Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 16:51 EDT
Subject: east is east


I have been following the discussion with interest. Josna Rege did a great
job highlighting the issues the movie tried to deal with.

A crucial point that she made--the differences between different generations
of immigrants. I think the father's character does need to be understood in
terms of his pre WWII migration.

Enoch Powell also plays a significant role--Hanif Kureishi's personal essay
about growing up during that era is very helpful. Eric Clapton was a one
time supporter!

Have people read Zadie Smith's White Teeth--it revolves around generational
issues around immigration.

Another point that she made and which I would like to add to is the issue of
salwar kameezes being worn in Pakistan as opposed to sarees.

Since so much of the movie focuses on the conflicts between India and
Pakistan and given the ease with which displaced South Asian tend to
identify with their particular homeland and then generate discussions about
authenticity etc--one should keep in mind that the debates around
authenticity get gendered in terms of women's role etc. In this case the
true Pakistani woman (i.e Muslim woman) is she who wears salwar kameezes to
distinguish them from the Indian woman who to a greater extent can be
represented as sari clad.

Cracking India By Sidhwa does a great job addressing this issue in terms of
teh character of Ayah who eventually becomes a prostitute

I thought that the Bradford Pakistanis who visit the family, especially the
mother, evoke this issue thereby reminding the audience about the continuing
Hindu-Muslim divide that has been so central in the subcontinent.  Gender as
well as class issues are quite interestingly handled in that segment.


This is a bit rambling but  hope it contributes some to the discussion.

Sangeeta Ray

Sangeeta RAY
Associate Professor
Dept. of English
Univ. of Maryland
College Park MD 20740
Email:Sangeeta_RAY-AT-umail.umd.edu (sr42)
Phone: 301-405-3807


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