Im a history girl from way back. And Im interested in modern India because its story from colonialism onward is in part the story of the 20th century (in my view). Im an internationalist and have been since I was 7 years-old. I was raised in a pro-Black home and have extended the sentiment to being pro-colored people. Please note I consider South Asians colored people. Im interested in colored folks from Japan to Pakistan to Lebanon to Senegal.

Im a born groupie and Bollywood appeals to that aspect of myself. Ive seen a few South Asian men who remind me of my father which is very interesting to me. I spent 6 months living in London and enjoyed my experiences with South Asian British culture there. I also found the sense of unity between Black Brits and South Asian Brits very refreshing.

Im very interested in watching the evolution of the South Asian American community as they come into their own on the cultural and political scenes. I remember what it was like in the 1970s growing up in the U.S. My family would get excited when Black people were on tv and about news on the first Black so-and so (Im in the post-civil rights generation). Im very excited for you all! Im also a born cheerleader. Basically, Im feeling desis.

I would add that if you read my weblog -www.wordgyrl.typepad.com
you may be able to get more answers. However, my weblog leads into the greyer area of my feelings about being very much interested in another group of colored people who arent of African descent. Basically, Im feeling desis but Ive been through periods where Ive felt torn about feeling desis.

I think its very acceptable for me as an African-American to want to go to London or Paris or Tokyo. However, when I tell people (white, Black, etc.) that Im planning to travel around India for 3-6 months or when people realize that Im not ignorant of the world beyond my American or Japanese neighborhoods – I get weird reactions.

I know that Im upsetting some type of white/Black paradigm. I think its perfectly acceptable and preferred that African-American people stay in the box that is related to themselves or African-related interests. However, I be damn if Ill allow any person (white, Black, family members, friends, enemies, South Asians, Japanese,) to confine my life, definition of self, and interests to a box. People fought and died for me to be the person that I dreamt of. And I`m dreaming of India.

To clarify, I was being ironic. To clarify via a different bent, it is also entirely possible that we haven’t shown Indian-American culture to be that interesting… “Indian” culture is interesting, that’s proven. “Indian-American” culture, on the other hand, has thus far only appeared as one big cultural fugue that we have often chosen to spoof rather than be serious about. And not to be obvious, but if we want people outside the lines to take Indian-American culture seriously we have to do so first.

“… you are insulting Americans (because we can’t understand Indians)”

I apologize, as I didn’t mean to be insulting. However, let me be clear in saying that most Americans, while they may understand Indian-Americans on a personal level, still don’t feel connected with the culture on a social level. And perhaps the reason for that is because Indian-American culture is so reliant on pure Indian culture that it doesn’t give the average American anything to relate to, it has yet to have an indigenous sensibility that is accessible as being “American”… It’s a question of “Indian culture in the U.S.” vs. “Indian-American culture.”

“… I’m interested in learning and getting info on what is happening in South Asia and with South Asians in America.”

Since you brought it up and because it’s relevant to this conversation… Why?

“That said, at this stage even if people did want to hear about it, they’d still have a difficult time accepting it simply because they can’t understand why Indians rabidly participate in American culture and then still maintain a strong allegiance to their homeland (“U.S.A.! U.S.A.!, U.S.A.!”). “

Santhosh- I’m not buying those argument! I almost think you are insulting Americans (because we can’t understand Indians) and Indians (they aren’t interesting) in the same post.

I think Americans haven’t had a lot of exposure to Indian culture and the more exposure they get, the more interested they may become.

I’m politically Black or “real” Black, I call it. I was raised around Black working class people in a midwestern city divided on the white and Black colorline. I’m very interested in Indian culture. Some Black people may accuse me of being too interested

I’m not on this website simply to rant about or defend African-Americans (even though I’m genetically inclined to do that). I’m here because I’m interested in learning and getting info on what is happening in South Asia and with South Asians in America and it is a very fun website to read. Really, the Sepia people don’t pay me money even though they can if they like

I actually believe Indian culture will catch on in the U.S.A., eventually even cricket may catch on a litte outside South Asian and Carribean communities in the U.S.

I have no doubt in my “real” Black soul that Indian culture will eventually explode into American mainstream culture.

Take a culture, make another culture, create subculture, be a pepper, drink Dr. Pepper…

I don’t know if 1965 let in pop-culture customers, I just think it let in a different kind of creator and then a whole lot of consumers, a number of people who created their niche and were content to consume the Dream. That’s good, we need that, it creates the base from which we push and I don’t think we should a) ever disregard how much that has helped us do what we do now and b) ignore the speed at which we’ve moved from that history to create a distinctly “American” culture that is, I might add, not as shallow as all the movies [we make] indicate.

Come now, the motherland is passionate and fascinating. But if you said the 1965 sieve let in pop culture customers rather than creators, I could get behind that.

The first rule of drama is conflict. No conflict, no story.

True, but India’s cultural relationship with Britain outdates the literal existence of the U.S., so.

Indian culture is not non-existent in terms of American culture, it just doesn’t have a recognizably earned history that people consider to be part of the “American” experience (e.g. African American, Italian, etc.). And even if it did, it’s not a guarantee that people would be interested in hearing about it (i.e. not a whole lot of sitcoms about Jews, Latinos, etc. either). That said, at this stage even if people did want to hear about it, they’d still have a difficult time accepting it simply because they can’t understand why Indians rabidly participate in American culture and then still maintain a strong allegiance to their homeland (“U.S.A.! U.S.A.!, U.S.A.!”).

All things considered, said and done, in the fifty+ years we’ve really been affecting this country, we’ve done some things and have some culture. Sure, we don’t have the depth in music and other arts, but if you look around, there’s a whole lot of people working in those fields and setting the stage for the future. If anything, the immigration & recreation narratives (Mukherjee, Lahiri, blahblahblah, etc.), however trite, are at some point going to take place alongside post-colonial theory et al as a literary movement of some sort…

But, yes, we’re not on/in TV, music and cinema (we are in media, so) and maybe it’s because we’re just not that interesting. Whatever the case, like most things in this country, relatively new that it is, we’re the first to do whatever we do and although British Indians have their scene going on, it’s nice to be part of the group creating, not just participating in, the scene.

I read an interview years ago in Transition magazine, in which Gurinder Chandha said she grew up calling herself “Black” in political terms. That blew my American mind! But many political minded South Asians and Black Brits (especially the people who came over in the 1960′S) were tight pretty tight and used the term “Black” to identify themselves.

I also know that Hindu Indians have done much better economically and socially then their Muslim Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshian brethen. Basically, I know some stuff because I’m Ms. World! I wasn’t lying with that name. I”m also Ms. Black India but people hate on that!

Most of the Desi music comes from Engalnd comes from working class Sikhs whose parents are from Jalandhar. The Indian community in the UK isnt homogenous, and East African Indians there are a minority within the Indian community there. I reckon there are a whole range of cultural reasons why Pakistanis and Bangladeshis have not done so well as Indians in England, starting with the low priority given to female education in those communities compared to other sections of British society.

Laila Rouass is really good looking, but she’s a 50/50 – half Indian, half Arab.