If you watch a Ted video from Pico Iyer you will be amazed by the question he poses about the famous question
Where is home?
Where are you from?
This is a topic that has been in my mind for a very very long time specifically when we went to San Antonio in 1998. There we went to river walk and boat ride and the boat captain asked an innocent question
When are you guys from?
We were about 17 of us and I answered "Dallas,Tx".
He smiled and asked "Where are you originally from?" . I didn't understand but I did quickly reply "India" ( I didn't say chennai,tamilnadu etc as I thought he might not understand any of that).
I was thinking - Why would he not believe me? I am not a tourist. I am a tax payer and a good citizen. Never cause any trouble and even throw litter in thrash (while I may not do when I am in India!).
Also , I wanted to tell me "Hi Buddy - "we are all from Africa!" - read genealogy. Like JFK I wanted to say
" Ich bin ein Berliner "- I wasn't sure if he would understand German either. .This is San Antonio and JFK did impress Germans by saying "We are all Berliners" in German. I don't know the african equivalent of it.. Also another speech from and before that read this blog
http://blog.ted.com/2009/10/07/the_danger_of_a/
and dont forget to watch her video.
She mentions repeatedly Africa is not a nation - it is a continent. People say let's help India,Indonesia,Srilanka and Africa. What? - Are you going to help 54 countries many of whom speak different languages even within the same country.
She mentions in her talk that while she was in an American University some one asks her
"Hi - I have seen in movies African , do African husbands really beat their wifes?"
She answered " Yes. By the way I have also watched and read lot of books and movies from America
- "Do you really have many psychos?"
That is the power of the single story. We collect a story and try to generalize.
When some one asks me "Where are you from" I always think that they are trying to add more information to learn about me without talking to me. He is an South Indian. Madrasi!. May not know Hindi. May be good in English. Doesn't know much about Norh,East or West of India. Eats Idli ,Rice ,Sambar. Loyal,Honest and Hard working.
We all try to assess other people as to where they are from.
Pico Iyer (read the beginning of the post) was born in England ,Raised in USA and lives in Japan for last 20+ years and loves Japan.
If you ask him where you are from - he says do you want to know where my doctor,dentist and mall are?(something to that effect) to underscore the point that in this diverse world people travel,live and die in all different places.
The next time you ask someone where are you from - check what you are concluding based on this answer in your mind (and how quickly you try to assess the other person based on just this fact!)
Learn well ,Live well and let other live well
Sivakumar Manikanteswaran
Where is home?
Where are you from?
This is a topic that has been in my mind for a very very long time specifically when we went to San Antonio in 1998. There we went to river walk and boat ride and the boat captain asked an innocent question
When are you guys from?
We were about 17 of us and I answered "Dallas,Tx".
He smiled and asked "Where are you originally from?" . I didn't understand but I did quickly reply "India" ( I didn't say chennai,tamilnadu etc as I thought he might not understand any of that).
I was thinking - Why would he not believe me? I am not a tourist. I am a tax payer and a good citizen. Never cause any trouble and even throw litter in thrash (while I may not do when I am in India!).
Also , I wanted to tell me "Hi Buddy - "we are all from Africa!" - read genealogy. Like JFK I wanted to say
" Ich bin ein Berliner "- I wasn't sure if he would understand German either. .This is San Antonio and JFK did impress Germans by saying "We are all Berliners" in German. I don't know the african equivalent of it.. Also another speech from and before that read this blog
http://blog.ted.com/2009/10/07/the_danger_of_a/
and dont forget to watch her video.
She mentions repeatedly Africa is not a nation - it is a continent. People say let's help India,Indonesia,Srilanka and Africa. What? - Are you going to help 54 countries many of whom speak different languages even within the same country.
She mentions in her talk that while she was in an American University some one asks her
"Hi - I have seen in movies African , do African husbands really beat their wifes?"
She answered " Yes. By the way I have also watched and read lot of books and movies from America
- "Do you really have many psychos?"
That is the power of the single story. We collect a story and try to generalize.
When some one asks me "Where are you from" I always think that they are trying to add more information to learn about me without talking to me. He is an South Indian. Madrasi!. May not know Hindi. May be good in English. Doesn't know much about Norh,East or West of India. Eats Idli ,Rice ,Sambar. Loyal,Honest and Hard working.
We all try to assess other people as to where they are from.
Pico Iyer (read the beginning of the post) was born in England ,Raised in USA and lives in Japan for last 20+ years and loves Japan.
If you ask him where you are from - he says do you want to know where my doctor,dentist and mall are?(something to that effect) to underscore the point that in this diverse world people travel,live and die in all different places.
The next time you ask someone where are you from - check what you are concluding based on this answer in your mind (and how quickly you try to assess the other person based on just this fact!)
Learn well ,Live well and let other live well
Sivakumar Manikanteswaran
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