Are Chicago nursing homes actually grouping residents by ethnicity? I shudder to think of what could happen if segregation in nursing homes mimics segregation in prisons. We might have different ethnicities forming gangs on the “inside.” From the AP wire at ABCnews:

Mid America Convalescent Center is one of a growing number of Chicago-area nursing homes that assemble residents by ethnicity. Asians live on one floor, Hispanics are on another.

Each group has its own traditional food, activities and a staff that speaks its language. Within a few miles are other facilities doing the same for Poles, Russians, Indians and Koreans.

There have long been nursing homes that cater to certain nationalities and religions, or become popular with different ethnic groups. But in Chicago, with the third largest number of foreign-born residents in the United States, that sort of specialization is becoming increasingly common and formalized, said Kevin Kavanaugh, spokesman for the Illinois Council on Long Term Care.

At first this sounds kind of bad. Segregation is something you must always remain vigilant against. But…when you are that old you may want to revert to what you are most familiar with. I can’t fault that logic. All the different groups have their own customs and quirks.

Specialized ethnic care can be helpful, advocates argue. Nursing homes must be aware, for example, of elderly Jewish residents for whom a trip to the shower may trigger memories of the Holocaust.

They also must be aware of customs and rituals, said Rosemary Gemperle, executive director of the Coalition of Limited English Speaking Elderly, an organization of community-based ethnic agencies in Chicago.

“Indian people, Hindus, won’t eat before they are bathed,” Gemperle said, offering an example. “They will starve first.”

Some Koreans won’t drink cold water, believing it can cause disease. A nursing home that doesn’t understand that can create a life-threatening situation if residents refuse to take medications because they are given only cold water, said Susan Duda Gardiner, director of clinical services with the Illinois Council on Long Term Care.

The French have been bitter ever since English replaced French as the must-know language for anyone wanting to do business abroad or have an easier time while traveling. Have the winds of fate turned again, though? Might English soon be replaced by something…else? From the Washington Times:

A British language expert predicts that “Hinglish,” or Indian English, will overtake standard English as the most common spoken form of the language globally.

Already one-third of Indians, over 300 million, are speaking the language, according to linguist David Crystal. With the Internet spreading English more rapidly than ever, and Indians at the forefront of the IT revolution, Indian English is spanning the globe and taking over from British and American forms, Crystal told a lecture audience at the British Council in New Delhi Saturday.

This is most disconcerting. I hardly know any Hindi and my English is not the greatest either. Will there be a place for me in the new world order?

There is a new sergeant with the Chicago Police Department now making sure nobody sleeps on trains. From NewKerala.com:

Tomi Methipara, the first Indian American to join the Chicago Police and also be promoted to the rank of sergeant, does not let racial epithets flung at him get in the way of his job.

Methipara, who grew up in Kerala, India, and worked in a bank in Alwaye in that state and in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, before immigrating to the US and joining the 14,000-strong Chicago Police in 1990, said he has had quite a few culture shocks as a new recruit.

“Initially, I was shocked at how they treated dead bodies. We (Indians) give a lot of respect to the dead. But in the police, you realise that a dead body is like a log – it has no feelings.”

“We (Indians) give a lot of respect to the dead.” Are you joking? I can think of at least one religious Indian city where dead bodies lie here and there. I don’t think Indian culture gives any more respect to the dead than any other culture. That’s not really the point of this story but it caught my attention so I thought I’d call it out.

So Tomi, run into any discrimination?

As a rookie, Methipara would also be upset by racial epithets flung at him when he went to investigate a crime, or make an arrest.

“Over time, you learn not to take it personally. Even back in Agra, there were people calling me a ‘stupid Madrasi’. You learn to put it in perspective.”

This story has given me an idea for a television pilot about an Inspector Sahib, recently having come from India, who will show up to work for the NYPD. Hilarity ensues.

Not so long ago I brought you the story of Gaurav Bhatia, a graduate student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, who fell asleep on a Chicago Transit Authority train and was given a ticket for sleeping dangerously. Seems that our hero has beaten the odds and gotten the ticket overturned. From the Washington Times:

Bhatia was interviewed by a number of local television and radio stations, and his story appeared in newspapers from Chicago to Europe and Asia.

“At this time, the city makes a motion to nonsuit this matter,” Senior Counsel James McIsaac of the city’s Law Department told the administrative hearing officer. The hearing itself lasted less than 45 seconds.

THE SLEEPERS–UNITED–SHALL NEVER BE DEFEATED!

20 year old Beenish Tariq from Flushing, NY just hit the jackpot. From the New York Lottery website:

“I held onto the ticket for so long because I knew I wanted to get everything in order before I claimed it,” said Tariq, a finance major. “I knew right away that I would share with my family; I just didnÂ’t know how to split up $5,000,000.”

Tariq, who plans to graduate in May of 2005, said she will re-invest at least part of her prize in her continued education. “Now IÂ’ll be able to go on to get my Masters and pay for my sisterÂ’s tuition too; sheÂ’ll be a freshman next year.”

Damn, I just realized what a horrible person I am because if I had won $5 million I would have funded an insurgency on some small island nation in order to put myself in charge, instead of sharing it with my family. Beenish if you are reading this, I am VERY single.

Not much coming out of the Ashcroft run Justice Department has given me much satisfaction of late, but this announcement last week certainly deserves praise. From the Times Ledger:

The Justice Department last week filed a lawsuit against the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the New York City Transit Authority, charging them with discrimination against Muslims, Sikhs and other employees whose religions require them to wear head coverings.

The complaint alleges that the transportation agencies engaged in discriminatory practices by enforcing uniform policies that do not accommodate certain employees’ religious practices, according to a Department of Justice press release.

“Public employees should not have to sacrifice their religious beliefs to enjoy the same benefits of employment as their co-workers,” said R. Alexander Acosta, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division. “While public employers have the authority to set reasonable dress standards, they cannot selectively apply them at the cost of civil rights.”

What were the allegations exactly?

According to the Department of Justice, the MTA and the Transit Authority began enforcing uniform policies against employees who wear turbans or head scarves in early 2002. Some employees were transferred to yard or depot jobs where they would not have contact with the public. These jobs provide diminished seniority benefits and fewer overtime opportunities. Prior to the uniform policies, Muslim and Sikh employees had been wearing head coverings without incident.

DesiTalk-NewsIndia Times provides further details as well.