India while maintaining that connection. I knew that I would lose the ability to write about India. So I wanted to write one last book in this way, in this depth, she concluded, reflecting on her personal and literary journey.
