All on the spice route to America

Nanaki Kaur

Have you ever wondered about how Indians fare in the USA? Many Indian Americans travel abroad in pursuit of knowledge and financial success. However, they deal with misconceptions about their capabilities and even their tastes in food and music. While this creates difficulties in the short term, in the long run, the challenges that Indian Americans face abroad encourage them to reconnect with their roots. This gives them a firmer grounding in their history and identity. In the fictional interaction below, a South Indian couple, an IT technician, and a college student disclose how they rise above negative stereotyping to accept their Indianness.

Alina sits down in the waiting area of the DMV in Houston to renew her driver’s licence. Sunil and Deepa, an Indian couple, take seats next to her. So does Ishdeep Singh, an IT technician with United Airlines. Alina turns to Ishdeep to break the ice, and asks “Did you have acchar for lunch?”

Ishdeep: No (smiles).

Alina: I avoid acchar. The smell can linger on your clothes and Americans assume that Indian have a bad hygiene. So, I’m always cautious about smelling nice. I don’t hesitate indulging in the Indian food my mom cooks though, because I think it’s a great way of keeping our culture alive.

Ishdeep: How else do you stay in touch with our culture?

Alina: I enjoy watching Bollywood movies with my parents.

Ishdeep: Americans have misconceptions about Bollywood. They think that people in India break into song and dance while walking in the streets.The reality in India is a far cry from the fairy tale romances depicted in Bollywood flicks.

Alina: What do you mean?

Ishdeep: I thought that all Punjabis drive around in fancy cars with a girl on the passenger seat, because that is what Punjabi music videos are about. But one summer, I attended an Indian classical music class where a guru was instructing his students thoughtfully. It had a completely different tenor from the flashy culture of Bollywood or Punjabi videos.

Alina: I agree. An American once came up to me and asked ‘Do you speak Indian’. I was amused to hear that. I told him that India has over 700 languages, none of which is called Indian.

Suddenly, a voice from behind interrupts, “Unfortunately, if we’re not careful, our kids can fall prey to the same ignorance about our language and culture”.

Alina turned, startled, to find herself face-to-face with a South Indian couple.

Sunil: I’m Sunil and this is Deepa. Your conversation reminds me of an incident. I was talking to my mother in Malayalam over Skype. My daughter asked me, “Dada are you speaking Spanish?” It was the only language she was aware of besides English. What’s worse is when Americans assume that because I’m an Indian, I won’t be able to speak English. When I pointed out a grammatical error in an entrance exam to my colleagues, they expressed disbelief that an Indian immigrant could be better equipped than them to correct English grammar.

Ishdeep: My grandmother would always tell me to be twice as good as everyone else in the room, because I would be judged twice as hard. If we challenge the stereotypes, we can be equally successful.

Evening odds

Indian Americans deal with negative stereotyping on a day-to-day basis. However, rather than crumbling underneath its weight, they instead choose to stay connected to their roots through food, music and tradition and work twice as hard as their counter-parts to prove their worth and value in the land of dreams. The story of the Indian-American immigrant is a unique tale, not only of struggle but also of self-discovery and triumph.