Comments on: The “India Community Center” http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/10/03/the_india_commu/ All that flavorful brownness in one savory packet Sat, 30 Nov 2013 11:11:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Amit http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/10/03/the_india_commu/comment-page-3/#comment-170242 Amit Sun, 07 Oct 2007 02:59:37 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4764#comment-170242 <p>Aha!! & Duh!! at the same time. I spent a few hours going over the 2005 and 2006 posts (and all the comments) on 'South Asia' vis-à-vis Sepia Mutiny, and a few things that had been puzzling me for a while suddenly became clearer. Simply reading the posts here (as I have been doing for a couple of months now) does not lead one to believe that this is a South Asian blog (pictures in the header, post subject matter) and not an Indian (and American) blog, even though the FAQ does mention "South Asian."</p> <p>It'll be nice if a link to the two posts in the SM archive can be provided in the FAQ itself, so that newbies have that history available to them, because it does put things in perspective. Unless people prefer to re-visit this discussion every 6 months or so when new folks unaware of the history of the blog and "South Asian" identity unknowingly (or old folks knowingly) bring it up or ask questions. :D</p> <p>After reading those two posts, I feel even more strongly that the "South Asian" identity is not for me (for a few reasons that have been articulated in the comments of those two posts), and it comes across as somewhat PC and too contrived <b>for my tastes</b>. Which is not to say I don't enjoy reading the posts on this blog, or hate the blog authors. :)</p> <p>And I am <b>not</b> down on people who do choose to identify themselves as South Asians - live and let live, there's space for all in this world, agree to disagree. I think it's more a function of different life experiences and expectations.</p> Aha!! & Duh!! at the same time. I spent a few hours going over the 2005 and 2006 posts (and all the comments) on ‘South Asia’ vis-à-vis Sepia Mutiny, and a few things that had been puzzling me for a while suddenly became clearer. Simply reading the posts here (as I have been doing for a couple of months now) does not lead one to believe that this is a South Asian blog (pictures in the header, post subject matter) and not an Indian (and American) blog, even though the FAQ does mention “South Asian.”

It’ll be nice if a link to the two posts in the SM archive can be provided in the FAQ itself, so that newbies have that history available to them, because it does put things in perspective. Unless people prefer to re-visit this discussion every 6 months or so when new folks unaware of the history of the blog and “South Asian” identity unknowingly (or old folks knowingly) bring it up or ask questions. :D

After reading those two posts, I feel even more strongly that the “South Asian” identity is not for me (for a few reasons that have been articulated in the comments of those two posts), and it comes across as somewhat PC and too contrived for my tastes. Which is not to say I don’t enjoy reading the posts on this blog, or hate the blog authors. :)

And I am not down on people who do choose to identify themselves as South Asians – live and let live, there’s space for all in this world, agree to disagree. I think it’s more a function of different life experiences and expectations.

]]> By: Earth to ABCD: http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/10/03/the_india_commu/comment-page-3/#comment-170232 Earth to ABCD: Sun, 07 Oct 2007 00:27:35 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4764#comment-170232 <p>In the warped world of ABCD's, Uncle Tom is the Rebel and Chinua Achebe is the GOP.</p> In the warped world of ABCD’s, Uncle Tom is the Rebel and Chinua Achebe is the GOP.

]]> By: Cali http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/10/03/the_india_commu/comment-page-3/#comment-170226 Cali Sat, 06 Oct 2007 22:52:15 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4764#comment-170226 <p>Srilankans, Bongs and Pakistanis have the freedom to create their own community centers. It is irritating to hear non-indian americans lecturing indian-americans on what indian-american identity should be.</p> Srilankans, Bongs and Pakistanis have the freedom to create their own community centers. It is irritating to hear non-indian americans lecturing indian-americans on what indian-american identity should be.

]]> By: Amit http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/10/03/the_india_commu/comment-page-3/#comment-170223 Amit Sat, 06 Oct 2007 22:35:38 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4764#comment-170223 <blockquote>Amit, that is my absolute favorite cupcake book. How did you know?</blockquote> <p>Camille, nice to know. My friend (who moved to Washington, DC) actually makes really yummy cupcakes from that book. You can't stop at one. :D</p> Amit, that is my absolute favorite cupcake book. How did you know?

Camille, nice to know. My friend (who moved to Washington, DC) actually makes really yummy cupcakes from that book. You can’t stop at one. :D

]]> By: Bobby_Two http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/10/03/the_india_commu/comment-page-3/#comment-170202 Bobby_Two Sat, 06 Oct 2007 20:27:23 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4764#comment-170202 <p>Uhh, sorry about that Bobby. I guess I'll be Bobby_Two.</p> Uhh, sorry about that Bobby. I guess I’ll be Bobby_Two.

]]> By: Bobby http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/10/03/the_india_commu/comment-page-3/#comment-170190 Bobby Sat, 06 Oct 2007 19:30:26 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4764#comment-170190 <p>The Bobby above is not me (I just posted in the 'Hate Crime in Maryland' thread)</p> The Bobby above is not me (I just posted in the ‘Hate Crime in Maryland’ thread)

]]> By: Camille http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/10/03/the_india_commu/comment-page-3/#comment-170189 Camille Sat, 06 Oct 2007 19:26:23 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4764#comment-170189 <p>goriwife, my pleasure. I just wish I had better information for you :(</p> <p>Naqs, most of the folks I've met at the center are Southies, but that's also a product (in part) of where's it's located geographically. That said, I've also seen northies there. I have no idea who frequents or uses it more.</p> <p>As Divya mentioned, I find for many the "India" aspect of the ICC is what makes people feel more limited.</p> goriwife, my pleasure. I just wish I had better information for you :(

Naqs, most of the folks I’ve met at the center are Southies, but that’s also a product (in part) of where’s it’s located geographically. That said, I’ve also seen northies there. I have no idea who frequents or uses it more.

As Divya mentioned, I find for many the “India” aspect of the ICC is what makes people feel more limited.

]]> By: Bobby http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/10/03/the_india_commu/comment-page-3/#comment-170188 Bobby Sat, 06 Oct 2007 19:20:11 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4764#comment-170188 <p>I'd rather have a Hindu Community Centre then an 'Indian Community Centre'...reason being, I'd be welcome in the Hindu one, while rejected in the other... 'Hindu' is often far more inclusive than 'Indian' is.</p> <p>South Asia wasn't really split on ethnic groups, else the tamil community, the punjabi community, and bengali community would not have been split up. But while the punjabi community and bengali community was split on religion (and the communities have diverged accordingly), the tamil community was split purely on the fact that one side was on an island a few miles from the mainland..</p> <p>As a Sri-lankan tamil I have far more in common with the mainland brethren (common culture, entertainment, etc.) than I really do with the majority of my island's inhabitants, even though we're of different nationalities.</p> <p>As I relate more to a neighbouring nationality than I do my own, I'm all for the establishing of a pan-'South Asian' identity...</p> <p>But if the only choices are 'Hindu' and 'Indian' then my only choice is 'Hindu'.... hinduism is not confined to the borders of what is now considered india..</p> I’d rather have a Hindu Community Centre then an ‘Indian Community Centre’…reason being, I’d be welcome in the Hindu one, while rejected in the other… ‘Hindu’ is often far more inclusive than ‘Indian’ is.

South Asia wasn’t really split on ethnic groups, else the tamil community, the punjabi community, and bengali community would not have been split up. But while the punjabi community and bengali community was split on religion (and the communities have diverged accordingly), the tamil community was split purely on the fact that one side was on an island a few miles from the mainland..

As a Sri-lankan tamil I have far more in common with the mainland brethren (common culture, entertainment, etc.) than I really do with the majority of my island’s inhabitants, even though we’re of different nationalities.

As I relate more to a neighbouring nationality than I do my own, I’m all for the establishing of a pan-’South Asian’ identity…

But if the only choices are ‘Hindu’ and ‘Indian’ then my only choice is ‘Hindu’…. hinduism is not confined to the borders of what is now considered india..

]]> By: Naqs http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/10/03/the_india_commu/comment-page-3/#comment-170163 Naqs Sat, 06 Oct 2007 05:31:08 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4764#comment-170163 <p>I wonder how this center will go with the North Indian vs South Indian divide.</p> I wonder how this center will go with the North Indian vs South Indian divide.

]]> By: curisous http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/2007/10/03/the_india_commu/comment-page-3/#comment-170161 curisous Sat, 06 Oct 2007 03:55:29 +0000 http://sepiamutiny.com?p=4764#comment-170161 <p>SM INTERN - Indeed, a cursory search of the archives did reveal that the issue has been discussed ad nauseam. Being new to the blog I was unaware. However, my rhetorical [legitimate] questions were meant to provoke a discussion.</p> SM INTERN – Indeed, a cursory search of the archives did reveal that the issue has been discussed ad nauseam. Being new to the blog I was unaware. However, my rhetorical [legitimate] questions were meant to provoke a discussion.

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