Disclaimer: All the thoughts and ideas are based on personal experiences and understandings of the author. Any difference of opinion is not coincidental but natural.
When I started reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie I did not know what I had signed up for. All I knew was that she was a Nigerian author and the book touches upon the experiences of Non-American Blacks in America. The book is so raw and honest that it makes you question your inner prejudices. Being from a Third World country, I realized that we Indians have much more in common with the Nigerians than we will like to assert we have in common with the Western countries. She mentions it somewhere which holds true for most of us, we believe that what we have is “obviously” not enough and the best is happening in the West.
She compares her experience in her own country with her experience as black person in America. She also draws a parallel between her life and the life of a Black American. She mentions it in the book that when the Black Americans were still fighting to get a right to vote, a Nigerian Black man was simply going to school. It is only after she went to America that she became aware of her skin color. White on its own is not of any significance but when compared to black, it derives its supremacy. We are wired to believe that fairer is better as if we Indians were all born with lighter skin tones. Could it be possible that our obsession with fair skin tones roots from our obsession with the “foreign”? We have only witnessed beauty defined with whiteness. Dark is not actually dark but dark is shown as a neutral color in Bollywood as well; women with darker skin tones will not know which cosmetics suit their skin type and end up struggling to fit in the “conventional”. How many of us can actually use a blush or a highlighter? Why do they only have foundation cream for three skin types, what about the rest of us? In the mainstream cinema, how many lead roles are performed by north-eastern Indians where the story of the movie has nothing to with their state? Ever wonder how much of the content we consume is stereotyped? Is there an Average Indian?
While we have our own complexities, our society is traditional while the class and caste continue to be a deterrent in their growth but for Europeans and Americans, all of us are the same. Our culture is too backward, our festivals are too loud and untidy and our indigeneity is always too regressive. A Savarna may take pride in his social position in India but to Americans, they will all be from an illiterate and poor country. Irrespective of what we do, our global image will be defined by Slumdog Millionaire or as on the other extreme of the spectrum by “Indian Matchmaking”. We are not truly independent since we are still ideologically dominated by our colonizers. It is baffling to think how we associate color, caste and class with hygiene and safety.
I am not even talking about fighting the larger battle but think about how many prejudices we have and how we unconsciously act on them individually. While using the public transport, we almost unintentionally assess the hygiene of a person from their appearance and their apparel. Someone who is not dressed “properly” or looks too Indian will not know how to talk to in English; if someone does not know how to talk in English, they are not intellectual enough to be part of a discussion. I still do not know why sarees and kurtas are called ‘semi-formal wear’ to offices. Americanah was focused on presenting an honest commentary on the Nigerian and American society and it was an attempt to tearing down some of the stereotypes. It reminded me that we need to start having these conversation across the world in our own cultural settings and how we should continue to hold on to some of it while we continue to fix its flaws.
offthefocalpoint 