South Asia, home to one-sixth of the world’s population, often gets confused and stereotyped. (And no, it’s not Southeast Asia.) It’s produced the world’s largest diaspora and America’s fastest growing demographic. Yet, the region and its people are conflated with a few tropes: doctors, taxi drivers, funny accents, smelly food, Apu, Bollywood, big fat weddings. How did an immensely diverse group of people, one that doesn’t see itself as singular, become exactly that in the eyes of the West? This talk will explore the role of media in shaping our understanding of South Asia and its people, how we can do better, and why now.