American Born, British Born, Canadian Born but still Desi

Having lived in England for 5 years myself and been in the States for 3 years now, I found the article pretty interesting. But what I was taken a back by was the sheer depth of terminology in the replies, ranging from ABCDs to PBCDs and all the alphabet in between. I think I`m pretty ignorent when it comes to the vast classifications of people from my region, yet the one thing I have learnt from the 21 years of my life is that baseless belief in steriotypes is the worst mistake any one can make, and it just puzzles me pakistani`s here classify themselves and those around them into these steriotypes. Another thing that shocks me is the sheer use of the racial slur `paki` all over the forum, if you`ve lived in England you really do take offense from that.

P.S. I just joined the Chowk 10 minutes ago, and my post is based on the limited browsing I did.
I am reading for my BS in ECE and am in my last year

ABCD

`ABCD,` about an East Indian American family, is one of several ethnic films hoping for a wider appeal.

By JON MATSUMOTO, SPECIAL TO THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

When Krutin Patel co-wrote the script to his film ``ABCD`` in 1993, the most prominent East Indian in American pop culture was probably Apu from the television series ``The Simpsons.`` Eight years later, that animated convenience store clerk is still the most recognizably East Indian character in American television and film.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/printedition/calendar/la-000094888nov29.story

The paucity of East Indian American representation in the popular arts in this country is a primary reason why Patel feels so passionately about his independently made drama, which captures the intriguing dynamics of an East Indian American family.

``ABCD,`` which opens Friday at selected theaters, is one of a handful of new films involving rarely seen immigrant American characters and scenarios. ``The Debut,`` which is currently in theaters, and ``American Adobo,`` which is slated to open in Los Angeles on Jan. 23, are both small movies reflecting Philippine American life. A coming-of-age film about a Philippine American teenager, ``The Debut`` opened in Los Angeles in early October and has grossed more than $1 million. Home to large Philippine American populations, the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas have accounted for 90% of the film`s box-office success, according to its distributor, 5 Card Productions.

All three of these films deal in some way with ethnic minority immigrants and their children trying to reconcile traditional cultural values with very different American attitudes.

In ``ABCD,`` two grown children react differently to the expectations of their loving but very traditional Indian-born mother (Madhur Jaffrey). Older brother Raj (Faran Tahir) tries to conform to her wishes. He has a very respectable job as a Manhattan accountant and is engaged to a traditional Indian woman he does not entirely love. His younger sister Nina (Sheetal Sheth) rebels against conservative Indian mores by dating non-Indian men and by embracing a sexually promiscuous lifestyle.

Having emigrated from India to the U.S. at age 8, Patel is familiar with the difficulty of trying to straddle the line between two cultures. Like many men with Indian immigrant parents, he felt the pressure to land a white-collar job. To appease his parents` concerns about his desire to enter the uncertain field of filmmaking, he majored in both film and finance at New York University. While he hopes to transition into filmmaking full time, Patel currently works in the marketing department at the Food Network in New York.

Ironically, previous screenings of the film have indicated that ``ABCD`` is unlikely to be fully embraced by the Indian American community, particularly by that segment which espouses conservative cultural values.

``The strongest reaction to the film has come, believe it or not, from non-Indian Americans,`` remarks Patel, who also directed and co-produced ``ABCD.`` ``There are those in the Indian American community who don`t want to see its dirty laundry hung in public. The portrayal of characters like Nina [makes them uncomfortable]. They want to keep their heads in the sand. In the Indian community the film will raise a few eyebrows. That`s a good thing because there will be debate about it. We tend to be a community that doesn`t communicate in regard to some of these harder issues.``

Nina is the film`s most complex character. She rebels against the sexual conservatism of her ethnic culture. Yet her contrary ways also keep her from finding the emotional intimacy in her romantic relationships that will lead to happiness. When she finds herself falling in love with an Indian man she reluctantly meets on a date arranged by her mother, she is disinclined to commit to the relationship.

Patel says the Nina character has sparked much debate during question-and-answer sessions following screenings of the film. Some Indian Americans have found her to be an inaccurate representation of their people. Others have found her to be very real.

Patel recalls, ``One of my memories of showing this at a film festival was a British Indian girl telling me, `That`s my life up there on screen.` I was like, `Wow, thank you.` Nina really translated to her experience.``

``ABCD,`` whose relatively polished look belies its modest $200,000 budget, couldn`t have been made without the financial help of Patel`s friends and relatives.

``After my parents came to America, they helped other Indian immigrants who subsequently came to this country,`` explains Patel, who spent about five years raising money to make his film. ``Some 30 years later I needed financial backing and they turned around and gave me that help.`` Only a few of the Indian American investors asked to read the script.

Moviegoing is hugely popular in India. But Patel believes there would be little interest there in a serious-minded film about an Indian American family. Bollywood, as the Indian film industry is known, generally produces escapist melodramas.

The hope is that films like ``ABCD`` and ``American Adobo`` will find audiences among independent film lovers and in specific minority communities in the increasingly multiethnic U.S. Patel says there are sizable Indian populations in most major American cities. ``ABCD`` is slated to open in 15 to 20 markets in North America.

Non-Indian audiences may not fully understand a few of the cultural subtleties of the film and some viewers may not empathize with Raj`s possible encounter with workplace discrimination. But Patel feels he has fashioned a movie that has mainstream allure.

``I always wanted to make sure that the movie appealed beyond Indian people,`` Patel insists. ``As we started showing it at festivals so many people would say to me, `I`m not Indian, but so much of this film I can relate to my own family.` That`s when I realized that the film really has a universal appeal. My writing and directing style is going for a certain realism. If you make characters that are human and real they will transcend ethnic lines.``

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

sabah:#160

PBCDs are the most pathetic bunch of all.They should be called PBCCC.......CDs.C would stand for completely corrupted crackpots......confused Desis.The blanks should be filled in as & when memory meets the vocabulary.

Now mind you I am only talking about the confused ones only.MAJORITY of the Pakistani ones who have not forgotten their language,culture,food,clothing,language and respect for elders,in short all those qualities which would make a gora or clone-gora look like Conan the Cave-man,are poised to conquer these lands.

These are the ones who are hiring the ABCDs,BBCDs,& CBCDs as well as grandsons & grand-daughters of their former colonial masters.

Allright blame the ABCD`s and BBCD`s - but what about the PBCD`s?????????

What excuse have they ???

Adil #54

``Mere se Maththa kiyun Kharab Karta Hai``

``Very many people think so.

KRashid.....

Well, how could saying Allah-u-Akbar not give him strength...:-) This reminds me of Mohammad Ali and how he used to say that having the names Mohammad and Ali gave him so much strength. There may well be an extra pulse and an extra energizing factor within his body`s cells when this Brit takes Allah`s name. Regardless, my opinion is that Muslims should probably be the first to come outright and ban boxing because now it has been pretty much proven that boxing is damaging to the brain and its functionality....just a thought really.....

Any thought on Prince Naseem Hamed a through and through British saying Allah u Akbar before his fight.

And later telling it gives him strength.

SHRizvi:#55

Thank you.As long as our ummah has brilliant people like you North America is safe morally & culturally.

Please invite others like you on chowk to counter the secularist fashion.The english parrots & mynahs are hogging it.We need some shaheens from all over.

wassalaam.

Salaam alaikum.

Having just been lead to chowk by a good friend in PA, my comments to this thread may be a little `out-dated`...regardless, it may be worth the effort.

I agree with you that there are many of our fellow brethren as you described. At the same time, I think you are really udnerestimating all that we as Muslims or as Pakistanis have accomplished after having left our homelands.

I travel often via work and it is so gratifying every time I come across a fellow Muslim who is successfully leading a career/business/etc. And when it is a Pakistani, it is sort of `extra` gratifying....and there are plenty of pak-origin success stories out there my friend....

Those of us who are here in the West, be it as abcds or new immigrants (yes, we FOBS), are often a true asset to our neighborhoods and cities. The dynamic culture and thoughts we bring adds so much flavour to the perhaps relatively bland scenarios that `were` in N. America. Generally, we have less violence, abuse, addictions and more education, work ethics, family values, etc etc......there are always exceptions, but I feel there are sufficient positive stories out there to allow me to say that we have not done too bad a job of representing our culture in this part of the world.....needless to say, we could all work harder.....perhaps just being more effective in whatever it is we do daily will bring about a `better` image of us all......working harder, studying harder, playing harder, etc etc.....

My friend, your thoughts indicate that you hold our values in high regard.....that is exemplary....at the same time my good friend, I suggest you head to our Centers...perhaps religious centers......you may not be as disappointed in most cases.

Just a few cents/paisas worth of thoughts.....

To Krashid:

I`m not sure I understand what you mean. Not because I am a Muslim, but I`d like you to elaborate a little bit more:).

To say that Islam is only a ``way of expression`` is to grossly simplify the noblest way of life(when practiced in its highest form). I realize that Muslims in the world today are plagued by civil war, disagreements, and cultural and social problems but this is NOT a result of the true practice of Islam. Rather it is due to cultural and political constraints that have been forced upon the true Islamic way of life. However, by this I don`t mean that there is only ONE Islam, and that`s the end of the story. Islam is meant to be practiced in such a way so that cultural and social boundaries do not affect one`s faith. There rules of Islam are actually very flexible when one studies them and it can be practiced in a few different ways(as demonstrated by the various schools of Islamic thought). The sad reality today is that a Muslim`s faith is affected tremendously by the culture and society that a person is raised in. And when constraints of these types are placed on Islam, it gradually becomes misunderstood and incorrectly represented by those who practice it.

The whole underlying theme of this thread seems to be the gradual divergence in the fundamental value systems of the progeny of first generation immigrants.

This is bound to happen, - nothing remains static and immune to cultural & sociological conditioning of the surrounding environment. With few exceptions - preservation of the 1st generation value system`` is rare if not impractical.

Will ABCD`s eventually amalgamate into Mainstream Americana - I think so - the first thing to go is language & cultural affinity, - family bonds amongst ABCD`s are much more loosely defined, they are very individualistic ( much like their american bretheren), and the religious values ( as a collective group) still in the formative stage. - Remember most of the Islamic
organizations are still run by first generation immigrants - the generational transition if & when it occurs will be a litmus test of the presevation
of the Islamic legacy in America.

I think ABCd`s are headed the same way Bosnian Muslims were assimilated in the Slavic cultures.... - nominally Muslim... - Whether it is right or wrong - I am not here to judge.

A similar case can be made of Arabs ( Muslim) & Albanians who arrived in the US in the early part of the 20th century. With few rare exceptions & an occasional last name - it is hard to differentiate
them from others. So we see American Islam evolving much like the Askenazi`s evolved much to the chagrin of the Hasidic & shepardic communities .
Well proponents argue that Islam on the US has reached critical mass and therefore will survive & prosper much like it did in the Indian subcontinent for centuries. Of course even they agree that the language and culture becomes part of family folklore.- the activisim & resurgence of US Islamic organizations is laudable
but can this longeivity be preserved beyond the enthusiasm of the first generation fearful of its unique ``minority`` status.

These are all contentious issues - and they are enough arguments to deabte this issue for a long time. I think a precise debate should revolve around whether Islam can survive in a highly individualistic - consumer oriented society in the West. They are those who argue that the East is fast rushing towards embracing Western material pursuits.( hard to deny but that is another argument altogether)

Lets not be judgemental here, social sensibilities and etiquette differ between the 1st & second generation. the fundamental value system as it pertains to marriage, family, career, - also is substantially different. Linguistic & cultural tastes are also varied.

I find American Islam overwhelmingly ritualistic ( Islam has ritual aspects) - the hijab, the Friday congregation, Ramazan, etc etc .... - sort of carving a cultural identity out of religious roots ...

The more fundamental issues pertaining to family cohesion are severely strained, issues such as taking care of the elderly, leaving home at 18,
marriage & divorce, dating & drinking ( in some cases), career Vs family are more in tune with Americana. Perhaps we are secularizing our life & placing religion into a Friday social activity ...
A common repartee would be ``Is Pakistan Any better``??? - for that I have no answer :)

I felt despite our obsessive precoccupation with material pursuits ... ( ala the rat race)
& our subsequent material well being
there is something amiss - perhaps just nostalgia,
perhaps our vision of xanadu........

OMAR1974:#50

Thank you!

Now the same thing has been said about you by hahmad post # 58 on your own board (Talibisation or the Tur-----).Why take it out on me?That gentleman is still waiting for a response.

And you an aspiring lawyer?This is what you do when confronted with an unpalatable viewpoint?

Please marshall some sensible arguements & then post them.Declaring people kaffirs,psychos,or modern is just not enough command over the language.

And by the way,I would love to parry with you in your own field too i.e.Law--although I never went to any liberal-faculty school.

wassalaam.



PS:Please visit ``Taliban ----`` board & check out post # 58,to fully appreciate this.

``The vision of Mirza`` by Joseph Addison,that great english language essayist around 1770s or so,would certainly make our Mirza happy.Was it a prominition of Addison?

Farangi:

Thanks, and yes, I know where you`re coming from. Most likely, it`s the girls who get the most corrupted here in America. I know plenty of 15 year olds who wear Hijab and attend Muslim schools but also date and dance at rave parties. I`m 18 and can say thanks to Allah`s guidance, I`ve narrowly escaped these types of catastrophes. The best advice i can give someone in this type of situation is to figure out what what it is you really want out of life and to stay moderately within your limits. sure, have fun but know where to stop.

take care

Many Desis `abroad` are fanatical looneys. (Farangi__Kush is clearly one such looney, to whom the notion of `farangi` xyz, has completely gone to his head and addled his already small non-working brain. Methinks he needs to go visit a shrink, have his head examined.)

Much worse than the average desis in Desihomelands. I guess being away from `home` makes them fanatic puritans. They seem to live in a culture all of their own, outside the mainstream of both their `home` culture, and outside the North American social mainstream as well. These expectations are unrealistic. Can`t expect to live by building a wall around yourself and still be a part of society.

Just my view.

Omar

ShahGul:(my post # 46)

My sincere apologies for having miassed your name inadvertantly.In fact it was your post which triggered the urge to reply.

May Allah bless you & your little ones.

wassalaam.