According to the esteemed sociologists Omi and Winant - and common sense – the immediate things people notice when they first meet are gender and race. It is fairly easy to discern that I am an Indian male. Its past this point where things start to get murky, as both specific internal and external definition becomes quite difficult. In this current environment, there are unfortunately few signs of improvement regarding this situation.

The problem I just stated was vague, as indeed it should be. To begin, it is safe to say that maintaining complete objectivity is virtually impossible; therefore, I will undoubtedly recall my own experience. Born and raised in the United States, as a child I was instilled with all of its guiding principles. We should all be tolerant of one another, since though we are all different, we can all be winners. The United States is the place where people from all cultures can come together as Americans and succeed.

The neoconservative mindset is dominant in this country. Backed by men like John McCain , Dick Cheney, and Ronald Reagan, this project claims that after the Civil Rights movement, all races are equal under this great nation. We should thus adopt a ‘color-blind’ view upon each other. Such a movement makes it socially awkward to even discuss racial issues with someone. After all, what are these advocates even complaining about? Black power?! Surely, such extremist groups are trying to elevate African Americans to a hegemonic status.

Such a status was in fact held by a specific race, for a minimum of 3 centuries. Nowadays, race is hardly brought up, but it is still just as present in the undercurrents of policy making and social behaviors today. Latinos and African Americans are linked to urban dwelling, ironically as a direct result of racist housing projects such as the Federal Housing Act and the Housing and Urban Development Act, all giving preference to Whites for home mortgages and low-interest bank loans. Not only did minorities have to deal with this unfairness up until the ‘70s, but they must now face the blame for our Federal banking crisis today. Senator McCain claims to be ‘post-racial’, but referred to Senator Obama as ‘that one’ during a national debate. These latent racial themes have been consistently present, ranging from accusations that Obama doesn’t respect (white) women, as well as the hood-like qualities of his community organizer position in Southside Chicago. Meanwhile, Palin flaunts ridiculously ‘white’ catch phrases like “you betcha” and “well golly”… statements she has oddly never used before joining the campaign.

What does all this mean to us? Depends, really. I feel it is an honor and a privilege to not only be a minority, but to have a proud heritage and culture, which serve as the backbone of my life decisions. Of course I gravitate towards others that share my passions and possibly even my style of upbringing. As Indians, we have so much to offer to the rest of our friends, this campus, the world. We also have much to learn. It is indeed quite easy to be oblivious to the plethora of racial issues that surround us. Sangam, albeit an excellent organization, has minimal contact with other groups such as the Asian Students Association, Black Student Movement, CHISPA, Arab Student Association, MOSAIC, the Hillel, etc. All of these groups are under MASALA, the multicultural umbrella organization here at UNC, but few actually use this vehicle to its full potential. Cultural representation is vibrant at UNC. Unfortunately, multiculturalism does not follow suit. Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to join Japan Club (I did) or Black Student Movement (yup) or even MASALA (obviously) if you don’t want to. If but one thing can be extracted from this garrulous article, let it be this: follow your passions, and know that there always more to be found. Note prejudice and know segregation for what it really is: self-segregation. All in all, just find your peace on campus… even if it includes dealing with that ‘r’ word.

I love chutney (particularly the green kind). It’s my favorite condiment. I like the dark green kind, the light green kind, the minty kind, the garlic kind, the coriander kind, the homemade kind, and even the bottled kind.

Chutney is fabulous. It makes everything taste better. Sometimes you’re sitting at dinner and everything just tastes bland and it makes you question the need for taste buds, but then you take out the chutney put it on everything, and like magic you have a first class dinner. It even makes everything colorfully green. Sometimes it looks like an unnatural green, but that’s okay because ultimately it’s all about the taste. If people say, “Hey you need to eat more green things,” you can whip out that chutney and make their wishes come true. It’s so versatile- you can eat it alone, with samosas, with chicken, with naan, in rice, or whatever else (it’s good in ratai…my other favorite thing). Everyone eats Chutney. South Indians eat it, North Indians too, even West and East Indians. Rachel Ray makes it, Emeril eats it, I bet your neighbors had a taste too.

That girl from Legally Blonde was even named after it. Ultimately, Chutney brings the world together and that is why everyone should go out right now and get some.

I’m a little bitter, to say the least. Only now, after desperate attempts to attract writers for Diaspora, do I realize the extent to which students only engage in those courses and activities that will increase their GPA or build their resume. (This is not to say that I haven’t been guilty of having the aforementioned attitude in the past.)

When we pitched our goals for this newsletter, Anshu and I received responses ranging from, “I don’t need to write, I am a science major,” to sheer laughter. We thought approaching this matter with a lighthearted attitude to emphasize Diaspora’s flexibility and low-time commitment would be the best bet. Considering our zero person turn-out for the first meeting, I guess we were mistaken. Well, for all of you skeptics who did not take us seriously to begin with, who think that sharpening writing skills is not important, and any others who had negative reactions to our awesome speeches, I advise you to think again. As editors, we are serious. Writing is critical to all careers. And Diaspora is going to be great this year.

A few more things should probably be addressed. Including articles that unveil the breadth of issues relating to South Asia today, and UNC’s campus as well, would be ideal. Sangam, our sponsor, is supposedly an organization covering eight countries, which is sometimes masked by the prominent number of Indian members. One of my biggest aims for this publication is to provide a diverse array of articles from an eclectic group of individuals, and by that I mean not only including articles on India by Indian students. With this being the first issue, my apologies extend for certainly not meeting this goal. We’re also keeping the idea of one step at a time in mind, so when the next Diaspora issue rolls around, we expect this problem to diminish.

Bitterness aside, I extend a sincere invitation to all of you, no matter what your ethnic origin, to help bring Diaspora back to the level of hype and renown that it was founded upon several years ago. For those who contributed to this issue, thank you. For everyone else, we would really love to have you.

Bienvenue. Swagat. The amount of languages I can say welcome in is pretty limited. I suppose I could peruse Dey Hall and find some abandoned 101 textbooks in search for more greetings but luckily for me, and definitely lucky for you, I am not the only contributor to this publication.

If you know any more languages, or really if you are interested in anything– you are an ideal candidate to write, draw, photograph, or edit for Diaspora. If you are curious please email me at anshu@unc.edu or the Assistant Editor, Dharmi Tailor at dharmi@email.unc.edu. We would be thrilled to have you be a part of our team. Granted it’s not as cool as say, the Men’s varsity basketball team, but in time we could reach celebrity status, at least of the journalistic world.

That was my mandatory call to arms, my latest, but definitely not my final plea to all of you potential contributors out there. For those of you wondering what it is that you are actually reading, you are reading Diaspora: UNC-Chapel Hill’s first and only South Asian publication. The term Diaspora refers to any population sharing common ethnic identity who were either forced to leave or voluntarily left their settled territory, and became residents in areas often far removed from the former. So to sum it up, it defines us. Diaspora is sponsored by Sangam to promote South Asian awareness, but also acts as another media outlet for students to express themselves.

This is our inaugural issue, so I would like you to feel free to please let us know what you like and don’t like because after all this is your publication, and we want you to enjoy it.

As the South Asian community grows larger every year, I feel that it is increasingly important for not only South Asians but also those interested in South Asian issues to have a voice on campus and a publication that they can relate to.

Finally, I would like to thank you for reading the issue, and we hope to get it to you on a continual basis. Thank you.

By - Keta Desai

UNC’s Ek Taal is a bharatnatyam fusion team that performs both on campus and at competitions. This year’s dance features a theme revolving around four central gods of Hindu religion: Shiva, Bramha, Vishnu, & Krishna.

Ek Taal recently won first place for the first time at Mercer University’s Rangoli Competition that took place on October 25th. For the opportunity to see this dance on campus and learn more about the Indian culture, come out to see Ek Taal’s performance at Journey into Asia on November 22^nd. All feet one beat!

Fire, a controversial movie produced by Deepa Mehta, provides an interesting look at some characters from India’s burgeoning middle class. Although India is rapidly modernizing, her culture is not keeping up. This film depicts a patriarchal society, where women are not yet truly free citizens. Already married, the young and beautiful Shabana Azmi playing the role of Radha, embarks on her quest to find a true relationship. Radha was married to Jatin’s older brother (played by Jatin Javas), who fails to uphold his duties as a husband. Radha eventually finds comfort in Sita, Jatins’ older brothers’ wife. Radha and Sita secretly explore the sexual world constantly wondering if they are doing wrong. Constantly battling their husbands and themselves, Sita and Radha find pleasure by spending time with each other while becoming a couple of their own.

The movie is highly provocative and culturally challenging. The heart of the movie lies in its ability to accurately depict the conservative and unequal nature of some cultural beliefs.

Memorable Quote:

Sita: Isn’t it amazing? We’re so bound by customs and rituals. Somebody just has to press my button, this button marked Tradition, and I start responding like a trained monkey. Do I shock you?
Radha: Yes.
Sita: You’re lovely.

Who are you? Who do you represent: Indians specifically, South Asians in general, or an array of multiple cultures?

We are a South Asian interest sorority so we represent primarily females of South Asian descent, but we have all different races and ethnicities in our organization like Latino, East Asian, African American, and Caucasian. As a whole, we have a very diverse Sisterhood. We cater toward populations that already exist. A large part of the South Asian community at Carolina, from what I am aware of, is Indian, so majority of our Sisters are Indian, so we don’t have that much diversity in that aspect, but we’d love to have it!

How have you gotten the word out about this your new organization?

What we’ve done is targeted classes associated with South Asian culture. If we have an event we want to publicize, we’ll go to, say for example, the Hindi classrooms. We think it’s one of the best ways to search out for people who may have an interest in South Asian culture to get them involved. We have trouble in trying to promote our sorority. When we think of a South Asian sorority, we automatically think Indian, and include negative connotations. People don’t know about it, so they automatically assume we’re a campus group that just parties or is just passing the time, you know? But we do a lot - as a social, service, and philanthropic oriented organization we build the bonds of sisterhood while making a difference in our community.

What are some activities your sorority is involved with or sponsors (note, this does not include philanthropic events)? Do you collaborate with other organizations on campus? Who?

Last year we held a forum for South Asian hate crimes and immigration issues. Earlier this semester, we, in collaboration with Psi Sigma Phi, co-hosted a party at Players to raise funds for our respective charities. Just today actually, we co-sponsored an event on how to get funding and information for study abroad for minorities. There will be a movie screening of Provoked (2006) with Carolina Women’s Center in late October. And in November, we are co-hosting a Walk-a-Thon for Habit for Humanity with Delta Sigma Theta.

What is your specific philanthropy?

Children education and literacy. One of our purposes is to raise awareness and monetary funds to promote literacy and education both here and overseas; we are partnered with three organizations, Pratham, Asha for Education, and C.A.R.E. Our biggest national fund raiser and initiative for our philanthropy is Literacy through Unity week in March. We choose a different one [group] each year and whatever we raise that week, we send.

What is the process in order to become a Sister? When does it begin? Is there a house?

At beginning of every semester, we have two weeks of recruitment. This time is used for students to learn about DPO, the Sisters, and what we are about. The Sisters take this time to get to know interested students. Then, at the end of two weeks, students take part in interviews, which determine a membership invitation. This is followed by what is called the New Member Education Process, this would be considered the “pledging” period.

No, we’re still a small organization so there is no house.

What kind of students do you look for? Can some have an advantage over others?

We don’t look for a particular type of student. Basically, if you have an interest in South Asian culture, or children’s literacy, or being part of a Sisterhood that reflects service and social activities then you’re welcome here.

What factors lead you to decide to join a culturally based sorority instead of one of the many pan-Hellenic ones?

In my opinion, many people in South Asian descent have no idea what Greek life is. My mom calls it “that DPO thing”. I learned about exactly what it was through friends in DSI (which was founded in 2004) and others. I also realized that I would love to do it. I had become so attached to the idea of South Asian Greek Life, that I actually hadn’t considered any other organization.

How do you think having a culturally based sorority separate from a social one shapes the Carolina experience?

Just overall, I love being Greek. It’s such a big part of my experience here. I worked toward founding the organization since my first year here. It’s always been a part of my experience. It has opened so many opportunities. I’ve met so many people, learned about other Greek organizations, attended different events, learned how the University operates, what to do when you want to organize an event, its publicity, who to contact and more. I’m very passionate about diversity, and so I combine that passion and my sorority to raise awareness. Cultural Greek life has created opportunities for a lot of sorority members, ones they wouldn’t necessarily have had otherwise.

What do you think students gain from being involved with DPO? And specifically, what have you gained? What was your most rewarding or gratifying experience in the years of being involved?

All of us love being a part of DPO. It doesn’t matter what else we’re a part of, but by being involved in this organization, we’ve gained a strong bond. There are 700 sisters nationwide. It is a big part and benefit of DPO to have a support system. For example, if a sister in her future is looking for a job or roommate she has an advantage with this network.

Personally, I find it is the best experience of my life, because it’s an experience that`s not going to end. Since the beginning I was involved and it doesn’t just end when you graduate- it will always stay with me for the rest of my life. After I graduated I’ll be a resource for other Sisters. What’s the best part of being DPO? For me, it’s my Sisters - every DPO sister I meet, both here and nation-wide, I love! They are so diverse. Everyone I meet is doing something ridiculously awesome. It’s a family - there is an automatic connection with all of them.

We’re more than what you think we might be.

The value of a son has always been emphasized in Hindu culture rooting back to dowry and other cultural benefits. While sons carry on the family name, daughters are considered a liability. Why, you ask? Because after parents raise daughters and give them an education, they must be married into someone else’s home. These cultural and social constructs have developed into a larger problem of sex-selective abortion: the practice of killing a female fetus—a horrible practice that still goes on in my hometown of Gujarat, India. Over the past 20 years, an estimated 10 million female fetuses have been aborted in India. This summer, MGF gave me the wonderful opportunity to be proactive and tackle part of this issue. After carefully developing my own advocacy program in Gujarati focusing on women’s reproductive rights and the power of education, I was able to work with six different NGOs focusing on Women’s Empowerment as well as several villages in the slum areas. I got to know the women in the centers and the slums, hear their stories and struggles, and then offer them guidance on how to become more independent—how to have control over their bodies and their lives. My experiences have been phenomenal, shocking, eye-opening and unforgettable as everyday I saw for myself the problems that India faces. Women’s reproductive rights is a touchy issue that is rarely discussed, but I was lucky enough to cross the barrier and discuss these issues openly with women. From the interactions I’ve had, one thing I can say is that women in India will only become stronger if they are encouraged to pursue an education and learn how to stand up on their own two feet. I am inspired to think of the strength of a woman and how our reproductive rights have progressed in India. As trivial as it may sound to us, girls can now wear skirt uniforms in school and women are now able to work and provide for their families just as a man would. However, for more progress to occur to stop sex-selective abortions from occurring, students like us, who have certain privileges that we seldom acknowledge, need to pay attention to these issues. If we can appreciate the rights we have, we should also be able to help others fight for theirs. I saw women living in the most extreme poverty, having close to no control over their bodies and being subject to will of others. But each and every single woman I met taught me the importance of being truly happy with the things you DO have. MGF opened my eyes to this social problem, allowed me to hear the voices of women, and gave me a chance to empower and improve their lives. For this, I will be forever grateful.

-Priya Soni, Senior

The spring Sangam elections of 2007 were distinct from past elections because Nitin Sekar and Jaymin Patel, both biology and environmental science majors, ran last minute against current president Prashant Katwa in order to make a statement. Sekar and Patel said they wanted to voice their concern with Sangam: there is a very clear difference between Sangam’s stated goals and its actual actions. In his election speech, Sekar laid out everything he thought was wrong with Sangam. Many felt attacked by the display, but others supported it.

At an interview this semester, Sekar said he feels that Sangam spends too much time on social activities and not enough time raising awareness about South Asian culture to the rest of the UNC campus. He said Sangam caters more to the Indian American population at UNC, and therefore does not accurately represent South Asia. Sekar and Patel chose to relay their opinions at the elections because so many Sangam members attend this event. However, at the end of his speech, Sekar withdrew his presidential bid. He said he was too busy to make the necessary changes himself, but he hoped the newly elected board would take heed of his message.

As the first few months of the semester have gone by, however, Sekar said he is skeptical about whether his thoughts were heard. “It seems that this year’s executive board has no intention of leaving any of the traditions Sangam has had for itself,” he said, advocating events such as inviting Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson to speak or holding a Bhutanese archery workshop as opposed to holding various social events.

This year, Sangam has put on events such as a Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship Dinner, two Meet and Greets, “Be the Change” Service Week, and Culture on the Lawn. Planning for Aaj Ka Dhamaka, Sangam’s annual dance competition to raise money for the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship, is in the works.

Neil Patel, Vice-President of Sangam, said that Sangam is improving its ways. According to him, the new executive board is trying to reach out to other organizations on campus to help bring awareness to UNC about Sangam. In the past few months, Sangam has partnered with the Women’s Studies Program to fight domestic violence. They have also partnered with GLBTSA in the screening of Deepa Mehta’s Fire, a film about two Indian lesbian women. The board has created two new cabinet positions: an internal relations chair and an external relations chair. Both positions aim to help create an interaction between Sangam and the community. In “Be the Change” Service Week, which took place from October 1-6, Sangam raised $1,000 for the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship.

Most important, said Patel, is the executive board’s dedication to educating themselves more about the political occurrences in South Asia. To make UNC more aware about South Asia, the board must also be aware, he said.

So is Sangam in fact improving? I guess we’ll leave it up to you to decide.

–Tanisha Palvia