Okay, So Here’s Another Headcanon Relating To James Being Indian - One That Possibly Explains A Longstanding

I’ve previously stated that when people say “Why have James and Harry as POC?” it’s fair enough to respond, “Why not?” but there are also some reasons that specifically drive me towards representing them that way. So, without further ado, here’s why I tend to view James Potter as a person of colour. 

(Please note that this isn’t about authorial intent, since I’m more than aware that JKR doesn’t exactly write with the purpose of people reading her main characters as POC. It’s more about how the narrative connects as a reader, as well as some personal preferences.)

Racially-Coded Language Directed At James 

[…] Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn’t have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn’t want Dudley mixing with a child like that. (PS1)

and, after Vernon claims James had been unemployed in POA: 

“As I expected!” said Aunt Marge, taking a huge swig of brandy and wiping her chin on her sleeve. “A no-account, good-for-nothing, lazy scrounger who —” (POA2)

There’s a very specific trend in the way that the Dursleys speak about James. “Good-for-nothing,” as soon as he’s introduced, a sentiment repeated by Marge. “Wastrel” in that same chapter of POA. And the way that Marge reacts to James being “unemployed” is very much akin to anti-immigrant rhetoric, i.e. considering them a drain of public resources. It’s classist too, certainly, but that’s not divorced from racial dynamics. The greatest employment disparities in Britain occur among ethnic minorities. And that’s in recent reports. I can guarantee it was worse approximately 30 years ago, during the setting of HP. On top of that, the idea that the Harry’s “otherness” can be identified on sight also reads like an allusion to race. 

Harry’s Appearance

He shot a nasty look sideways at Harry, whose untidy hair had always been a source of great annoyance to Uncle Vernon. (POA2)

and 

Professor Flitwick was walking past a boy with untidy black hair … very untidy black hair…  (OOTP28)

James and Harry share most of their features. The most prominent of these is by far James’s hair, which is consistently described as both “black” and “untidy.” Neither is a trait exclusive to people of colour, but there certainly is a tendency for people of colour to face greater scrutiny for the state of their hair. The Dursleys’ view that having “improper” hair somehow equates lacking societal worth is much along those lines. It’s not at all unreasonable to relate Harry’s struggle with his hair as partly the product of his heritage. 

Dynamic Balance Between James and Lily

This one is a point of personal preference. Since we know so little about either James or Lily, it’s hard to gauge what exactly their relationship was like. But I absolutely love the idea of James as a person of colour and a pure-blood while Lily is white and Muggle-born. Although there’s a claim that there’s no racism in the wizarding world (I’d question that, but that’s a different post), there certainly would be in 1970s Muggle UK. It’s an interesting dynamic to engage with — James, completely unaware of why people would look askew his relationship with Lily even in the Muggle world. Lily, turning indignant protector for James, while people dislike him for his heritage. It’s all the appeal of a role reversal AU but built into canon-compliance. 

Presumption of Delinquency 

For the space of a heartbeat both policemen imagined guns gleaming at them, but a second later they saw that the motorcyclists had drawn nothing more than —

“Drumsticks?” jeered Anderson. “Right pair of jokers, aren’t you? Right, we’re arresting you on a charge of —” (Prequel)

and

Harry preferred Little Whinging by night, when the curtained windows made patches of jewel-bright colors in the darkness and he ran no danger of hearing disapproving mutters about his “delinquent” appearance when he passed the householders. (OOTP1) 

This one’s a bit more depressing, but it’s something that I think holds true for many people of colour in places where they aren’t the majority. Whether in a local neighbourhood, with a police officer, or at an airport, it’s easy enough to think of an instance of racial profiling. Being treated as a threat by people who don’t really know you. In James and Sirius’s interaction with the police, up until that point they’re smarmy, sure, but have made no indication that they’re any kind of threat. They reach back in their pockets and immediately the assumption is that they have guns. Harry experiences similar profiling. In that same chapter, he talks about how some of the neighbourhood kids are afraid of him. Admittedly, he’s got the Dursleys’ badmouthing and the state of his clothing going against him, but James is well-dressed and cared-for and still treated as if he might become violent. 

Nuanced Representation Through James

This point is less about the text itself, and more about how interpreting James as a person of colour is beneficial to readers of colour. Although he sort of gets the least physical presence in the series, the things we do see inform us that he’s got quite the story. He’s described, along with Sirius, as “the cleverest [student] in school,” in POA, he becomes an animagus at the age of fifteen, and he saves the life of his worst enemy (who later sells him out to Voldemort). He dedicates his life to a war that his blood status exempts him from. And he’s got obvious flaws as well! He’s arrogant, sometimes rude, and loyal to the point of being blind to the possibility of betrayal. Of all of the Marauders’ era characters, James has some of the most interesting characterization. In a series where people of colour barely feature, the idea that someone like James (and subsequently Harry) could be men of colour is very exciting. 

And, for what it’s worth, I actually think it’s kind of cool that James is so well-off financially. It’s not only a reversal of expectations with the earlier point of racially-coded insults, but also offers a version of an ethnic minority who doesn’t necessarily have a class disadvantage. And, if you’re on the Desi James train, it actually plays into a specific narrative of migration and employment for Indians in the UK prior to 1981. Racial discrimination and class do not always follow each other, and I think that disconnect can be jarring for those who consider themselves relatively privileged. Again, it’s something I think is interesting to explore.

Diverse Magical Heritage

Again, this idea comes down to personal preference. Since James comes from a long line of mostly pure-bloods, that means that if he is interpreted as a person of colour, there’s an entire magical tradition that can come with that. All of the HP spells are Latin-based, but if you read James as Desi (as I do) then there’s the potential for Sanskrit-based spells! Indian wizard holidays! If Christian wizards celebrate Christmas, surely Hindu wizards celebrate Diwali? Or Muslim wizards celebrate Eid? Not to mention the cool idea of life-cycle rites coming into play. I’d love to see a wizard version of annaprashan, where instead of reaching for just books or toys, you could have Harry reaching for a wand for power, or the Mahabharata for courage. Not to mention that James’ family has a long history in potions, which actually seems closer to Ayurvedic medicine than chemistry. There are so many possibilities that come from seeing James as a person of colour. These are only a few examples. 

You guys don’t know many times I watched this video last night.

Bowing infront of the legend Ramdhari Singh Dinkar who reached the pinnacle of hindi poetry with “Krishna Ki Chetavni.” from “Rashmirathi”

Goosebumps guaranteed ~

Watch at your own risk.

Galinda in her corner of the dorm after spending the whole day with Elphaba ✨ (yes, Elphaba is also in the room)

Anyone have any fic recs for Steve Rogers being the youngest member of the avengers? Please I can’t find any!!!!

Galinda: Hey Elphie, remember how we had to go to the pharmacy to pick up our ADHD meds? Elphaba: Yes? Fiyero: Well, it turns out they're all out for the next five days. Elphaba: Fuck. Galinda: It's going to be a fun week! Elphaba: I'm going to stay with Nessa. Fiyero: Nuh-uh. Through sickness and health, remember?

if i had a cent, NO LISTEN TO ME. a cent, 1/100 of a dollar, every time someone even thought of giving Galinda Glinda trauma, you know how rich i'd be?

GIRL I'D BE RICH ENOUGH TO MAKE MY WICKED MOVIE.

Y'ALL HURT THE BABY TOO MUCH

props for possibly my fav comment on AO3 ever

I have a suggestion to go along with the drunk galinda drabble you wrote aka someone gives glinda an edible at the ozdust (or wherever else) but she doesn’t quite know what it is. someone just offered her a sweet treat that’ll make her “feel good *wink*” and she was like omg yes!!

You absolutely do not have to write this if you don’t want to, it’s just been on my mind!

hi! omg! this is a really fun prompt!

but. um. idk if i can. or like. idk if i'd get it right. bc. uhhhhh-

(i've never had an edible before🙈)

Why do hindu rights posts have so few reblogs? Because hindus are cowards. They cannot even reblog stuff raising awareness about their own community even if it’s on Tumblr, a platform that provides anonymity. We are nothing like our ancestors. We are weak, vulnerable and pathetic and it sucks.

It’s easier to reblog shayari or desi stuff instead. Ik because I’ve been there. I know how it feels to be a Hindu. I know how it feels to look the other way and numb your heart but sometimes—

We just don’t flipping care.

I love your headcanons!! do you have anymore for these sweet girls 🥹 if not can you just do some for glinda/galinda?

Oh gosh, I've done so many gelphie headcanons I can barely remember them, so I'll take the easy way out and just do Glinda lol.

First set of glinda headcanons found here.

General

she's clumsy, not in a 'trips often' way, but in a 'bumps into the corners of tables enough times to have a permanent bruise on her side' way

also: her hand-eye coordination is shit

she tries hard to be timely and organized but forgets the little things like drinking water and eating meals

she's also easily distracted in a 'elphie holds her hand so she doesn't go darting off in crowded places' way

she's not big on exercising bc she hates sweating

her parents believed in corporeal punishment

she's scared of needles (hence her ears not being pierced)

she color codes everything

she's a bit touch starved

she loves the snow

she's a visual learner - verbal instructions go in one ear and out the other

she's really good at mimicry/impressions

she's a poor sleeper

she's terrible at navigation

if there were other languages in oz, she'd be very gifted at learning them

she's always been insecure which is part of why she relies on validation from others so much

AuDHD Galinda

she was a "late bloomer" in many ways as a toddler. her mom homeschooled her so she wouldn't stand out amongst her peers

she was a very quiet child

she rehearses conversations with herself

she learned pretty quickly how to stim in 'socially acceptable' ways

she's sensitive to texture & clothing, part of why her uniform is custom

she gets lost in conversation easily, esp if there's background noise

she became obsessed with learning all the "rules" for fitting in

she has echolalia (mostly internal, but occasionally out loud)

when she feels herself slipping in class, she'll pinch herself hard to give her brain something to focus on

sometimes the adhd part of her brain that leaves things messy or is impulsive or has time blindness conflicts with the autistic part of her brain that likes things organized and structured and planned and it's exhausting

she has rejection sensitive dysphoria!!

she feels really strongly about the idea of someone else feeling disappointed or let down

she doesn't have a strong sense of self

she has no idea what masking is. truly. no clue she's doing it