From: "J.P. Song, Ph.D." <ah3859-AT-wayne.edu>
Subject: Re: east is east
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2000 20:44:51 -0400


Dear Professor Ray:

Thanks for your info, but could you give us more detailed reference to
Kureishi's response to the Powell era? Thanks in advance.

JP Song

----- Original Message -----
From: "sr42" <Sangeeta_RAY-AT-umail.umd.edu>
To: <postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2000 4:51 PM
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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