Welcome to our second post of All Around South Asia! Once a month we will be interviewing our followers from different regions of South Asia so we can share their culture with all of you! For our second post, we are exploring Punjabi culture. This week we interviewed Gurmeet Sohi who is a senior at Riverside High School!
Growing up in America do you feel like you were still able to connect with your culture/language, if so how?
Yes, I was able to stay connected to my culture. I think it was mainly because of having my grandparents living in the same house and my parents always spoke Punjabi at home. Also I was still surrounded by a lot of Punjabis or just in general desi people.
What is unique to the region in India you are from?
I personally think the thing most unique about Punjab is the acceptance. Especially the Sikh community. I know it’s biased to be speaking as a Sikh, but I have never felt such an accepting community. I have watched how welcoming Sikhs are to non-sikhs in places like the Gurdwara (Sikh Temple). The Gurdwara also serves langar (food) to all that come there no matter what religion they are. This food is free and made as a part of seva (a selfless service). The Golden Temple in Amritsar has langar 24/7 for all.
What do you dislike about your culture?
It would definitely be the whole “lokhi ki kehnge” (what will people say). I feel like there is a lot of judgment in the brown community and personally I've always hated the “auntie gossip.” Especially when it comes to girls. The daughters are always judged whereas the sons are usually allowed to do whatever.
Were you ever embarrassed by your culture and if so how did that change?
I was never really embarrassed by my culture but definitely was not as close with it growing up as I would say I am now. I think this is mainly because of school and being surrounded by mostly white people and I think a lot of people can agree that people of color are always seen as being less. It changed overtime just realizing my culture is who I am. It is better to be proud of your culture than letting people bring you down for it.
What are common stereotypes about people in the region you are from?
A common stereotype is that we don’t eat meat. There are some people that are vegetarian but a lot of people from Punjab do eat meat. Another stereotype I've faced in school is that people just assume that brown people are smart. If you aren’t good at something they say “aren’t you supposed to be smart?” just because you’re brown.
What is your favorite thing to do/place to go when you visit the region you are from?
My favorite place to visit is Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, in Amritsar.
The Gurdwara is absolutely beautiful and such a peaceful place to visit. It has a strong history behind it too. In 1984 in an attack called “Operation Blue Star,” Sri Harmandir Sahib was attacked by the Indian army aimed at killing Sikhs and destroying the place of worship. This makes it even more amazing to see that it is still up and standing today.
How do you feel when all of India is generalized as being Hindu?
I’ve always hated this. Even in school people would go straight to thinking if I’m from India that I have to be Hindu. In any history class when Hinduism was mentioned people always think anyone brown in the class is a part of it. Not that anything is wrong with being Hindu, I just think more people need to educate themselves on different religions in India since we have to learn about ones here.
Tell us your thoughts about the farmers’ protests and include any resources you think would be useful for our followers to educate themselves with!
I feel like most people know by now that farmers in India have marched to Delhi to protest against three bills that were passed.
These bills make it hard for these farmers to make enough to support themselves or their families and the government is denying their basic rights. I’m glad that more and more non-brown folks are learning and sharing about the farmers protests. Sharing is key to reaching more people so I hope that everyone continues to do it because it is not just a phase. For resources be sure to check Instagrams of @sikhexpo and @khalsa_aid. There is a lot more information on both accounts to look into.
Do you feel like Sikhs are underrepresented in America, and if so how can we change that?
Sikhs are definitely underrepresented in America. The first step to changing it would be to stop calling Sikhs that wear turbans terrorists when you see them. They have already gone through a phase after 9/11 that they were targeted because of their turbans. I also think learning the difference between Hinduism and Sikhism in schools would be a big thing since most people just clash it together.
When India is portrayed in the media, do you feel that all of India is generalized to be like North India and Punjab in particular?
No, I don’t think this is true because the Indian media favors Hindus. Especially now with the farmers’ protests going on right now, most media coverage tries to make most of these Punjabi farmers or activists seen as terrorists. Only thing I would say is definitely I’ve seen more about North India culture overall than South Indian. For example I know South Indians that know about North Indian culture, but not many North Indians know that much about South Indian culture.
Do you think Bollywood misrepresents Punjabi culture?
Yes, Bollywood definitely misrepresents Punjabi culture. A lot of songs are taken and the lyrics are changed into Hindi lyrics. Even the turbans worn by Punjabis are a big part of the Sikh religion and Bollywood movies cast these Bollywood actors as Sikhs. Even in the movies they won’t properly portray Punjabi culture. I never minded this as much until recently. It would be one thing if Bollywood supported Punjab with how much they steal the culture, but these farmers' protests made me realize that Bollywood went silent when they should've used their platforms to raise awareness for these farmers.
Favorites:
Food: Gol Gappe, Samosas, Paneer
Holidays/ Traditions: Bandi Chor Diwas, Vasakhi, Gurpurab
There won’t be a post next week, but check back soon for some spicy updates!
Our next All Around South Asia post will be up on 03/28/2021! Come back to learn all about Tamil Nadu!