The Racism of People Who Love You

"In the epitome of a book meeting a moment, this singular work addresses a topic many people struggle with in our increasingly multiracial yet chronically divided society—the pain and pressure points around race that persist in the most intimate spaces. Blending memoir, cultural criticism, and theory, Mehta explores identity and belonging from a South Asian and white perspective." — Oprah Daily

"Thoughtful meditations on identity." —  Kirkus Reviews

"The writing is vivid, insightful, and at times quite humorous." —  The Revealer

Samira Mehta’s The Racism of People Who Love You has the qualities of my favorite writing: insightful, provocative, and revealing. Her unique story provides a window into the common yet underrepresented experience of mixed belonging, and she displays the unique ability to share these stories in ways that welcome the reader to see the world afresh. - Simran Jeet Singh, author of The Light We Give

Moving fluidly between personal storytelling and theoretical analysis, Samira Mehta offers an unblinking examination of the complexities, dangers, and possibilities of being of mixed heritage—not only in America writ large but also within one’s own family. With clear-eyed scrutiny and steadfast charity, Mehta confronts the painful ‘casual racism’ she experiences among her white family and friends. At once intellectually rigorous, personally invested, and uncommonly well-written, The Racism of People Who Love You is an essential read for anyone interested in negotiating difference, confronting injustice, and extending compassion to those who both love and hurt you. - Lynn Casteel Harper, author of On Vanishing: Mortality, Dementia, and What It Means to Disappear

Samira Mehta's searching essays have prompted me to think about love and race in deeper, more nuanced, more intimate ways. As a white person in a multiracial family, I know all too well how tempting it is to buy into the myth that love is enough. Samira insists instead that love is just the beginning. - Briallen Hopper, author of Hard to Love

We are finally, thankfully, seeing more books that delve into the personal experience of race. Now, with The Racism of People Who Love You, Mehta offers us her perspective on the complexities of experiencing race as a person of mixed race—part white, part South Asian. This work is an important addition to our on-going discussions about race in America. - Kavita Das, author of Craft and Conscience: How to Write About Social Issues

The Racism of People Who Love You is by turns gripping, challenging, funny, and compassionate, effortlessly entwining personal experience with global, religious, and literary histories. Samira Mehta is an important new voice grappling with the complexity of American identities. - Peter Manseau, author of One Nation Under Gods: A New American History

Samira Mehta interweaves laugh-out-loud personal vignettes with piercing reflections on life as a biracial person. Drawing also on her multireligious upbringing, she conveys moments of joy and pain in ways that let us all in on the experience. The Racism Of People Who Love You is relatable for all kinds of readers, with especially important insights for all of us who have people of mixed racial and religious backgrounds in our families and social circles. - Khyati Y. Joshi, author of, White Christian Privilege