Welcome to our third 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 third post, we are exploring Tamil culture. This week we interviewed Aarthi Krishnakumar who is a freshman at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Sachin Srikar 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?
Aarthi: I grew up in a small town in New York. Even though it was predominantly caucasian, there was a tight-knit group of South Asians who helped me stay grounded. I often felt connected with the spiritual aspects of my culture because I attended sloka classes, carnatic vocal lessons, and bharatanatyam classes.
Sachin: I would say that in part I was able to connect with my culture and language. Growing up, my grandparents spoke in Tamil so it was only natural that I responded in Tamil. When I was very young, I likely spoke more Tamil than English. I watched Tamil movies every now and then and spoke to my family on occasion. I am not very religious, but I still participate in some Hindu traditions and festivals. I also had, essentially, a “Tamil” friend group growing up. I would attribute the circumstances of my upbringing to my cultural connection, but I would still say that I don't have as strong a connection to my culture as some of my other friends.
What is unique to the region in India you are from?
Sachin: Tamil cuisine is generally pretty unique compared to the other regions of India. It is heavily focused on vegetarian cuisine with food such as idli and dosa being part of the staple diets in the region. A festival that is unique to Tamil Nadu is Pongal, which is a harvest festival. We celebrate the end of the winter solstice, and we prepare and cook a lot of dishes. Growing up, this was one of my favorite celebrations simply because we got to cook and eat a ton, and we would celebrate with friends and family.
What do you dislike about your culture?
Aarthi: I dislike the preferential treatment given toward women of lighter skin tones. As someone who spent nearly three years living in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, I felt that it was difficult to keep up with the unrealistic and Eurocentric beauty standards imposed on young women.
Sachin: I don’t particularly dislike anything about my culture. I think that the culture is generally very vibrant and joyful. The one problematic part of my culture is the prevalent colorism that pervades our film industry and society, and I do see that there have been steps to move in the right direction, with many actors and actresses who don’t necessarily have the fairest skin portraying leads, but it has taken a while.
Were you ever embarrassed by your culture and if so how did that change?
Aarthi: For a long time, I was embarrassed of the South Indian food that my mother would pack for my lunch. I would often throw away my lunch because I was too ashamed of the questions and stares that I would get had I consumed it. This pattern changed shortly after I moved to Chennai, a place where wasting food was discouraged.
Sachin: I was embarrassed by my culture as a kid. I think it’s quite a common feeling to have, seeing as my culture wasn’t the “assimilated” culture of the people around me. I remember in kindergarten I couldn’t eat food with a spoon, since I was really young and didn’t start eating food with a utensil until long after that, and the camp counselors and other campers found that strange. I spend a lot of time after that trying to assimilate, choosing to bring American food to lunch so I didn’t have to get ridiculed about my culture. I think this sort of attitude changed over time. As I became older, I began to appreciate my culture more. I wouldn’t state any pivotal moment where this happened, but there sort of arose a point where I was tired of hiding parts of my culture simply for the approval of others. After each experience of feeling like an outsider, I simply began to embrace it, instead of losing myself trying to become someone I wasn’t.
What are common stereotypes about people in the region you are from?
Aarthi: I’m not too familiar with any stereotypes. However, I often feel that South Indian culture as a whole is viewed as less sophisticated and less deserving of the spotlight
Sachin: I would say a few common stereotypes about people from Tamil Nadu is that we are all vegetarians, or that we eat idli and dosa every single day, but the food selection can be pretty diverse. I would tout Tamil cuisine as being quite diverse, and one that offers non-vegetarian and vegetarian selections alike. Breakfast items range from the classic, “idli/dosa and sambar” combination, to dishes such as pongal, uthappam, or idiyappam. Non-vegetarian dishes include local selections of biryani, including shrimp and seafood biryani, as well as chicken and mutton biryani. So if anyone wants to try Tamil/South Indian food, I would encourage them to.
What is your favorite thing to do/place to go when you visit the region you are from?
Aarthi: I love visiting the Marina Beach in Chennai with my Cousins. Also, Movie theatres in Chennai are exhilarating.
Sachin: Most of the time I go to Tamil Nadu, it’s generally to visit my grandparents, so I enjoy spending time with them. In terms of architecture or tourists spots, I would say that Tamil Nadu has plenty of Hindu temples that are fun to visit and pass through. Marina Beach is the largest beach in India, and also a pretty common tourist destination, and the last time I went, I enjoyed the experience. My uncle owns a mango farm, and going there is one of my most enjoyable experiences, though I don’t know how many Tamilians share this experience.
How prevalent is colorism in Tamil Nadu?- Describe your experience (if you have any)
Aarthi: I used to play basketball for my school. After long days in the sun, I'd come home a few shades darker and would be ridiculed by my peers. I used to apply a mask made of tomato juice and turmeric to “remove” the dark color of my skin. Years later, this has left me with spots and hyperpigmentation on my face.
Sachin: I’m speaking for myself when I say this, but it is definitely prevalent. I think one place to look to is the popular actresses in Kollywood (which is the Tamil film industry), who all have lighter skin tones. I know members of my family have demonstrated colorist behavior (wondering why I’ve gotten so dark, etc.), and as is common in many parts of South Asia, people use skin whitening products (which are pretty heavily marketed in my region).
When India is portrayed in the media, do you feel that South India is underrepresented?
Aarthi: Tamil culture isn’t seen as trendy by western media. It never has been. When non-South Asians think of our culture, they often think of Bollywood and North-influenced phenomena. This can be discouraging and invalidating to South Indian cultures that are equally beautiful and rich.
Sachin: In American media, there seems to be a lack of South Indian representation. I have seen in recent years the growth of South Indian representation in American media and America as a whole, with comedians such as Mindy Kaling and Aziz Ansari sharing our culture to the greater public. However, it has taken some time. I remember watching “Master of None” on Netflix, and was taken by surprise that a character was speaking Tamil on the show. It was the first time I had heard Tamil being spoken in an American TV show, and I was ecstatic that it even happened. However, the fact that this type of representation is few and far between does demonstrate a sense of underrepresentation of South India in American media.
Many Tamilians don’t like the movie Chennai Express because of how Tamil culture is portrayed. Do you feel the same way, what did Bollywood get wrong?
Aarthi: I remember watching Chennai Express with my family for the first time. I was upset by the fact that the actress playing the part of the Tamil woman wasn’t even a native Tamil speaker. She mispronounced several words and it was an overall cringeworthy performance. I feel that this movie satirized Tamil culture more than it did represent it. It's the same case for the movie “2 States.”
Do you think Bollywood misrepresents Tamil culture?
Aarthi: I feel that Bollywood is seen as the umbrella term for Indian film and media. However, this is not the case. There are several Tamil movies that have been reshot and recreated as Hindi films, however this is often not mentioned.
Sachin: I’ll have to be totally honest with this answer. I am not sure. I don’t really watch Bollywood movies, since I was raised watching Tamil movies in general. If Bollywood movies represent Tamil culture in the same way that it is represented in Chennai Express, I would say yes; however, I largely see Bollywood films represent the culture of North India. I don’t see Bollywood misrepresenting Tamil culture as inherently problematic, as Kollywood is a prevalent force in the Indian film industry as well, but as the world’s window to South Indian/Tamil culture is through Bollywood, it can be problematic.
Favorites:
Aarthi
Food: Curd Rice and Mango Pickle
Movies/Music: Alaipayudhai
Holidays/ Traditions: I LOVE Karthigai Deepam (Where you light lamps all around your house)
Sachin
Food: Sweet Pongal, Payasam, Gulab Jamun, Biryani
Movies/Music: Watch MASTER it slaps, also Jilla is probably my favorite Vijay movie (I’m a Vijay fan, what can I say)
Holidays/Traditions: Pongal, Diwali
That's all for this week's post! Come back next month for our next All Around South Asia Pakistan! There's not a post this Sunday, but check in on the 11th to learn about Child Marriage!