It is worth acknowledging what South Asians owe to Black America.

For many who are listening to Pakistani pop, the connections to diaspora are an inevitable part of modern Pakistani life. The civil rights movement opened the doors for South Asians to migrate to America. This has linked the States and Pakistan through remittances, higher education, and the transfer of professional expertise. To be noted also that a growing class of professional South Asian immigrants have been identified as an idealized minority, often further damaging the cause of civil rights without us even noticing.

Modern Pakistani music draws from rock, the blues and hip-hop. Without Black America it is hard for me to imagine how we could have had Junoon, Shamoon Ismail, or Lyari Underground. Junoon especially, like many that came after (Zeb & Haniya, QB come to mind) live their lives divided across the US and Pakistan. There are more.

Found it appropriate to link to a Junoon song that has held meaning in times of reckoning.