From The Peopling of New York City

Maria Quevedo

Professor Lessinger

The Peopling of NYC

14 April 2009

I found this interview with Trina to be very interesting when compared to the attitudes described in the article “Desis in the House” by Sunaina Marr Maira. Trina seems to be the perfect example of an Indian teen who has very much assimilated into the American youth culture. She does not deny her culture and enjoys many of its aspects but is not extremely enthusiastic about culture pride. She seems to be somewhere in between the attitudes of Radikha and her Indian American peers in college. By seeing herself as not solely Indian or American she is creating her own balance between the two worlds that I think will be a common finding in other interviews with South Asian youth. It is also interesting that her parents do not pressure her to take part in Indian cultural activities. Perhaps it is due to the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Sarkar have been a part of American society for many years, having been a part of the “late-1960s migration of technically skilled professionals and students from India.”

Interview with (ex) member of the Bronx Science Indian Club.

What is your name, age, nationality, and neighborhood of residence? My name is Trina Sarkar. I’m Indian, 18 years old and I currently live in the Pelham Park area of the Bronx.

Where you born in America? If not, when did you (or your family) immigrate? I was born in America but my parents are actually came her from Calcutta in the 1970s, so we’ve been here for a while.

What is your role in this club? How long have you been a member? I was part of the Indian club at Bronx Science for a while in my freshman year but I actually prefer clubs where there is more diversity because I think it’s more interesting to learn about different cultures than just limit yourself to your own.

What drew you to this organization? Why do you feel comfortable hanging out here? I knew a lot of the girls in the club from our school’s club fair. They had been playing Indian hip hop music and talking about their club and they were really friendly and asked me to join so I decided to try it out.

What are the common ties that the members share? Or common activities the club organizes/ takes part in? When I was part of the club most members were Indian and many members were involved in traditional Indian dance.

Do you consider music to be an important aspect of your life? If yes, what types of music? Yes, I think it is because I listen to it all the time on my IPod in my boyfriend’s car, at parties or school events, it’s everywhere. I like some Indian music and my parents like to play it at home a lot but I actually am more exposed to hip-hop and American music.

Do you or your friends spend time in Jackson Heights? What do you do there? I don’t really spend time with my friends in Jackson Heights; I usually go there with my family to buy gold jewelry or food. We tend to go there a whole lot more when my cousins from India come to visit because it’s a nice place to have family dinner.

Are you exposed to traditional South Asian music? Where do you encounter it mostly? As I said before, I listen to other genres of music more than Indian music but my parents like to listen to it around the house and my cousins sometimes show me new songs.

Do you enjoy the fusion of contemporary and classic ethnic music? I once bought a CD mix from a random street vendor, I remember you listened to some of it on my IPod years ago…Dil Dooba ha-ha…there are interesting fusions or remixes but I don’t really follow that style of music.

What are some of your favorite artists? I can’t think of any specific ones right now.

Do you ever attend any bhangra/ Panjabi music nights or parties? I haven’t been to any formal parties or dances in a while. I actually only go when there is a family function or something like that.

Are you familiar with any dance or music lessons offered at temples or community centers in Jackson Heights? No, I’m not too familiar with any classes.

Are you a fan of Bollywood productions? If so, whom do you usually see them with? I like them and usually see them with my parents

Do you feel like your taste in music differs from your parent’s generation? If so, what is the style of music your elder’s prefer? Yes, it definitely does I like the usual American teen music that is popular right now while they like traditional Indian music.

Do you feel like there’s a big gap between your and your parent’s generations when it comes to music, film, nightlife, and entertainment? Yes, I think there is in the sense that we like different things but I don’t think it is a problem since my parents give me the liberty to do what I want when it comes to culture. For example, the visit a temple regularly but they never pressure me to go with them unless I want to.