When I was in Chicago for the fourth of July holiday, I made my first (and most assuredly not last) pilgrimage to Devon Avenue. I got there early, scouted the boutiques and took pictures of anything that caught my attention. Still, despite my attempts to take it all in, I almost missed the most significant thing I ended up seeing that saturday– the small brown sign that read “Gandhi Marg”, to the left of the regular “W Devon Ave” designation.
This may seem like an odd thing to be fascinated by, but in my defense, I’ve never seen an American street that was named after someone desi. To me, it was a big deal. I remember feeling a distinct sort of awe while gazing at that very official metal rectangle. If I go to Edison, NJ, and visit the intersection of Oak Tree Road and Wood Avenue, I will be overwhelmed there, too.
Four years after 57-year-old structural engineer Prem N Jerath died in the 9/11 terror attacks while saving a fellow worker’s life, a street here has been named after him…
“This corner reflects him. We chose this place because earlier we used to live around here. We passed from here everyday; even now I pass from here. I will get a chance to see this every day,” Meena Jerath, widow of the deceased said.
Edison City Councilman Parag Patel dedicated the intersection to Jerath, as the honoree’s family and friends looked on. Jerath’s widow thought the gesture was “touching”. I think it is as well. I also can’t think of a better person to celebrate:
Meena said her husband was always helping others. She said he lost his life while trying to help a person on whose leg a wall had fallen.
“He was helping him to go back to office and call for help…but…they didn’t realise the scope of the situation.”
In the Greek Orthodox church, we take the act of remembrance seriously; the chant that is sung at memorial services is “May his/her memory be eternal.” Prem Jerath was an engineer who worked for the Port Authority on the 82nd floor of Tower 1. Without hesitation, he sacrificed his own life for another’s. Such selfless love should be remembered forever.
As I mourn newly-stolen victims of terror, celebrating this life which was also lost in a senseless act of hatred provides me with a tiny bit of comfort. If I ever visit Edison (haven’t yet), I’m taking a picture of that intersection, for an everlasting reminder of Love.
lovely post, anna. and yes, it is a bit of comfort for these crazy times. thanks.
This is nice. And as an FYI, there’s another stretch of road in Chicago that’s named after a desi. The stretch of Michigan Avenue that passes in front of the Art Institute is called Swami Vivekananda Way.
Thanks for posting. Also good to note:
(1) Mahatma Gandhi Plaza (Newark Ave, Jersey City).
(2) Dr. Ambedkar Avenue (Tonnele Ave, Jersey City).
(3) Kalpana Chawla Way (74th Street, Jackson Heights).
(4) Swami Vivekananda Way (Michigan Ave, Chicago).
The last of these is the most interesting, because it was named because of Vivekananda’s trip to the nation 100 years ago, rather than on the request of the local desi population.
There are some sad reasons for street renaming too. Mizanur Rahman, a photojournalist who was killed a couple years ago in Brooklyn in a hate crime/community tensions kind of incident, was supposed to have a street named after him. Not sure where it stands today.
Totally off topic…Anna, so you are a Greek Orthodox?? I thought mallu xtians are usually Syrian ortho…
Certainly a much better reason for naming a street, than this: http://www.indolink.com/NRINews/jaylalta.html
JJ (“Amma”) rivals Laloo Prasad Yadav in venality and megalomania, and it is a travesty that she is a public figure in India, let alone have roads named after her in the US.
anna, actually that whole street is technically just Devon Avenue. Because of the huge ethnic establishments, those have also been given an honorary name – going from west to east, you would see Golda Meir Road, Mahatma Gandhi Marg and then Mohd Ali Jinnah Rd.
This is the reason the honorary street names are as you correctly pointed out umm .. brown and not green. 🙂
If you had gone three blocks east of where you took the pic, you would have been able to take a wonderful picture with the Indian and Pakistani divide on Devon Av. The two sings right next to each other say – MAJ RD and MG Marg. It lends itself to a good photo op. Next 4th, perhaps.
Again, the Swami Vivekanand Way is an honorary name, to commemorate his 1889 (?) lecture in the Art Institute.
Vaughan, Ontario (just north of Toronto), has a Zafarullah Khan Crescent, along with a Mahmood Cr, Bashir St, etc..
Not the same as a street named agfter a desi person, but a Pakistani-Canadian town councilman attempted to name a street in Markham after his home-town, Lahore. Predictable, but very funny, hijinks ensued
Oops, I see somebody already mentioned that the stretch of Michigan Ave in front of the Art Institute is renamed Swami Vivekananda Way. (I’m not sure what it takes to get a street renamed in someone’s name, though, because I think a stretch of Michigan Ave a few blocks north is called “Hugh Hefner way” I’ll check when I walk home.) My memory might be rusty on this though, but I remember that the city’s initial plan had been to rename that entire stretch of Devon (from like Western to Ridge) in Gandhi’s name. I believe some Pakistanis protested and the compromise to rename the streets by ethnic neighborhood was reached.
The foot of the Sears Tower at the intersection of Franklin and Jackson was named “Fazlur R. Khan Way.” Fazlur Khan was the structural engineer for the Sears Tower (and a Bangladeshi-American).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fazlur_Khan
Kart – thanks for that tidbit – didn’t realize it. I’m sure that there are a lot of others out there, would love to know of something really crazy, like Montana.
How about Cali, at least? 🙂
Aw, cmon AVinash, most Mallu Xtians are Syrian Catholic.
Oh, unless you meant “I thought mallu orthodox xtians are usually Syrian ortho…” then yes, I’d say you are right. Yup, I was suprised to read Anna’s post too.
The guy must have been too brave or too idiotic. being a structural engineer, he must have known what ATF burning at 3000K could do to steel.
this guy is a true hero. He could’ve saved himself and returned to his family but he had the dignity to respect another’s life. His family should be proud.
In addition to desi street names, as one poster already put it, Fazlur Khan Way is the honorary name for a stretch of Jackson Ave in Chicago. Khan was also one of the chief architects for the Hancock tower and is widely regarded for his visionary ‘external cross brace skeleton’ which helps make the Hancock a more unique structure than the Sears Tower. Almost all Chicagoans prefer the Hancock tower over Sears Tower as the more beautiful of the 2 bldgs.
I also find it hilarious that on Devon Ave, Mohd Ali Jinnah Way ends where Mahatma Gandhi Marg begins…what many ppl forget is if you keep going west on MGW, it turns into a Jewish marketplace…not only does that offer great potential as the next kashmir/palestine, how does anyone make money w/ all those stingy spenders on one street!
The guy must have been too brave or too idiotic. being a structural engineer, he must have known what ATF burning at 3000K could do to steel.
i wonder how you’d feel if that was your loved one trapped and he tried to help him…would he be an idiot then? The only idiotic thing i’ve seen is yourlast post.
Avinash,
yes, i’m Greek Orthodox. i know, it’s highly unconventional. i was baptized and raised in the faith. in fact, i just took communion six hours ago.
unlike my mother and father who are jacobite (and the 30-40% of my family who are mar thoma), my sister and i are both G.O. this explains the constant presence of dolmades, good feta and even better olives in my fridge…and my near-fatal preference for Chanel. 😉
:+:
bravo, Lovin. i also found that comment in poor taste.
Hi Anna, Thank you for your nice article. Please be my guest if you are ever in Edison. Meena
“The guy must have been too brave or too idiotic. being a structural engineer, he must have known what ATF burning at 3000K could do to steel.” : Just for the one who posted this comment!
I am sure if one of your loved ones was trapped inside a building burning @ 3000K, how thankful you wudve felt to some one who would hv tried to help them. I am sure you are one of those who can never be so great! So please do not post such comments!