From The Peopling of New York City

Noa's Interview with Reema Prakash Sunday, April 21, 2009 South Indian

Interview Questions for South Indian immigrant living in Queens:

1) What do you consider as your nationality?

• Indian (usually say that to Americans, but between Indians, we specify what region you are from)

2) Where are you from? My parents are from Kerala (in the South) but when I lived in India for three years I lived in Delhi (in the North). We move around a lot since Dad works with Indian consulate

3) When and where did you move to the US?

• 3 years ago, to Flushing in Queens

4) How was adapting to life here in NY?

• I have very atypical situation since I’ve been moving around my whole life and lived in countries all over the world and went to international schools.

5) What did you miss most about India that you didn’t have here?

• I only lived there for three years, but miss my friends, food is always better there,

6)What traditions/rituals did you keep from India? Which did you leave behind?

• Nothing religious really, we’re not traditional, we celebrate our new year especially even though we cant get its right flowers here in NY. But there is a mostly Kerelan neighborhood in New Hyde Park where I could find more of my vegetables and spices if I needed to feel more of a sense of community

7)Who did you befriend in NY? Mostly Indians or other nationalities as well?

• I rarely have Indian friends, sometimes bond with people from Kerala but not especially, Indian clubs don’t attract me (im a product of international schools, everyones different and not nessacarily Indian.) My parents friends are mostly Indian, but from all over especially since dad works in government office where people are from all over. Even though mom likes people who speak Malayalam-my first language –since it is more conveneant.

8)Do you have traditions that come specifically from north or south india? If so how do they differ from other Indian traditions? Can you tell where someone is from?

• India divided into states, politicians always pertain to state, but almost every state has basically its own language and culture, which vary and overlap in different areas. So South and North are more distinct from eachother but really there are a lot of differences between every region. • I can sometimes tell wehre someone is from by the way they look but definitely from their language. Most Christians are from the South.

9) How are the clothing/language/food/religion/social interactions different between north and south?

• 1st generation is very aware of differences but 2nd generation which are kids that are born here don’t have ties to culture as much, and just see it as Indian culture even though they know the differences • Clothes different in small things but same basic dress, cant really find south Indian clothing here. Shops in Jackson Heights are north Indian since it sells more which is also influenced by bollywood which is North Indian. • North Indian has a lot of frozen food (commercialized Indian food is North) • South more coconut flavors, often vegetarian. I prefer it every day, but easier to make north Indian food. My mom makes both. • The temples are different-in Delhi people went into temples without showering sometimes while in south it’s much cleaner and you have to shower and go in the morning. The Hindu idols are common but they look different, and variations of incarnations, but that varies between regions as well, usually people who live in same area do the same rituals.

10) Did you encounter Indians from other regions while living in India? In NY? • No, mostly people were from the same region

11)Do North and south mix here in NY-how and how not?

• Yes people stick to people from north or south usually but more due to language so you can understand each other more. No one really treats me differently because I speak good Hindi (American accent) • My parents always told met o be a good Indian girl—but they meant Indian not from Kerala necessarily • In my South Indian temple I’ve seen North Indians and Punjabi people and non Indians come which come to Ganesh as well, but you prefer to stay within your family ritual. Celebrations are different too even. (My Dad’s friend is South Indian and refuses to go to north Indian temple because wouldn’t know what to do

12) Do you feel like a new combined North and South Indian culture is arising here in Jackson heights and the rest of Queens? And if so, how?

• Well yes, though not in Food –where it says there North and South Indian food it just means there are both, isn’t really a mix. But its more that there is a new 2nd generation-Indian American culture which arose which has own music, vocabulary, and identity. This is very different from first generation. I’m more like the older generation because I just got here so its easier for me to understand them.

13) Is there tensions between people of different regions?

• There are a lot of sterotypes and jokes, and just differences but not really that many tensions. North Indians say sometimes that south Indians are inferior, because Hindi is national language which is spoken in the north, so south Indians don’t speak it or speak it as well. Bollywood shows stereotype of southern wife as very conservative and more village simpleton type of thing since it isn’t as developed as North. The larger cities are in the as well as capital, so north more considers themselves more “advanced”, even though the IT industry in south is developing more now. • There is also the stereotype is that North Indians are lighter, which adds to differences and biass. Because being lighter is aestheticaly considered nicer, my mom doesn’t want me to get tan even if I like to.

14) Is there interregional marriages? Are they seen as a good/bad thing?

• Well I would think so since there are less options, but I cant come up with anyone intermarried North and South, but im sure it happens. • My grandparents would want me to marry someone from Kerala, parents ahppy with Indian, probably better from Kerala-dad would say marry whoever you want as long as they aren’t overly religious over political

14) Is there any distinct differences between any regions of India?

• Northeast is completely different because they even look a lot differently—more asian looking. They are often very neglected and discriminated against.

15) WHats the largest difference between north and south Indians, and does this difference become less significant in a New York context?

• It comes down to the Language I think-you speak Hindi usually in the North, and you don’t really speak Hindi in the South.

The most interesting part of the interview with Reema was her very clear understanding of the South North Indian Divide. As an atypical Indian immigrant, Reema is able to have an outsider's view on many Indian relationships and yet understand them better as it is part of her culture. For Reema, the South/North divide doesn't seem as significant as the divide between the several regions of India. Since people of different regions speak different languages, it is very understandable that people would tend to befriend people more if they are from the same region as them. It was also interesting to see Reema's view on the second generation of Indian immigrants since she is their age and yet is a first generation immigrant and has a strong tie to her Culture from back home.