Inter-collegiate Indian dance competitions emerged in the late 1990s in the United States and have since become wildly popular. Why dance? Why now? We explore these questions through Nachte Raho, a competition hosted by a University of Iowa student organization. Such events allow participants to publicly embody the contradictions they experience as minoritized children of immigrants on a predominantly White campus. Thus, dance enables community building among minoritized students and has entertainment value to non-Indians. Students distinguish Nachte Raho from unruly “community functions” organized by immigrant parents and aim instead to produce a professionalized show intended primarily for peers.
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