They will come at you next with ‘honest’ and ‘caring’ suggestions to look into a course of Valium or some other sort of ‘chill pill.’ Naturally, if one is right and forcefully asserts themselves, they must also be raging anger-sluts with a penchant for oppressing the brave freedom-writers who battle evil moderating overlords with thoughtful ad-hominems and Tirupati-sized straw men.

This is even a bigger problem in Canada with the punjabi community. Many are more loyal to the punjab then to Canada, which has given them a chance at a better life then there homeland ever could.

So if the Indian cricket team played a charity match against the Canadian national team (which does exist) in Toronto and Canadian citizens of Panjabi heritage came out to the match and cheered for the Indian side, what would you say? Would you apply the Tebbit test and apply penalties for doing so?

I have to add this– to be fair, the reason for which I was flown out to the Chicago edition of FOKANA back in 2002 was exactly what you just stated: to talk about the importance of activism and voting, to be a resource for the youths who might be interested in getting involved. So sometimes (one time?) they try.

I hear you, though. There’s a lot of opportunity at these conferences, and much of it is often squandered.

No offense taken, but I can’t believe I’m the one who got attacked for being a “smug” elitist and looking down on FOKANA, Malayalees etc. Despite what the person you kind of agree with spuriously alleged, I never said that the first gen shouldn’t meet at these sorts of events. I didn’t begrudge them anything. I never said a word about “sleaze” or narees. But I’m the one who got tarred with the “you think you’re different and better” bullshit.

I await with bated breath the next troll who alleges that I am a hyper-emotional dictator who unjustly purges the brave, strawman-laden comments which articulate the TRUTH! Know what this is like? This is like having a stranger walk up and slap me in the face and then when I say, “ouch” or “stop!”, having people DEFEND that act and praise my assailant for “doing the right thing”.

I love my heritage. I only wish that these organizations reflected it beyond the typical fanfare, for example using whatever clout they have to mobilize South Asians and specifically Keralites to become more civically involved in their communities.

You are uninformed and thus, in no position to judge. Clearly articulated flames or slander are still flames and slander. No one has to “like” the bloggers or the commenters here, they just have to be respectful. We ban and or delete based on the totality of someone’s remarks, we don’t base assumptions on a single incident like you just did.

Back on topic or the thread closes.

A new association has been formed that provides legitimate reasons for you to start your own association! Please call BAHANA for details.

and now the weather report ..

This is even a bigger problem in Canada with the punjabi community. Many are more loyal to the punjab then to Canada, which has given them a chance at a better life then there homeland ever could.

I’m a libertarian, free-market, free-trade, open-society advocate, atheist with Hindu values, critical rationalist, Anglosphere-chauvanist who thinks America has provided brown people with an incredible opportunity to show our talents to the world. I find it odd when I see posts implying that we suffer in a common struggle with blacks and Hispanics.

How many major desi communties are there in the States, I know it not has bad has its in Vancouver and Toronto, where in the last 10-15 years many newcomers are completed isolated from rest of the country in there brown neighborhoods.

I have no interest in engaging you in further discussion because you have no interest in treating me fairly, not when the inaccurate caricature of me which you’ve created is more fun for you to attack.

No more straw men, no more ad hominem, no more of any of it. I can’t stop you from commenting on my posts, though I wish you wouldn’t and I find it vaguely hostile that you do.

I can, however, stop responding to you from this point onwards and I can delete comments which violate our policies. I plan on doing both. It takes two hands to clap, I’m withdrawing mine.

Floridian I love it! The last sentence is priceless ...but I have to say I do know a fair number of my desi brethren, 2nd generation folks marathi, guju, punjabi who have found wives or husbands at their respective annual functions (the large national ones)...I've been to several, always as the outsider artistic desi and found them to be frighteningly fascinating....although I have to say its the med students kids who get the most play both in terms of casual hook ups and genuine marriage interest....

How true, that’s what my Tambram in-laws are like, they have lived in Bombay all their lives but they can’t speak a word of Marathi or Gujarati, as far as I can tell they only like to hang out with other members of their extended family, which would all be OK if not their constant complaints about feeling like “outsiders” and woe is me attitude which is pretty to similar to what I have heard at the Indian gatherings in the US with old timers lamenting about the so called American lack of “family values” and how about how great things are (or were) in their little corner of India.

Granted that it is always difficult when you uproot yourself from the familiar and try to make it in a new environment, whether it be a new city or a new country but if you don’t make any attempt to do something about it, I feel you lose the right to complain about it.

BTW ANNA I think you and the rest of the bloggers do a great job and don’t let some naysayers convince you otherwise. Also Sepia mutiny is most certainly not a caste because it is open to anyone. There have been many times I haven’t agreed with all that the bloggers have said but I have felt free to disagree and have my opinions heard.