That Brown Girl

Originally published at Brown Girl Magazine.

I am a fist-pumping, pouf-loving Jersey Shore fan.  I got into a “fight” over Twitter last week with my friend defending Snooki’s honor (after this New York Times article).  But after hearing about a “Asian” version of Jersey shore – filmed in Los Angeles’ Korea Town, tentatively titled “K-Town” and a possible Persian version, I wondered if my own ethnic group was worthy of its own television show, examining its eccentricities?

Could there be an Indian version of Jersey Shore?

We all know there are Indian strongholds in pretty much every major American city, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, etc.  Urban twenty-somethings with their own cliques, parties, and activities very similar to the subculture depicted on the Jersey Shore.  Even Indians born and raised in America live straddling both cultures and many choose traditionally Indian immigrant professions (entering medical school or the family business) and Indian culture (Indian food, music, and movies).

There has been much debate about whether the kids on Jersey Shore represent traditional Italian culture in the Northeast or whether the “guido” culture depicted on the show is offensive to Italian-Americans. Assuming the culture depicted in the show is accurate (I was born and raised in the suburban Midwest so I won’t pretend to have firsthand experience beyond True Life episodes), I see a lot of similarities between Indian and Italian culture in America.

The first season of Jersey Shore showed a visit from Vinny’s family, Vinny being arguably the sanest, smartest member of the cast.  His mother brought trays of food and cleaned the entire house.  Of his mother, Vinny said, “She cooks, then cleans, then eats by herself in the dark, a typical Italian mom.” How many times have we seen our mothers take care of our families in a similar way? Living close to home or with parents is often encouraged and Vinny announced on the reunion show he saw no reason to move out of his parent’s home.

As Joel Stein’s recent article on his hometown of Edison, NJ being taken over by “Guindians” as he called the Indians who resembled “guidos” with gelled hair and gold chains, a subculture of music and dance loving Indians already exists.

Reactions are mixed on the possible debut of “K-Town,” with a cast of young Asian-Americans. Jezebel.com commenters were alternately proud of Asians moving beyond either a nerdy or hyper-sexualized stereotype in Western media and horrified that another ethnic group would subject themselves to the same ridicule heaped on the Jersey Shore crew.

So would an Indian Jersey Shore be a step backward?

Certainly the Jersey Shore cast has been the butt of jokes in the media for months.  The show’s breakout star, Nicole “Snooki” Pollizzi, was recently profiled in the New York Times Sunday Styles section, in a piece that characterized Snooki as an immature, unattractive child.  Late-night talk shows and even politicians have used the show as an example of the downfall of America’s youth.

I think a happy medium is possible between debauchery and Indian stereotypes.  Dev Patel, star of Slumdog Millionaire, recently lamented the lack of visibility of Asians in Hollywood. “Asian actors tend not to be sent Hollywood scripts that are substantial or challenging,” Patel told theDaily Mail. “I’m likely to be offered the roles of a terrorist, cab driver and smart geek.”

I think it’s good for the Indian community to gain visibility in popular media, warts and all.  At least it will prove we are not all terrorists, cab drivers, or geeks.

Originally published at Brown Girl Magazine

I remember my mom telling me stories of being embarrassed while riding Indian public transportation as a teenager.  Her developing body made her the target of unwelcome attention.  I haven’t spent enough time in India to be a target of sexual harassment but the concept of “eve teasing” (a common Indian phrase for female sexual harassment) is familiar to me.  Complaints about eve teasing are often not taken seriously and even portrayed as something Indian women must endure. I felt a swell of pride when I read “Fighting for safe passage in India’s streets” (NY Times, Aug. 3) about women in India fighting against this unfortunately common practice.

The article highlights three activist groups working to change public perception of street harassment and violence.

Artist Jasmeen Patheja runs Blank Noise, a community organization dedicated to fighting eve teasing.  Blank Noise started as an art project when Patheja was a student at Bangalore’s Srishti School of Art and Design and has spread to Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, and other cities. Blank Noise fights harassment by staging “interventions” including spray painting harassment victim’s stories in public places, creating anti-harassment posters and t-shirts, and holding public marches.  Blank Noise’s blog includes a section about “Action Heroes.” An Action Hero is defined as “a woman who faces threat and experiences fear on the streets of her city, but can devise unique ways to confront it.” Several Action Hero characteristics:

An Action Hero can make eye contact with strangers.

An Action Hero can walk the streets without apology.

An Action Hero believes that the city is HERS.

An Action Hero does not take the age old blame for experiencing street sexual violence. She believes there’s no such thing as ‘asking for it’.

The Gulabi Gang takes a more direct approach to dealing with street harassers and recalcitrant law enforcement.  Sampat Pal Devi started her group with a few women in her small community in Uttar Pradesh by targeting a known abusive husband. Today, the Gulabi Gang includes several hundred women exposing corruption among local police forces and publicly beating abusive husbands with lathis, a traditional Indian stick.  The Gang has also set up vocational and educational centers to educate and empower rural women.  So far, the Gulabi (meaning “pink” in Hindi, for the pink saris the gang members wear) Gang has stayed away from political affiliation, citing kickbacks government officials want in exchange for support.  In “India’s pink vigilante women” (BBC News, Nov. 27, 2009), Devi explains the importance of vigilante justice for rural women, “Village society in India is loaded against women. It refuses to educate them, marries them off too early, barters them for money. Village women need to study and become independent to sort it out themselves.”

Other activists have directly involved political parties, including the Pink Chaddi movement started by journalist Nisha Susan. After Sri Ram Sene, a Hindu rightist party, began attacking women in pubs in 2009, Susan started a Pink Chaddi (Chaddi is a slang Hindi word for underwear) Facebook group encouraging a non-violent protest against the party.  Pramod Muthalik, leader of Sri Ram Sene, had publicly denounced the celebration of Valentine’s Day in India, claiming the holiday encouraged “un-Indian” actions and threatening to take action against young couples found in public together.  Susan invited women to send Muthalik pink underwear, and organized marches and protests near major city landmarks.  Their actions worked: Sri Ram Sene canceled rallies planned for Valentine’s Day and Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram admitted the party was a threat to the country.

These women are fighting for a better society every day, not just with their tangible actions, but by simply bringing awareness to the serious issue of street harassment on a national and international level.  These groups remind us that ordinary citizens can make a difference – even in a culture dedicated to tradition.

For more information, visit:

thepinkchaddicampaign.blogspot.com

blog.blanknoise.org

gulabigang.org

**image pulled from the Wall Street Journal

Originally published at The Pursuit of Harpyness, a great blog “narrated by five of the most charming and vicious women on the Internet.”

Courtesy of spreadit.org

I am the daughter of Indian immigrants. My parents have lived in this country for twenty-seven years and I consider myself fully Americanized. But growing up, Indian female role models were scarce. That’s why I was initially excited to hear that last month, thirty-eight year old Nikki Haley won the GOP primary in South Carolina to be the first Indian-American woman candidate for governor.

Haley’s parents are Sikh, and immigrated from India in 1973. Her childhood is peppered with incidents familiar to most Indian immigrant families. A popular anecdote reported in the mainstream media describes Nikki (born Nikita) entering a local beauty pageant with her sister as a child; pageant officials were flummoxed. They traditionally awarded a prize to one white child and white black child — they had no idea where to place Nikki. Her brother cut his long hair (a Sikh custom) after being teased at school.

I did not know Nikki Haley was Indian-American like myself until South Carolina state senator Jake Knotts was reported in the press as saying, “We’ve already got a raghead in the White House, we don’t need another raghead in the governor’s mansion,” and “She’s a raghead that’s ashamed of her religion trying to hide it behind being Methodist for political reasons.” Knotts later clarified his statements were “intended in jest” and denounced calls for his resignation.

Other negative charges have dogged Haley throughout her campaign. Two men have claimed to have had extramarital affairs with the candidate; Haley has denied the charges.

Haley married a white Methodist man in 1995 and replaced her surname, Randhwa, with her husband’s, Haley. In the “Truth in Facts” section of her website, clearly meant to showcase the most important issues of her campaign, questions include: “Is Nikki her real name?” and “Is Nikki a Christian?”

The underlying message of Nikki’s website and campaign is a Sikh woman named Nikita Randhwa, even if she was born in America, has no chance of being elected governor of a conservative Southern state. Popular precedent agrees. The most famous Indian-American political figure is Bobby Jindal, Republican governor of Louisiana. A rising star in the Republican party, Jindal was seriously considered as a possible running mate for John McCain in 2008 and has been suggested as a possible presidential candidate in 2012. Jindal (born Piyush) also goes by a nickname and converted to Catholicism in college. His journey to Catholicism started as a teenager and was officially confirmed as a student at Brown University.

In a 2008 Wall Street Journal article, “Rebel With a Cause: Bobby Jindal’s Spiritual Journey,” Suhag Shukla, managing director for the Hindu American Foundation, which represents the interests of the approximately two million Hindus in the U.S., calls him “a mix of hope and disappointment.” She says that “there is hope in what he represents, that an immigrant can hold the highest seat in state government, who doesn’t look like the ‘average American.’ What’s disappointing, though, is at what expense? Does it take turning your back on your tradition? To your community?”

Like Shukla, I am torn between pride and disappointment at these two figures. For an Indian-American woman to come this far in a governor’s race is truly amazing, but her path to success is troubling. I choose to believe I do not have to compromise my religion, my culture, my name to succeed in this country but does being a public figure demand this alteration?

And even despite changing their names and religion, will Indian-Americans be fully accepted into the conservative political scene? Statements by Sen. Knotts and constituent comments in articles about Haley reflect my uneasiness. Knotts’ racist remarks were excused by his colleagues – who knows what hate speech constituents spew behind closed doors?

I understand my situation is different from Haley’s. My parents immigrated to America in 1983 and I was born five years later. In the central Kentucky town I was born in, cashiers asked my dad if the large bag of rice he was buying was for his horse and looked quizzically at cilantro. But the university town brought many Indians and my parents enjoyed the friendship of similar couples. I had Indian friends, took Indian dance classes, and visited Indian temples. Haley, born earlier and in a more isolated town, probably did not have the same connection to Indian culture.

Though Indian women in America are encouraged to enter male-dominated fields like engineering and medicine our path to success is still difficult. We are expected to maintain the household, cook traditional meals, and have a career. Our mothers warn us against fraternizing with boys, especially non-Indian males. Accusing Haley of affairs with other men must hurt her family deeply and is the lowest possible blow to her reputation.

I personally don’t agree with Haley’s conservative policies. But it’s hard to answer whether I would rather have no Indian women in American politics or have a potentially successful candidate who has scrubbed herself of her Indian heritage to succeed.

Haley herself has shied away from the historical implications of her victory. She recently told the New York Times, ““I love that people think it’s a good story, but I don’t understand how it’s different.” Indians make up a significant part of the immigrant population in America, in wealth, power, and numbers. By not discussing her heritage, she risks alienating these voters.

Ultimately, though, I understand why Haley, and other non-white candidates portray themselves the way they do. Despite Barack Obama’s election, despite Hispanics making up a majority of the population in some states, despite the childhood lesson of America being a “melting pot,” politics is still a white man’s game. Haley’s goal is to become the governor of South Carolina. That she and other candidates must shed their names and religions to achieve their goals makes me disappointed in our society and political system, not the candidates themselves.

Originally published at browngirlmagazine.com

Courtesy of Natasha Raheja at Wave Mall in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

In another example of Western-style capitalism exerting its influence in the East, McDonald’s new marketing campaign for India tries to make a connection  between misogyny and pleasure.

The campaign’s slogan, “Har Chhoti Khushi Ka Celebration” is promoting the expansion of McDonald’s India ‘Happy Price Menu’ similar to the Dollar Menu in the United States with all items under Rs. 20.  According to a press release from McDonald’s India website, the new campaign aims to “highlight the fact that it offers value through its ‘Happy Price Menu’ for those who come to McDonald’s to celebrate the small pleasures of life be it a good parking space or having a chance to date girlfriend and ex-girlfriend together etc.”

Reading the official press release boggles the mind.  How is snagging a close parking place comparable to dating two women at the same time? The visual ad shows a man sitting next to a woman with another woman sits looking on.

More than being offended at this ad, I’m really puzzled.  So getting a deal on addictive, unhealthy food is like going on a date with another woman with the permission of your girlfriend?  In still-conservative India, the experience of cheating on one’s partner is to be aspired to? And even though I understand fast food restaurants in India are looked as novel examples of wealth, McDonald’s still seems like an unromantic meeting place.

In the press release, Marketing Director Arvind Singhal says of the new ad: “The

Indian consumers are value conscious and also need to perceive McDonald’s as an affordable eating out option.” So this ad is rewarding Indians “value conscious” taste in food and women.  Flattering.

As someone who has lived her entire life in America, this ad is not surprising because I see the visual of women being treated as objects every day – on billboards, commercials, and magazines.  At home, however, the traditional Indians values my parents taught went against the demeaning voice of advertising.  It’s sad to that in the quest for capitalism, companies like McDonald’s are influencing the cultural messages for young Indians.

From cleveland.com

Originally published at browngirlmagazine.com

For the second year in a row, a female of Indian origin has won the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington DC.  This year’s winner, fourteen year old Annamika Veeramani, correctly spelled the word stromuhr (the name of a blood-measuring medical device) to clinch the title. It marks a pattern – Indian-Americans have won the National Spelling Bee eight of the past twelve years.

So why are Indian children so successful in the high-profile National Spelling Bee?

The most evidence comes from the 2002 documentary “Spellbound,” which followed seven contestants and their journey to the 1999 Spelling Bee finals. Two Indian children were featured in the award-winning film. Nupur Lala, then 14, ended up winning the bee while Neil Kadakia placed in the top ten. Kadakia’s father was featured heavily and explained his theories around Indian children populating the Bee.  He instructed his son in performing meditation and daily exercises (a hilarious scene of the boy practicing “Indian style” push-ups is a visual highlight of the film) and Kadakia’s mother said without meditation and Indian culture, American children lacked the discipline to concentrate for long periods of time.

Of course, class distinctions are also highlighted as Kadakia had multiple tutors in classical languages and parents who actively participated in their son’s education.

Lala is now a neuroscientist at MIT.  Last year’s winner Kavya Shivashankar, then 13, said she hoped to follow in Lala’s path and study science.  Shivashankar’s younger sister, now 8, competed in this year’s Spelling Bee.

Though it is empowering to see so many Indians competing in and winning the prestigious competition, shades of parental pressure (which can reach dangerous levels in Indian culture) are also visible.

In an Associated Press article published June 5, “Spelling bee winner part of Indian-American streak,” Veeramani’s father proudly told a reporter that winning the Bee was a family dream, and that his daughter sometimes studies sixteen hours a day.

But it is empowering to see young girls capture the trophy year after year.  In “Spelling bee winner part of Indian-America streak,” Shivashankar’s father said “Kavya’s role model was Nupur Lala,” “And now there are a lot of girls who look up to Kavya.”

In further evidence of the National Spelling Bee becoming more diverse, an early spelling word was “raita.”