Mississippi Masala
This blog is part of a series exploring unconscious bias through film. The world’s problems can feel overwhelming, but change begins with small steps—inside each of us. By reflecting on the stories we see on screen, we can better understand our own assumptions and start to shift them in real life.
What happens when bias isn’t simply black and white—but something in between, shaped by migration, culture, memory, and distance? That’s the question asked by Mississippi Masala, a 1991 film directed by Mira Nair. The story follows Mina, an Indian-Ugandan woman whose family is displaced to Mississippi, and Demetrius, a Black American man whose roots run deep in the South. When love brings them together, old loyalties, cultural assumptions, and unspoken prejudices rise to the surface.
The film reminds us that bias doesn’t only exist between clearly opposed groups. It also lives among communities that have faced exclusion, that carry history, identity and trauma—and yet still draw lines of “us” and “them.” Mina’s family, having fled persecution in Uganda, believe themselves to be victims of history—but they still resist what they view as a different kind of “other.” Demetrius, proud of his place in his home community, confronts the belief that those from outside can never fully understand or belong. What looks like “progress” turns out to be layered with expectations and stereotypes.
And then there’s the real-world echo: Mira Nair’s son, Zohran Mamdani, recently made waves in New York politics by winning the mayoral race thanks, in part, to a coalition that included large numbers of young people and ethnic minorities. His campaign fused immigrant identity, culture and generational change—and it suggests something important: attitudes around race, culture, and belonging are shifting. Mamdani’s success was supported by young voters across backgrounds, which signals a new openness to how identity and power are framed.
So how does this all tie back to you? It asks: who do you invite into your universe? Who feels like an outsider in your world—even when they’ve been walking the same halls? How might our “us vs. them” maps still exist—among people we think we “get” or among people we think are “just like us”?
Reflection Questions
Who in your circles shares a similar journey to Mina or Demetrius—someone whose culture or story you think you understand, and yet you’ve held back from deep connection?
Do you see yourself as someone who has been excluded—and yet still holds assumptions about others who are “outside”?
What walls do you assume are gone when they’re really just hidden?
One Small Step
Here are three options of small steps you can take:
Invite a person from a different cultural or immigrant background into your space—ask not just about “how they’re doing,” but about who they’ve been and where they’re going.
Choose one book, podcast, or film by a creator you’ve never encountered before—someone whose heritage or identity you don’t share—and notice what assumptions it challenges.
Reflect on your assumptions about people who have “arrived”—in culture, work, or society. Ask yourself: Do I see them as full equals, with their own power and story?
Bias isn’t just about them. It’s also about us—and the stories we tell ourselves about belonging, identity, history and place. Mississippi Masala shows us how complex that story can be. And when someone like Zohran Mamdani rises by bridging identity, culture and power, it reminds us that change isn’t only possible—it’s already happening. The question is: will we walk toward it, or stay behind the walls we’ve built?
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