Since I'm sure they differ slightly for different types of Indians, I will only generalize from California Bengali's, so you all can understand us just a little bit better.
You Know You're a Southern Californian Bengali Child If:
- Your dad is an engineer, doctor or works for Microsoft.
- Your weekends are booked with 'family get-togethers'.
- You are studying for the S.A.T.'s at the age of 10.
- Your dad smells of tobacco and scotch.
- You have never been to a summer sleep away camp.
- Your mother doesn't or shouldn't be driving on the freeway.
- Everyone is your dada, didi, auntie or uncle.
- Your in math class instead of enjoying summer.
- You are 14 in community college calculus.
- Your school teachers don't even try to pronounce your last name...and you don't need them to.
- You live with your parents to 'save money' at the age of 25.
- Rice is on the menu (every night) with Fish or Chicken curry.
- Your parent's drive a Honda, Toyota or Mercedes.
- You start applying to UCLA, UCSD and UCI as soon as you enter high school.
- You are a computer science, engineering major or pre-med.
- Your parents tell you repeatedly about how Rabindranath Tagore won the Nobel prize for literature.
- You don't play outside or swim until 4 pm because your mother is worried you're getting too dark from the sun...
- Your parents use adjectives as nouns, ex: "Don't be a stupid".
- The cashiers at 7-11 look at you intently before asking "Are you Indian?" with absolutely no follow-up.
- Kids at school ask where your red dot is (that's all Indians).
- You either check 'other' or 'Asian' on all official documents.
- You know that Salt Lake refers to a neighborhood in Calcutta and not Utah.
- People don't believe you when you say you're Asian.
- 6 hour flights seem like a picnic compared to the 16 hours it takes to get to India.
- Kids at school mistake you for Mexican.
There's tons that I think of in 'the moment', but these are just a few. Ah, life :)
No comments:
Post a Comment