Barriers of culture and language for Indian immigrants in America
Dalal relates her negative experiences as an Indian immigrant in the United States. Her family's cultural and language differences resulted in increased harassment and disrespect from Americans.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Chandrika Dalal, July 22, 1999. Interview K-0814. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- ANDREW JILANI:
-
Okay. Chandrika, tell me you early memories of United States. When you
came here, how did you feel? What did you experience here?
- CHANDRIKA DALAL:
-
Not good!
- ANDREW JILANI:
-
Tell me about it.
- CHANDRIKA DALAL:
-
Gradually. You know, they don't like your skin, they
don't like your dress. If you speak in your language, they
don't like. They make jokes on you.
- ANDREW JILANI:
-
Uh-huh. Who are "they"?
- CHANDRIKA DALAL:
-
American people.
- ANDREW JILANI:
-
American people.
- CHANDRIKA DALAL:
-
If you talk with two Indian people. If they heard, they make jokes and
laugh on you. You know, they don't respect-, our culture, or
our language-, you know. They say it is a free country, but I
don't think-, they treat as a good person to us.
Because—. When-, when we move in Pittsboro-, they always-,
police follow my husband.
- ANDREW JILANI:
-
Uh-huh. Why?
- CHANDRIKA DALAL:
-
Because of-, he has a California license plate, and they-, just make-,
trouble! Every time he drive, police just come-, go after him, and make
him upset and mad. Because, you know, we are out-of-country people and
Pittsboro is small town. They don't like outside people. But
we come here and we take this business on the lease. So, make him so
mad! And-, he don't find out jobs, so we-, we have a one
Indian friend. One day my husband go in that-, er….
Motel/Hotel Association meeting, and-, er… one Indian people
there— they are from Marora, and they have a business on
Hillsboro, Economy Motel—and-, they ask my husband how much
he want. He say eight hundred, nine hundred dollar-, I can make in-,
that's good for me. So, we take business on the lease.