The Asian Indians post colonial experience also differentiates them from other Asian Americans. Their colonization by the British had allowed them to learn English as if it was their native tongue. This knowledge gained by the endurance of colonialism had offered Asian Indians the opportunity to settle in different parts of the world. Some of these countries included “the former Soviet Union, Colombia, Afghanistan, the Dominican Republic, and Pakistan” (Khandelwal 23). While Korean, Chinese and Japanese Americans struggled to cope with the language barrier in America, Asian Indians were free of the burden. In comparison, this obvious advantage helped Asian Indians obtain high paying jobs than their monolingual Asian Americans.
“The recognition of cultural diversity as also was an important ideological aspect of nation-building in independent India, as in the Nehruvian elaboration of Unity in Diversity, an early nationalist slogan” (Khandelwal 2). Asian Indians are one of the most diverse ethnicities in consideration of their varying religion and customs. India contains all if not most of the world’s religions and numerous ethnic languages confined to “one” Asian country. Asian Indians ethnicities consisted of people from India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Given the diverse makeup of their ethnicity, languages spoken among them included Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Punjabi and Hindi. “The cuisine of India corresponds to the dimensions of cultural diversity-region, religion, caste, and class” (Khandelwal 37). It is not an “ethnic division” but rather an inter-ethnic division on the basis of language, food and culture that segregated the Asian Indian community. For example, vegetarianism is widespread in India but it differed according to region, caste and religion. In spite of the inter-ethnic division in the Asian Indian community, the pan-Indian markets served to signify Asian Indian solidarity. “Out of commercial necessity, grocery stores were perhaps the most powerful promoters of pan-Indian and pan-South Asian unity; a jar of pickles or a bag of rice might be used by immigrants from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka” (Khandelwal 40). In comparison to other Asian American communities, the diverse inter-ethnic division also differentiates them from most other Asian communities.
While most other Asian Americans have relentlessly tried to fit into the mainstream culture by acquiring “American” style of clothing, Asian Indians have done the opposite. “Female Indian immigrants considered dress integral to their identity, and donning traditional dress was seen as preserving one’s culture in the United States” (Khandelwal 43). Asian Indian women wore “saris” as everyday clothing to partially preserve their traditional norms. This attire along with the “bindi”, the colored dot worn on the forehead, was a sign of “auspiciousness, respect, and blessing on the part of the wearer” (Khandelwal 44).
Starting with the diverse ethnicities that make up Asian Indians, along came the different traditions, class, attire, religions and food that differentiate them from other Asian Americans. Although their “pan-ethnicities” and their slogan of “Unity in Diversity” might cry in their attempt to achieve a totally pluralistic Asian Indian community; one can conclude that the conflicts and the tensions raised from their multiplicity is what distinguish them from other Asian Americans as well.
Question #2
With the continuing advance in modern technology, internet communities have been on the rise. Ranging from the free services such as the Microsoft Network Messenger service to America Online Instant messaging services, keeping in touch with friends, family and loved ones have become just a “click” away. On the internet, one can find a job, make travel arrangement and even purchase material goods. Increasingly, it is where most people spend time chatting and networking with others; somewhat like a virtual community. Emily Ignacio’s article on the Internet Discussions in the Filipino Community is an exploration into the virtual community of Filipino Americans. Author Ignacio affirms that discussion forums such as the Filipino internet community, initiates the formation a more definitive understanding of one’s own culture.
According to Ignacio, the key characteristic of the “empathetic proximity” is the formation of groups and users solely based on similar interests. “In particular, an empathetic proximity exists in virtual and non-virtual communities that are based on common interests, tastes, and ideas” (Ignacio 89). On the internet people are allowed to browse the internet according to their interests in particular subjects and by doing so, interests groups can form a larger virtual community.
In the Filipino internet community and its member have dedicated a specific forum to discuss the history of the Filipino culture. Within the forum people were allowed to share ideas concerning politics back at home, their national history, and their culture. “Members of Asian American and Pacific Islander American communities in particular log onto these newsgroups because they want to communicate with the people back home and to deepen their knowledge of issues pertaining to their homeland” (Ignacio 89). The forum facilitated the solidifying of Filipinos in America as well as Filipinos back home. Author Ignacio believes that issues and moral commitments that served as a catalyst force in forming a virtual community was “their anti colonial beliefs”.
Due to their colonial encroachment, Filipinos have lost their pre-colonial culture and identity. “It was believed that Filipinos could not form a strong, national community without first stripping the culture of American influences and then articulating a united national culture” (Ignacio 95). Through self-guidance along with the guidance of the forum members, many have sought to recapture their unique culture starting with the language. “More specifically, the letters C,F,IZ, and V should not be in the alphabet because they signify both American and Spanish colonialism” (Ignacio 96). Mixed opinions arose on the form concerning the deletion of American words from Tagalog. Some believed that the American words should be omitted to achieve full redemption of their language. “These participants wanted to show that the incorporation of English words and letters does that necessarily point to a colonial mentality; rather, it can be a form of resistance” (Ignacio 90). However, others along with author Ignacio argued that the continuing use of the English words in Tagalog can be a form of resistance activism.
Due to its public associability, forums such as the one of Filipino Americans can be filled with differing opinions. However, Author Ignacio bases her argument on the realization that ‘discussions such as these give rise to the possibility of a new, fluid Filipino identity and the formation of a new, inclusive Filipino community’.
When one speaks of the Asian American experience in the United States; racial politics have always worked to oppress and marginalize the minorities in “the land of the free”. “Faced with hostility and recalcitrance from conservative coalitions, racial minorities found a measure of political unity among themselves and worked with allies among white liberals whose political commitment included individual rights and representative justice” (Jeung 203). Therefore, in order for members of a forum to feel “morally committed” and associated, political dimension is one of the most crucial components in the foundation of a virtual community.
