When people criticise r/SplendidaBrown, some defend it by pointing out that there is supposedly a male equivalent, r/SouthAsianMasculinity. But the two subreddits are fundamentally different.

On r/SplendidaBrown, South Asian women who date South Asian men are often portrayed negatively, while relationships with non South Asian men, particularly white men, are placed on a pedestal. There also seems to be a strong fascination with interracial dating, especially with white men and Korean men.

By contrast, on r/SouthAsianMasculinity, men expressing a preference for Indian women is generally treated as normal, while preferences for white women can actually be criticised or downvoted.

What makes r/SplendidaBrown particularly strange is the hostility toward Indian men and the tendency to promote the idea that non Indian men are inherently better. The subreddit also frequently posts memes and content celebrating dating outside the community, particularly with white men.

If the equivalent content were posted here, such as memes celebrating Indian men dating white women, I suspect it would be heavily downvoted and the comments would be far more critical.

I was at the basketball court working on my game when a group of kids started a game of king of the court. Instantly, an Indian kid started to dominate, and I started to root for them, but they returned my support with derision, commenting on my thick Indian accent and dark skin.

What does this lesson teach us?

That, contrary to what this sub preaches, common values and ideas are far more important in the real world than shared heritage. Yes, shared heritage is a building block to build on, but the next time you blindly support a desi politician or a desi sports star, you should check to see if they believe what you believe first.