Glow
What really gets on my nerves is when people are so insecure that they change who they are just to be accepted and to accept themselves.
I used to be like that. I used to think that being someone else would make me happy and that I'd have more friend but that's not what happened. I just didn't feel comfortable, I was constantly worried and I was a disappointment to myself and my family. I lost all the friends I already had and couldn't seem to make any more.
Lesson here is that don't change who you are just to fit in.
Secondly, what I hate is when people need someone else to cover up their dirt. They seem to assume something just as bad about you so they don't look too bad themselves. It's like someone is covered in mud and they put a little on your cheek and say "You're covered in mud too, we both are." It's disrespectful. You don't know me. You don't know my story!
Okay.
The real reason I'm vomiting my words right now is because last week there was an incident with my cousin which I am only now coming to understand. We were on the train and I mentioned that most of the brown kids at school are whitewashed and then I kind of laughed. I noticed it already that she was uncomfortable and I tried to change the subject but she stuck to it. She asked if I hated whitewashed people and I didn't know how to answer.
I don't hate people who try to act white. I just am upset about it because that's how we lose our heritage. So I just said yeah and that's it.
She then tried to call me Asian washed and I just agreed so we could change the topic. There's a difference between me and her. She is whitewashed but I am not Asian-washed.
I don't try to act Asian by disregarding my culture. I didn't try to make myself look Asian or pass off as "Asian with a tan." Even if I could I wouldn't. She, on the other hand, tries too hard to be white.
What's upsetting is that whitewashing oneself comes from the belief that the English culture is superior to others. In other words, people are insecure and want to fit in. The problem with this is that it ruins a whole generation of culture. The worst case of this problem is seen in Indian youth. As a result of trying to fit in, these youth and their parents are speaking only English amongst each other, they eat out more than a typical family and their participation in cultural events is minimal.
Is Punjabi culture such an embarrassment that you'd rather be associated with the people who tried to assimilate everyone around the world? Is it fair to your freedom fighters to let them win? We live in a country where multiculturalism is embraced yet so many people are still trying to "fit in". I can directly relate this too representation as well. If you look in the media, most American or Canadian shows have very few (if any) representation of Indians. If there is someone cast as an Indian, they will be portraying an unappealing stereotype of being too smart yet ignorant of American culture, having a thick "Indian" accent, and very openly Hindu although they will have a Punjabi first name. With these types of roles, it's no wonder that youth will want to be the attractive white character of a book. If you use Princess Jasmine as an example for an attractive brown lady, that would be another bad example. Most brown parents are very strict and conservative. No woman in the Middle East would be permitted to wear such revealing clothes if they were in such a high class. Most times, women with those clothes are just dancers or something of the sort. Parents of these youth would never allow them to watch Aladdin without commenting on how inappropriate Jasmine is dressed. Also, Princess Jasmine is not Indian, she's Arab.
There has never been an accurate portrayal of an Indian man or woman, other than The Mindy Project. But even then, Mindy's character is a hopeless romantic, just as Bollywood stereotypes suggest.
Representation is everything. There has been an amazing Pocahontas movie (the second one, not the first), Mulan was too good, even Tiana's story was better than what I have to deal with. Where's that one Indian girl who just wants to save the fucking day? I want my Indian princess! I want an Indian prince who isn't tech savvy and actually talks like a normal guy. I want people to love being Indian because it seems to me that there's not a lot of boys and girls who can embrace their Indian roots.
(also indian isn't just hindu and spicy curry because i don't really know what curry is.)
I used to be like that. I used to think that being someone else would make me happy and that I'd have more friend but that's not what happened. I just didn't feel comfortable, I was constantly worried and I was a disappointment to myself and my family. I lost all the friends I already had and couldn't seem to make any more.
Lesson here is that don't change who you are just to fit in.
Secondly, what I hate is when people need someone else to cover up their dirt. They seem to assume something just as bad about you so they don't look too bad themselves. It's like someone is covered in mud and they put a little on your cheek and say "You're covered in mud too, we both are." It's disrespectful. You don't know me. You don't know my story!
Okay.
The real reason I'm vomiting my words right now is because last week there was an incident with my cousin which I am only now coming to understand. We were on the train and I mentioned that most of the brown kids at school are whitewashed and then I kind of laughed. I noticed it already that she was uncomfortable and I tried to change the subject but she stuck to it. She asked if I hated whitewashed people and I didn't know how to answer.
I don't hate people who try to act white. I just am upset about it because that's how we lose our heritage. So I just said yeah and that's it.
She then tried to call me Asian washed and I just agreed so we could change the topic. There's a difference between me and her. She is whitewashed but I am not Asian-washed.
I don't try to act Asian by disregarding my culture. I didn't try to make myself look Asian or pass off as "Asian with a tan." Even if I could I wouldn't. She, on the other hand, tries too hard to be white.
What's upsetting is that whitewashing oneself comes from the belief that the English culture is superior to others. In other words, people are insecure and want to fit in. The problem with this is that it ruins a whole generation of culture. The worst case of this problem is seen in Indian youth. As a result of trying to fit in, these youth and their parents are speaking only English amongst each other, they eat out more than a typical family and their participation in cultural events is minimal.
Is Punjabi culture such an embarrassment that you'd rather be associated with the people who tried to assimilate everyone around the world? Is it fair to your freedom fighters to let them win? We live in a country where multiculturalism is embraced yet so many people are still trying to "fit in". I can directly relate this too representation as well. If you look in the media, most American or Canadian shows have very few (if any) representation of Indians. If there is someone cast as an Indian, they will be portraying an unappealing stereotype of being too smart yet ignorant of American culture, having a thick "Indian" accent, and very openly Hindu although they will have a Punjabi first name. With these types of roles, it's no wonder that youth will want to be the attractive white character of a book. If you use Princess Jasmine as an example for an attractive brown lady, that would be another bad example. Most brown parents are very strict and conservative. No woman in the Middle East would be permitted to wear such revealing clothes if they were in such a high class. Most times, women with those clothes are just dancers or something of the sort. Parents of these youth would never allow them to watch Aladdin without commenting on how inappropriate Jasmine is dressed. Also, Princess Jasmine is not Indian, she's Arab.
There has never been an accurate portrayal of an Indian man or woman, other than The Mindy Project. But even then, Mindy's character is a hopeless romantic, just as Bollywood stereotypes suggest.
Representation is everything. There has been an amazing Pocahontas movie (the second one, not the first), Mulan was too good, even Tiana's story was better than what I have to deal with. Where's that one Indian girl who just wants to save the fucking day? I want my Indian princess! I want an Indian prince who isn't tech savvy and actually talks like a normal guy. I want people to love being Indian because it seems to me that there's not a lot of boys and girls who can embrace their Indian roots.
(also indian isn't just hindu and spicy curry because i don't really know what curry is.)
~C.
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