Identity Crisis Resolved

It's not the first time.. and I am sure it will not be the last time. Every party that I attend, where the majority of the attendees speak one common language, have made my origins a source of their jokes.. of course with the disclaimer that they hoped, I didn't feel bad.. which I don't because I don't consider myself as any more of a malayalee, than I would consider myself a maharashtrian. Having grown up in a cosmopolitan environment, I never had to defend my people or my language. It was but natural that all my friends didn't have one region or one language to unite us. There were a variety of topics to keep the conversation up.

The reason I felt enough to blog about it is that now I have a few questions about my identity. I didn't grow up in Kerala, so I don't know what the people there joke about..I didn't grow up as Maharashtrian, so no idea what the jokes there are like. My parents never encouraged talking about other people or grouping them as far as I can remember.

It is only after moving to the US, that I have become very conscious about my identity. I used to introduce myself as a mumbaiite, originating from Kerala. My husband always tried to set me right.. but I never realized how right he was until now.

But just to get the little facts about Malayalees that I know..

a. We do not all have an accent. If we do, its an accent most south indians for whom English was not the primary language share between themselves.
b. We do not all have a chai kadda..Even then, we are the most enterprising lot and educated lot .
c. We are all not non-vegetarians.. there are some of us, that don't eat meat or FISH and I am one among them and proud to be so.
d. We do not generalize and group people based on where they originate from. Everyone is welcomed with open arms.
e. Not everyone knows who or what shakeera is.. so STOP asking.
f. We have some wonderful cinema, that gets overshadowed by the movies made by bigger movie industries. Infact most of the hindi movies now are a remake of their very successful malayalam movies.

Today I sign off being very proud of being a Malayalee..I am a Malayalee, who grew up in Mumbai. I hope my daughter grows up as an Indian who grew up in America.

Adios.