[Assam] From ToI
Krishnendu Chakraborty
krish_gau at yahoo.com
Thu Jun 12 10:00:30 PDT 2008
C'da, have you been to Chinese dominated areas in US
(like Chinatown in Boston) or the hispanic dominated
areas (Chelsea or Revere near Boston) ? I have been
to Devon and frequented to Oak Tree Road (Edison, NJ).
Those are clean compared to some pockets of Boston.
Not to defend desi community but it is same everywhere
when you have a lot of people recently migrated from a
third world country.
****************************************************************
I do believe that people have a capacity to learn and
they usually
do. But my own observations are that Indians take a
loooong time to
learn civic lessons, particularly when they are in any
concentration.
I am sure you know all too well about the environment
inside
transcontinental flights in their last legs into
India, Ram. Don't
you?
I remember a desi-shopping center parking lot and
surroundings in
Houston from about three or four years back that
looked quite filthy.
There was trash all around. And I have witnesses, from
Houston , who
will testify to that to you. They drove us there.
Similarly on and around Devon Street of Chicago.
And last but not the least, right here at the Mahatma
Gandhi Center
of St. Louis after a gathering of certain communities.
Being in the
Board of this facility I also know, first hand, how
they trash the
place, remove property, stuff the toilets --- you
name it. What was
even more disconcerting was when a Board Member of the
Temple next
-door told me a few weeks back, in whispers, of the
horror stories
they experience, in their TEMPLE!
Is there something genetic here :-)?
At 10:54 AM -0500 6/12/08, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
> >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?
>
>In Houston, we have the Harwin/Hilcroft area. The
area (at one time) had a
>drap look. But today, modern shopping centers, and
mini malls have been
>built (all by desis), and attracts shoppers from many
parts of Texas (not
>just desis though).
>
>I remember, some years ago, there were several paan
dukanis (paan shops)
>there, and desi paan chewers would spit (peek pelai)
the paan crud around
>the shop. The city health dept. couldn't figure out
all the 'blood' around
>the place... when they did, they gave a stiff warning
to the paan dukani. It
>doesn't happen now.
>
>The Houston desi population is still small compared
to Southhall (London)
>and so it has managed to keep clean even in areas
where there are higher
>concentrations..
>
>--Ram
>
>
>
>On 6/12/08, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net>
wrote:
>>
>>
>> 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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