For the past couple months, I have become a member of a business that allows me to work with many people with backgrounds much different than mine, especially Indians. This is how I met Raj Gajaphati. He is an Indian immigrant that has made himself successful in the auto industry as well as other business projects. He has a dark skin complexion, but different than that of an African American’s skin. His head has long, straight, and dark hair sprouting out from it. There is also an undeniably strong Tamil accent he developed back in his native country, India.
I remember going over to he and his wife’s, Kamala, house for dinner and I realized that they are truly Indians. They have several culturally traditional possessions, most of which came from India, in their house.Since they do not eat meat, a custom many Indians pick up from growing up in a culture that praises cows and an overpopulated country, my meal consisted of baked Indian potatoes, Indian rice, and Indian bread. Before I ate, I prayed that I would like the food because I did not want to offend them and their culture, but fortunately, the food was great.
My interest in learning more about Raj’s journey from India inspired me to interview him for a class project. The purpose of the interview was to discover how someone who grew up in a foreign country with tight cultural and religious beliefs can migrate and adapt to the loose American society. The interview took place at the Mardigian Library of The University of Michigan - Dearborn. During the interview, he maintained a posture that let me and anyone else who happened to see him know that he was indeed a professional. He sat straight in his chair with one ankle placed one top of his other leg’s knee wearing a brown suit with his hands together in his lap. He also kept a slight smile on his face suggesting that he was pleased to see someone so young a different than he is interested in interviewing him about his journey from India to the United States. It was his welcoming gestures and patience that kept me calm throughout the entire interview.
The first question that I asked was about his life growing up in India and what inspired him to want to move here. He immediately responded, saying “India is also a democratic country, like the U.S., and there’s a lot of difference in terms of culture, language, and beliefs.” Then he said, “Here in the U.S., for transportation we use cars and things like that, but typically in India, transportation is bicycles, motorbikes, buses and trains. Very few people had cars when I was growing up. They were usually for people who were very rich. I grew up in a middle class family were we used to walk from place to place.” This led me to believe that something as common as car ownership gets taken for granted in the United States because people in India would have to be rich in order to purchase one. I also felt he had a sense of pride in his success, from living in a place where most people do not even consider getting cars to owning two vehicles. Also, he said that his inspiration for coming here was, “That is one of the biggest dreams for a lot of people like me who come the U.S. We see the opportunities in this country and we know that if you’re willing to work hard for your dream they will come true.”
Afterwards, I asked him about him and his wife’s transition from India to the United States and their family’s reactions. His answer was, “Although I was very comfortable speaking the U.S. language, because that was one of the recognizable languages we used back in India, there were a lot of differences in terms of slang that I used back home in India and certain phrases that are used in the U.S.In fact, there were a few questions and things that I heard when I came to the U.S. that I didn’t know how to respond to. For example, there are certain phases that people say in India that mean something completely different here, and it is the same back home.” After hearing this, I asked him, “why is it that you couldn’t understand the language if you already knew how to speak English?” He said, “it’s because the English I was taught was from British people, so I picked up their British accent.”After knowing this, I can only imagine how hard it would be for me to understand his language when he first arrived here, with him speaking English in both a British and a Tamil accent. Now he only speaks with a Tamil accent.
He then said that his family fully supported his decision to move to the United States. One of the reasons he gave for why his parents were so supportive was, “Everybody back home understands the opportunities that are in the U.S. For immigrants who aspire to become better and more successful, they understand that this is a great place to come and get their dreams fulfilled.” I commend his parents for being so supportive in letting their child move to the opposite side of the planet because they live in a culture that values the importance of a close – nit family.
Finally, I asked Raj how his life is in the U.S., now that he and his wife have adapted to society and if he thinks the U.S. is as embracive to immigrants as it claims to be. He said, “I have already seen some of our dreams starting to be achieved.We still do a lot of things that we did back in India. Of course as time goes by, we have become more mature to understand why we do what we do, there are some things that we have tweaked a little, but overall we are very excited about life.” Generally, he is like any other U.S. citizen, although he sometimes shops at Asian stores to maintain his Indian roots. He even still paints a spot between his eyebrows to celebrate his belief in Hinduism. He also says, “America is one of the few countries that don’t discriminate anymore against immigrants.”
Since I have lived in the United States my entire life, I do not realize all of the many great things about this country. Raj is only one of the millions of immigrants who have left their lives and friends behind to turn a new page in search for success in the United States. There are so many reasons why people may choose to move hear from their native country, whether it being career opportunities, religious freedom, or governmental freedom, immigrants have found was to live happily in the United States.
Episode 1: Topic: Experiences in India before transition, during transition, and after transition
Intro Music Clip: Title: Karsh Kale “Distance” Minutes: 2
Intro: For this project, I interviewed my business partner, Raj Gajaphati. He is an Indian immigrant who has been living in the United States, with his wife, for the past 18 years. My purpose for this interview was to discover how someone who grew up in a foreign country with tight cultural and religious beliefs can migrate and adapt to the loose American society and for what reasons.
First question: “How was life in your native country, India?”
Raj:“India is also a democratic country, like the U.S. and there’s a lot of differences in terms of culture, language, beliefs. Here in the U.S., for transportation we use cars and things like that, but typically in India, transportation is bicycles, motorbikes, buses and trains. Very few people had cars when I was growing up. They were usually for people who were very rich. I grew up in a middle class family were we used to walk from place to place. Also from a religious perspective, we had a lot of holidays because of our belief (Hindu). “ “What inspired your want to come here, instead of continuing living there?” “Well, the U.S. is the land of opportunity. That is one of the biggest dreams for a lot of people like me who come the U.S. We see the opportunities in this country and we know that if you’re willing to work hard for your dream they will come true and the U.S. is probably one of the few countries that are very open to immigrants.”
Segment Music Clip: Lupe Fiasco “Superstar” Title: The transition from India to the U.S. Minutes: 2
“How was your transition from India to America when you first arrived here and your wife, Kamala’s, view of it?
Raj:“Well, when I came to the U.S. that was about 18 years back in 1991. Although I was very comfortable speaking the U.S. language, because that was one of the recognizable languages we used back in India, there were a lot of differences in terms of slang that I used back home in India, and certain phrases that are used in the U.S. In fact, there were a few questions and things that I heard when I came to the U.S. that I didn’t know how to respond to, but it was a gradually process. I had some friends that were already hear in the U.S. that gave me an orientation, like how to respond to certain phrases and what they really mean. For example, there are certain phases that people say in India that mean something completely different hear and it is the same back home. When my wife came here my wife’s transition was very easy and smooth, because I was here in the country for a few years and she also had a lot of family who lived in the U.S., so she probably knew more about this country than I did when I first came hear. But, because there were so many people in her family that have come ahead of her, she learned from their experiences, so it was a lot easier for her to transition into the American way of life.” “ “Also, what was your family’s reaction when they found out that you wanted to move over here?”
Raj:“They were very supportive, because everybody back home understands the opportunities that are in the U.S. For immigrants who aspire to become better and more success, they understand that this is a great place to come and get their dreams fulfilled. My family help me support me get my masters degree and Kamala’s family was also very supportive of her coming here.”
End Segment Music Clip: Karsh Kale “One Step Beyond” Title: Living in the U.S. Minutes: 2
Ending: Minutes:
“What have been your experiences in the U.S. so far?”
Raj:“I have had a phenomenal experience in the U.S. Kamala and I have already seen some of our dreams starting to come true. We still do a lot of things that we did back in India. Of course as time goes by, we have become more mature to understand why we do what we do, there are some things that we have tweaked a little, but overall we are very excited about life.”
“Do you think that Americans embrace immigrants as well as we claim to do?”
Raj:“I have actually been to quite a few countries, like the U.K. and Singapore and a lot of places like that and I definitely feel that the U.S. is more accepting to immigrants and they have a lot of opportunity to anyone, not only people who were born here. America is one of the few countries that don’t discriminate anymore against immigrants.”
“For the last segment of this interview I want you to define the American dream from an immigrant’s perspective?”
Raj:"To me, the American dream means that opportunity exists for everybody and the most important thing is to believe in the dream that you want to achieve. You need to have complete faith so that even when other people do not believe in that dream, you have enough belief in that dream and can you be committed to that dream and do what is required to make that dream a reality.”
Ending Music Clip: Title: Common “Forever Begins” Time: 30 seconds
In places all across the country, city governments are taking action and helping build their community. There have been extreme positive changes in places that many have lost hope on. One prime example of this happening is Fairlane Green in Allen Park, Michigan. The city of Allen Park and Ford Motor Company has invested huge amounts of money into developing a landfill into an innovative and beautiful shopping center, but the excitement does not stop there. The large redeveloped area created a community of much other positivity, causing anticipation in large numbers and also skeptical uproar, in Allen Park.
When the thought of Fairlane Green comes to the mind of the average person, they probably are thinking one question – “why is it on a hill?” The answer to that question is simple but blunt; it was built on top of the Clay Mine Landfill. During the 1950s, it served as containment for Ford Motor Company’s industrial waste. The hill is made of compacted dirt and other materials to keep the degrading waste underneath from causing any likely harm to the surface, in addition to providing a foundation for the shopping center. Fairlane Green is the country’s largest shopping center redeveloped from a landfill.
Other than being the transformation of a city dump to an economic gold mine, Fairlane Green has proven to be innovative. One example of innovation is the shopping center’s energy saving lighting system. Its stores have many light sensory skylights, which open whenever the sensors detect that there is enough sunlight to illuminate the center and eventually close and activate the light fixtures installed there to come on whenever they detect the opposite. There are also white reflective roofing plates on the shopping center to reflect heat from the sun to maintain a more affordable heating and cooling system. Also, there are cisterns installed on the roofs of some stores to detain and recycle rainwater. These innovative facts and many more have helped Fairlane Green receive several outstanding awards, including: the Gold Certification, which is an acknowledgement from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, saying that the center is a “green” site; it has also received the Phoenix Award for excellence in brownfield development.
Failane Green also provides many other positive aspects to the city of Allen Park. It has given approximately 2,000 people jobs in that area. There are many restaurants that intertwine with the shopping stores where families can dine at after a long day of shopping. The large mass of 243 acres of land outside of the shopping area, which was previously a wasteland is now “green” and provides a shelter for wildlife. This area also includes a park with a 3.5 mile pathway around it for recreational activity.
On the other hand, Fiarlane Green may not be as innovative and environmentally friendly as it is advertised. There still remain questions concerning the long – term effects of building a shopping center onto a landfill. Unlike questions of other landfills turned shopping centers in the country, these questions can’t be answered with the same confidence because this is the first time a shopping center has been reconstructed from a landfill this enormous. Some people are worried that the massive artificial hill will collapse whenever the waste underneath has finished decomposing and others worry that the toxic chemical waste below the surface will contaminate its surroundings, that could possibly cause harmful effects to the natural wildlife habitat or humans. Of course these are valid concerns – especially for those who live in the Allen Park area, but they are unlikely outcomes.
There are obviously going to be some worries down the line, but as long as it is being compared to the overshadowing good that is going to be produced from it, a little worry can be afforded. The bigger picture of this entire idea is one that includes a magnificent new shopping center instead of a horrible unproductive landfill; over 150 acres of land preserved for wildlife; restaurants; ponds; and recreational pathways. This is a dream come true for environmentalists who wish to see unproductive areas “go green”.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Well, after giving it some thought, i have finally decided to be an advocate of the minimization of littering in the city of Detroit . I chose this topic not because it is something that has been previously covered, but because I am concerned about the the community I live in. It wasn't until my mid high school years when I realized that this is something that I really cared about. One experience I specifically remember is of my friends and I walking from Little Caesar's eating pizza back to school when our lunch break was nearly over and one of my friends threw the pizza box on the ground. Of course i was angry about him littering, but what really made me furious was that we were closer than 20 feet from a garbage can. I went crazy! I remember yelling things that were probably a little unnecessary, but at the time, I felt he needed to hear everything I had to say. We were and still are friends, so I know he wouldn't get offended.
The media that I am going to use as a presentation of the importance of minimizing littering in Detroit is a 6 - slide PowerPoint.
