Hi,
Some of you will know from my posts that I am not desi. I enjoy the general discussion on these boards from time to time and try to be useful when possible. I've always been honest about who I am and so far no one has objected...
I've been reading a blog about caste-ism in universities in India. II found it randomly when I was trying to learn about discrimintation at medical schools in the UK. I was really unaware of the caste issue, although I once worked for a south asian theatre company in Canada and was surprised by the comments someone involved with that organization once made about how lower caste people in India are okay having simpler jobs and low wages as maids etc because they are simpler, less intelligent people... it didn't fit with how I knew the person as a "human rights" advocate in Canada.
ANYWAY. I'm wondering if caste is an issue in Canada? Are Indian-Canadians aware of each others caste? Do most come from the same caste?
I'm just curious. I try to stick to general discussion here, but since I have access to so many desis I thought you might be able to indulge my curiousity about this issue.
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My prayer to you
Is that you do all the things you set out to do
And live your life the way you love
Thurston Moore, Psychic Hearts
Location: God's own country
Posted on: 23-03-12 12:09:54
Caste in India evolved from the past. A scavenger in olden times taught his children to become a scavenger, carpernter the same , agriculturist the same,Soildier the same,priest the same etc... There fore based on the occupation of the forefathers, caste was formed. Though in recent times people have moved on to other occupation, the previous ancestral tree was traced to the caste.
Once the british left, India took affirmative action and hence gave this disadvantaged people an oppertunity to suceed by reserving seats / jobs for people whose fore fathers used to do menial jobs like Toddy tapping, Scavanging etc... It was supposed to last for just one generation but due to politics this was never let go but more and more seats/jobs came to be reserved for minorities (as they call it in India).
Most Desi people in Canada (except those in IT) are people who DONOT belong to a privilaged caste. That is because, the non minorities felt that they were deprived of equal chance and migrated to outside of India to be considered equally for education / jobs etc... I will explain why there are any minorities in IT. IT is the hottest subject to be persued in India. So many minorities are given the seat as per quota. in tamil Nadu, around 69% of educations seats are reserved for specific minority types. So a lot of minorities took up IT and since IT is is vouge in the western world, either came on WP and converted into PR or migrated and found jobs so easily.
Coming to Canada, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. It is very hard to survive in Canada and so people are generally not bothered about caste. Besides in Canada, very few are in a position where they hire people and the resumes that come to them may have 2% desi applications. So it does not matter at all. besides Desi's are dead against one another at the work place and may not possibly recommend one unless it was a labour job.
In the 80's when I used to study in sec. school, the first question that was asked (among friends) was our caste / religion and if we eat beef. Though I ate beef I had to say no as 95% of my classmates were Hindu's and eating beef was considered to be cannibalism.
Now in the 2010's when I work in India, beef is a delicacy here and no one asked me of my caste or religion. Even if I thought that they may not ask me as I was a Canadian, even during conversations, no one seems to be talking that point and incidentally today I complete 1 year of my job in India.
I will be pleased to answer your further queries.
Peace
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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.
Location: God's own country
Posted on: 23-03-12 12:56:14
I think you should start a separate thread, of 1yr in India..
************
And have brick bats thrown at me for being a brand ambassidor to India. No thanks !!!
"Donot throw pearls in front of pigs. They will only stamp over it - The Bible. "
Peace
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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.
It exists in different form to certain extent here. You could call it favoritism, isolation, apartheid or by any form.
One of my friends sent an e-mail to a particular company in GTA with his resume for a position and he had all the requirements for the job.
Absolutely no answer till date.
He created a dummy email address, changed his name to an anglicized name with the same details and changed the font type/style. He used his cell number in place of his home phone number.
Vala ! he got a call/e-mail within a week.
When the HR person heard his foreign voice spoke and told him that she will get back to him but never replied back to date.
Casteism?, Racism?, Apartheid ?, Favoritism ?............................................?
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Sunny Leone a true Canadian DESI now back in India !.
Quote:
Originally posted by tamilkuravan
I think you should start a separate thread, of 1yr in India..
************
And have brick bats thrown at me for being a brand ambassidor to India. No thanks !!!
Peace
LOL TK, you have already failed as brand ambassador of India but surely in the slow history of reverse immigration you are the pioneer !!
Peeaace..
Indian = Caste - it is an attached attribute to an individual born in india which cannot be dusted off easily.
Talking about practicing cast-ism by the immigrants ..if we can answer following questions in No , it will be then comparatively easier to say that CDs are gone immune..
Q1 - Will a bachelor CD , upper caste , who wants to get married using arranged marriage institution will post an ad without his caste or will prefer partner from other 'caste' ?
May be following ads will help answering that question :
A canadian matrimonial site - http://www.lifepartnerindia.com/matrimonial_sites/canadian_matrimonials/
http://ww2.shaadi.com/search/matrimonial/result?pg_searchresults_id=M%3D997a64687ceb9a8b63a5bcc8f8cd81ba
http://www.123-matrimonials.com/matrimony/C22/Canada-matrimonial/
http://www.punjabimatrimony.com/matrimonial/canada/
Look for the optional Caste option in these website being used as if mandatory !
Q2 - Will a muslim/hindu/sikh CD , in case his children agree for arranged marriage start to look for bride/groom from any community , caste, religion ?
Btw we have Nikah.com, shaadi.com, punjabimatrimony.com - different websites for different communities.
Sorry this is bit sad reality BUT good thing is that we get to caste only for matrimony... in all other places I have never heard or seen an incidence where there is discrimination being done ...its slowly ending in India as well !! Hopefully will Not be there in coming generations...
Quote:
Originally posted by Portia
Hi,
Some of you will know from my posts that I am not desi. I enjoy the general discussion on these boards from time to time and try to be useful when possible. I've always been honest about who I am and so far no one has objected...
I've been reading a blog about caste-ism in universities in India. II found it randomly when I was trying to learn about discrimintation at medical schools in the UK. I was really unaware of the caste issue, although I once worked for a south asian theatre company in Canada and was surprised by the comments someone involved with that organization once made about how lower caste people in India are okay having simpler jobs and low wages as maids etc because they are simpler, less intelligent people... it didn't fit with how I knew the person as a "human rights" advocate in Canada.
ANYWAY. I'm wondering if caste is an issue in Canada? Are Indian-Canadians aware of each others caste? Do most come from the same caste?
I'm just curious. I try to stick to general discussion here, but since I have access to so many desis I thought you might be able to indulge my curiousity about this issue.
People living in rural india are more interested in caste than their urban counterparts in india .
so if people who have immigrated from rural india care more about the caste than people who have immigrated from urban areas.
In my opinion the reason being that in urban areas people tend to move around a lot, they dont stay at the same house for years even if in the same city and sometimes people transfer to different cities .
whereas in rural areas people tend to know about each other from generations so they are more aware and interested in caste of each other.
now a days people from all walks of life have immigrated to canada ( from rural and urban backgrounds ) .
In my case interesting thing is I became curious about myself ( caste of my ancestors, my ancestoral villages and especially my religion ) when I moved to canada as before that i never knew the difference because everybody was same or similar around me culturally ( I dont know the castes of my childhood friends and religion was never an issue ) .
so people from rural areas are more interested in the caste than people from urban areas ( though nobody has talked about the caste with me here in canada ) .
I dont think anybody is discriminated because of their caste here in canada but it may not be true in india itself .
and I believe people from all castes have immigrated to canada ( you can see that in matrimonials ) .
