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vijayjohn wrote:I don't think anyone's ever posted in this thread to complain about discrimination that they have personally experienced per se. Lauren once posted in another thread to do this, and then her post was moved here along with a bunch of posts that followed it (because it ended up being off-topic for the thread). The first time I posted in this thread, it was about discrimination that some members of my family have perpetrated, not experienced.
Chiruda insisted on not having a shed built, and not just in Pushpaveli. They shouldn't work anywhere in that land. They should leave that land. They should go somewhere.
"Let's go!" she would say sixty times like a frightened child. There was always something frightening her everywhere. Day and night, she was frightened.
Koren didn't really agree. That wasn't because of any particular affection towards that land or the people of Pushpaveli. He was a Paraiyan; a Paraiyan's job is to farm. He'd have to do that anywhere, so wouldn't it be best for him to stay in a land where he'd already gotten to know people? Besides, he'd already built a floor in place and raised it. How many months of effort that took! Koren didn't have the mind to abandon it. If he went to a new land, he'd have to build a surface there, too.
Chiruda was emphatic. "I can't stand it here!"
"Why not, hon?"
"I can't. It won't work. It's a disaster."
"Tell me why!"
"It just is!"
Only Maria knew what she was talking about, but she didn't say anything. The two women exchanged ideas by looking at each other.
Koren said to Maria, "What's she saying? She keeps either nagging me or having something on her mind."
Maria didn't reply. Chiruda said, "I'll tell you..."
She looked at Maria's face. Maria shut her eyes tight. She was worried that Chiruda would ruin everything by pouring out all her fears. Chiruda continued: "We won't get along well with the landlord at Pushpaveli. That landlord and his sons are bad. They're greedy; they're devils. If we live here this year, we'll all end up beating each other up. That's why I said we should go."
Maria was relieved. Chiruda had explained the matter clearly and wisely.
Patros, who had been listening to all of this, gave his opinion: "Don't you say that, Chiruda! I won't agree if you say that. You won't get a master this good either in this land or in the next one. They're beating the workers to death in some places, you know that?"
Chiruda repeated over and over again that they were devils.
Both of the men had left. Once the women were alone, Maria said to Chiruda, "Baby, what're you talking about? It's the same or worse wherever you go. The landlords at Cheruvaalyakkaar are staring at Parakis and Pulakis who are nothing but blood and water. You're safer here. Wanna hear a story?"
Maria started telling some stories she knew, stories about high-caste people destroying poor Parakis and Pulakis! And who might these high-caste people be? Chiruda had heard about some well-known families. The young men there...they were Nairs, Ezhavas, Christians, Muslims. Chiruda was getting worried. How and where could they protect themselves from the situations the Parakis and Pulakis who had to sleep in small huts with no lock and no door and go out to work had to go through? How could she be sure that only one man had laid eyes on her?
Maria continued, "When I was young, there wasn't a Paraki or a Pulaki who had touched anyone other than her husband. Now the girls at Cheruvaalyakkaar are making eyes at the master's children."
Chiruda said, "I'm scared. He'll come back."
Babbsagg wrote:I guess it goes over many people's heads that someone can be of different descent but be a native of their country. I sometimes wonder if that's a remnant of the widespread sort of nationalism that equates nationality with ethnicity. Or, in worse terms, the thinking that nationality means being of some certain "blood". One nation, one ethnicity, one language, one culture.
As someone of local descent, I guess I was lucky that I've never been exposed to such treatment. I don't know how it feels, but I imagine it's bloody annoying.
languagepotato wrote:This is a recurring conversation i keep on having and it's really getting on my nerves
*random conversation*
Person A: Where are you from, btw?
me: I'm born and raised here in the netherlands, but i'm from moroccan heritage
*the part of the conversation not about where i'm from*
person A: so, how long have you been here?
me: told you, i'm born and raised here
*something else*
Person A: your accent is flawless, you sound like you're from amsterdam
me: I am
Person A: but you came here from morocco, right?
me: no, my parents did.
*random conversation*
Person A: So, how long have you been here in the netherlands
me: ...my...entire...life..
Person A: that explains the flawless accent
*a few days later*
Person A: you speak dutch very well
me: ...*facepalm*
languagepotato wrote:Babbsagg wrote:I guess it goes over many people's heads that someone can be of different descent but be a native of their country. I sometimes wonder if that's a remnant of the widespread sort of nationalism that equates nationality with ethnicity. Or, in worse terms, the thinking that nationality means being of some certain "blood". One nation, one ethnicity, one language, one culture.
As someone of local descent, I guess I was lucky that I've never been exposed to such treatment. I don't know how it feels, but I imagine it's bloody annoying.
yup, especially the one culture thing is annoying, no matter how hard i try to explain it to other people. they just can't grasp the concept of being raised bi-culturally.
it's either: "I'm dutch because i grew up here" or "I'm moroccan because of my heritage"
no matter how hard i try to explain that i identify with both cultures (with good reason), they still don't understand it.
Sasabasa wrote:Hi. So I travelled to Dresden yesterday for a job interview and it was alright. Except for one thing. I was ID'd 4 f**king times. Twice on the train and twice at the train station? What the hell is that supposed to mean? I asked the cop if I looked like a terrorist and she said it's their job. Obviously it's their job, but it made me feel foreign. Do I stand out? Do I look like a terrorist, criminal or a psycho who would hurt others? I thought we were borderless in the Schengen area, but it seems I was wrong. Pretty undemocratic and hypocritical from what I can tell. My father used to tell me how they were ID'd during the commie times and that's exactly how it felt. Pure bullying.
Does it happen in other Western EU states? What about the USA and Canada and I don't mean customs or when you're a little bit too loud while wasted.
Sasabasa wrote:What about the USA and Canada and I don't mean customs or when you're a little bit too loud while wasted.
Sasabasa wrote:Vijayjohn: Yes. I can imagine that from all the movies I've seen.
Cop: pull over, sir. Hands on the wheel where I can see ' em.
But maybe it's different, because there are so many types of people in the US. For example I had no idea Melaniea Trump was from Slovenia.
Everyone: The thing is the terrorists can strike anywhere, anytime using various starrategies. Nobody can prevent it.
Not being able to finish my espresso, because I look "suspicious" plainly sucks.
vijayjohn wrote:The only time I can imagine that happening in the US is if the cops pull you over e.g. for speeding even though this is illegal unless they have reasonable suspicion to believe you have carried out a crime. I don't think they'd be able to tell you weren't American just from looking at you.
Luís wrote:I traveled from Copenhagen to Stockholm by train a couple of years ago. Halfway through the Øresund bridge, some Swedish officers with dogs came in and asked for everyone's documents. Not only that, but they also asked questions such as "Where did you come from?", "Where are you going?", "How long will you be staying?", "Where are your bags?", "What's the purpose of your visit?". I found it quite strange, because both countries belong to the Schengen Area.
On the way back (from Sweden to Denmark), there was no control whatsoever.
Other than that, nobody has ever asked for my ID anywhere in Europe (outside of airports) and I've crossed quite a few land borders already.
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