I fully understand the term "East Indian" as applied
to people of Indian or often to those from the Indian
subcontinent in the US. Just as "Paki" used as a
racial slur by "white supremacists" or even
racially-prejudice Canadians meant all people
originating from the Indian subcontinent.
With explanatory articles and defensive arguments, the
term has faded away from the "mainstream" jargon and
now replaced by the rubric "visible minority."
On Dinesh, one can argue his politics. He in on the
"right" and those on the "left" see him as a arrogant
immigrant who made good on his Ivy League education
and connection.
The Illustrated Weekly had a big story of him and a
big photo with Ronald Reagan. I felt he would go much
higher in the Republican administration of Bush.
Like any one, he has his supporters and distractors.
It's fine for Mario to praise him as a Goan who
achieved fame. But I would not support him just
because he's a Goan. I don't agree with many of his
statements and conclusions in the two books I read.
As for my earlier reference to dinesh and antara dev
sen, it was on the topic, The Wrong America.
Her letter to Dinesh:
"I write to you not just as an Indian to an American,
but also as one who shares many of the memories that
run in your veins, the colur of the skin over that,
and the respect for a good life and democratic
freedoms that nestle somewhere in between. I write to
you specifically because everyday events frequently
remind me of the enormous role the United States of
America plays in the lives of distant mortals, and
because of your unquestion love for your chosen
country that is reflected in the title of your book
which has no question mark: What's so great about
America.
"No, I don't hate America. I can't..... nurtured by TS
Elliot, Ella Fitzgerald and Sylvia Path....
But Allen Ginsberg howls in my head: America why are
your libraries full of tears? .... millions killed for
flimy reasons.... "
She gives Vietnam, Guba, Afghanistan and many other
countries.. Then she says, "No, I don't believe
America is evil. Partly becasue every wrong in my
McDonald-and-Coke deprived Indian childhoos was blamed
on the CIA and its agents, till I almost blamed them
for my homework."
She goes on to say, "It's this Janus-faced America
that I wrote to you about... American maybe great, as
your book so affectionately explai9ns, but does it not
also need to be good?"
She say "... this is the America I would rather see,
America as a just nation that lives the democratic
freedoms it preaches... And we remain indebted to an
America that is fast become invisible."
The last two lines, "Shouldn''t your next book be
called 'What is fair about America' -- I won't use a
question mark either."
In his reply, dinesh begins, "Reading your letter, I
feel a bit like the mosquitor at the nudist colony --
I'm not sure where to begin!"
He says, "Your main quarrel seems to be with American
foreign policy... Twice in the past centurey,
America's actions played a crucial role in saving
freedom -- first, from the threat of Nazi tyranny, and
then, from the threat of Soviet imperalism."
He says the "the war against the "evil empire" was a
just war, and America's victory ikn that war has left
the world better and freer."
He goes on to explain America's role and tells her
that "your most serious misunderstanding, in my view,
is that you neglect the fundamental principle of
American foreign policy, which upon reflection is a
deep moral principle. It is the principle of the
lesser eveil."
He says, "What amazes me is that you, like so many
others, are content to bash America without any
apparent appreciation of the hard decisions that
leaders must make."
He admits, "Sure, America has made its mistakes."
My point in quoting both (though I wish I could send
the whole piece which is dated August, 2004) is to
show that one can take issue with Dinesh on many
points. It's the familiar liberal vs conservative
fight we continue to see on a much heightened level
after the Iraq war, more so with the disclosure that
America went to war without the conclusive proof of
Iraq having WMD.
What we reap now in the form of London bombings, and
previous to that Madrid mayhem, is what American
foreign policy has brought about.
Eugene Correia
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