Racism

Today I was discriminated against for the first time at school. Due to the high Asian population at UCLA Berkeley and California in general there is usually no blatant racism. However, a student walking by wrinkled his nose at me and muttered "curry house" to me. I was shocked but after researching found that there is still prejudice against Indians. Because of the high number of jobs outsourced and the high population of Indians in the U.S. (0.9%) there is resentment. Because of the higher average household income there are also many other people who resent us but fail to keep in perspective our larger families and less working family members. Movies such as Indiana Jones and shows like The Simpsons also continue to fuel the racism against Indian Americans. The section about eating monkey brains has been used as an insult recently. Also, the portrayal of Apu as a worker at a convenience store furthers the stereotype. Hopefully one day there will be no more discrimination as the United States becomes more diverse and accepts cultures different from it's own.

Future Aspirations

Once I graduate from UCLA Berkeley I hope to find a job to support my family back in India. This is the ultimate goal for many of the students who come here for higher education and eventually a job. I plan to major in Computer Science due to my fascination with newer technology. People always roll their eyes when I tell them this which is frustrating but cannot be helped. Almost all IT jobs within the U.S. are now outsourced to India due to cheaper labor. Like many families in India, my family back in India consists of many people. Although the average household Indian household in the U.S. has 3.8 members the number is much higher back in India. Because of the high exchange rate and the fact that Indian males make an average of $51,094 per year, I believe that I can support my family well.

School Classes

As I have mentioned before, I attend classes at the prestigious public college UCLA Berkeley in Berkeley, California. The classes here are more diverse than in my old school in India. Also, the student population is much more varied because of the mixed Asian, Latino, and Caucasian cultures in California. When I tell others I attend UCLA Berkeley, they recognize the greatness of the school but do not think it is particularly odd for me to attend due to old stereotypes. The stereotypes of a "smart Indian" is based on the fact that 89.4% of Indian males in the U.S. attain higher than high school education which is the highest of any population within the U.S. Although it frustrates me that no one recognizes my hard work in getting where I am, It is still a very common perception of all Asian Americans.

Food and Language at home.

When I am home with my relatives in Berkeley it feels like I am back in India. All of my aunt's family members speak Hindi and amongst family members rarely use English. Also, we eat Indian cuisine all the time. A common misconception is that curry is a single type of food when it is a generic term for a type of cooking. Generally curry consists of food that is heavily spiced and is generally very healthy. However, some Americans assume that all we eat is curry when that it is only a small part of our diverse cuisine. We also regularly have rice dishes and what is the Indian-equivalent of pita bread. It is not a failure to adapt but rather Indians embracing their culture even when away from their country. Indians have come to the U.S. as early as 1820 so the Indian culture is already very developed and there is no problem with sharing our culture.

New semester and a new way of life.

In the last few weeks I finally finished an exhausting move from India to my aunt's house in Berkeley, California. After finishing my high school education at a local school in India, my parents decided that it would be in my best interest to stay with my relatives in the United States for a few years while I completed my degree in Computer Science. All my neighbors are Asian of some sort such as Chinese, Vietnamese and other Indians like myself. According to a U.S. population census, California has one of the largest Asian populations within the U.S. I have found many other Indian students who have come over for an education leaving their family behind in India.