[Assam] From ToI

[Chan Mahanta]

I was inquiring about heavily desi-immigrant populated neighborhoods 
in the USA or Britain or such other western countries.

Like the Houston desi-enclave ( I am not sure what it is called), or 
Devon Street area of Chicago, or Jackson Heights in NY.  Are they 
particularly unkempt, with trash strewn around for example?










At 9:51 AM -0500 6/12/08, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
>C'da,
>
>>*** Is there any reason for such a perception among westerners or >is it a
>case of racism?
>
>I don't think one can call it 'racism' but rather some sort of prejudice
>or perceived notion.
>
>If one were to visit certain parts of India, citizens are least bothered
>about throwing garbage out of the windows and on to the streets.  Public
>sanitation and health is huge problem in India.
>
>Guwahati for instance, most will agree, that while homes are usually very
>clean, the streets outside are strewn with garbage & filth everywhere, and
>the Bharalu and the Brahmaputra are where everything winds up in the end.
>
>I understand there are many reasons for this, but public apathy and lack of
>'ownership' of the surroundings must have contributed something to the
>plight of Guwahati.
>
>The 'racism' part comes from some Westerners when they probably relate to
>what they see on TV about India, Africa, the Sudan, and then see some
>Indians reiterating whats seen on TV.
>
>BTW: Yesterday, while listening to a 'right wing' talk radio, and they were
>talking about Korean Restaurants feeding dog meat to customers (in the US).
>
>Many callers were convinced that was the case (even though they had never
>visited or actually knew about Korea, and were sure that dog meat was was
>there (but of the menu). Now, that is a problem of perception
>
>--Ram
>
>
>
>
>
>On 6/12/08, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
>>
>>  "----blaming Indian immigrants for littering."
>>
>>
>>  *** Is there any reason for such a perception among westerners or is
>>  it a case of racism?
>>
>>  cm
>>
>>
>>
>> 
>>***********************************************************************************************************
>>
>>
>> 
>>http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/British_councillor_apologises_for_racist_remarks_on_Indians/articleshow/3123690.cms
>>
>>
>>  LONDON: A local authority councillor in London has been forced to
>>  apologise after blaming Indian immigrants for littering.
>>
>>  Lucy Ivimy of the Hammersmith and Fulham local authority in west
>>  London was slammed after claiming in an email that Indians in an
>>  apartment block were throwing rubbish out of the window.
>>
>>  While such practice was "normal behaviour" in India, to do so in
>>  Britain was "not acceptable behaviour", she said in the email.
>>
>>  Residents said there was no evidence Indians were tossing rubbish out
>>  of the window -- or indeed that there were any Indians at the
>>  Woodford Court apartment block.
>>
>>  In a statement issued on Wednesday, Ivimy said: "I am aware that some
>>  ill-advised comments of mine in a private email have been interpreted
>>  as something that I never meant and have given offence, for which I
>>  unreservedly apologise.
>>
>>  "I should stress that I have no idea who are the specific culprits,
>>  or even if they are estate residents."
>>
>>  "I never meant to imply that this sort of careless behaviour belongs
>>  specifically to any one particular group."
>>
>>  Stephen Cowan, leader of the Labour group in the Tory-run council,
>>  said: "This shows her inherent prejudice."
>>
>>  He said Ivimy, as a member of the council's cabinet looking after
>>  housing, was responsible for 14,000 tenants' homes and over 4,000
>>  leaseholders' homes and all the housing association homes in the
>>  borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
>>
>>  "Many of those people, like the whole of London, come from all sorts
>>  of backgrounds."
>>
>>  Dang Sakares, who has lived on the apartment block for eight years,
>>  said: "I don't think I've seen any Indian people in this block."
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