I appreciate that you raised this question, AmberH. In the novel, the Asian characters expressed (from their different perspectives) the stereotype that Bengalis (being Indian) were, or considered themselves to be, superior to Bangladeshis. Bangladesh used to be part of the Bengal region of India; in 1947 it was partitioned from India along with Pakistan (it was then called East Pakistan) and for the same reason: to separate Islamic people from Hindus, despite a shared history and culture going back to ancient times. Partition was messy, uprooting many people from their homes, sometimes violent, and it cost many people their assets and livelihood. It left a lot of hard feelings on both sides. Bangladesh became independent of Pakistan in 1971 after a strong pro-democracy movement. It has been economically challenged since then, compared to India, though I understand it is developing more rapidly. I’m sure there is a lot more to it than what little I know. I do understand that Bangladeshis are very proud of their (Bengali) language and literary heritage (Tagore, for example). That was a big part of the break with Pakistan (where the official language was Urdu, with a different script). Understanding the strife behind the stereotype—in contrast to the fact that in America, the two groups would appear to be one and the same— I think is important to Franqui’s purpose in the novel: our cherished hierarchies and stereotypes and grudges are meaningless and foolish when viewed from afar, from a larger perspective.
I don’t know what offended the Indian women on Goodreads, but I can imagine that some Americans would feel offended by a fictional American who exhibited racial prejudice, either because they were looking into a mirror, and felt misrepresented, or because they didn’t want people to think all Americans felt that way.