Greetings from Nairobi. Many thanks to Abhi and the gang for letting me guest-blog, so here begins a short series (illustrated!) about Indo-Africa.
Amardeep’s recent post about Indo-African writers brought up the big question about Indians (East Asians, as they are called here) and the other communities:
And indeed, anecdotally, one hears that the Asians in Africa tended to hold themselves aloof from “native” Africans, at least before Idi Amin.
That question is a good place for me to start since, quite coincidentally, it’s where I started.
Visiting a place for the first time, especially one defined by a confluence of cultures, requires peeling back the layers of the onion, at least rhetorically. What is said or not said, and how it’s said, can reveal a great deal about a place, and it’s important for a journalist to get a handle on the terms of the discussion if he wants to engage it in any meaningful way.
Best way to orient yourself to the local situation? Ask a cab driver.
Daniel, a black cabbie in his forties attached to my hotel, took me to Diamond Plaza, a shopping center in Parklands, the Indian section of Nairobi. He said he had grown up nearby. I told him why I wanted to go there.
“”Indians are rich,”” he said. “”They don’t come from farms. They are in business.”” It’s always a little dicey when a person of one race makes comments about another to someone who belongs to neither. But I thought he sounded admiring. “”They are good employers,” he said. “”They hire cooks, housekeepers, drivers, guards, lots of staff.””
And then we reached something close to the center of the onion: ““They don’t hire their own people. They hire Kenyans.””Daniel’s tone mattered little at this point. Here was a statement about race relations in Kenya that clearly identified the power structure and the economic arrangement. It hinted at the past and looked to the future.
Daniel then mentioned Idi Amin’s purges in Uganda. ““We were very sad when that happened,”” he said.
“”A lot of Indians came to Kenya then?”” I asked.
“”Yes,”” he said. ““That type of thing would never happen here.””
By this point, we had arrived at the destination.
I toured the shopping center briefly–—imagine the shops in Jackson Heights, New York, all piled on top of one another inside a guarded compound with a big parking lot. But it was early on a Sunday morning and not much was going on.
Walking around the neighborhood, I discovered the City Park Traders’ Market, a covered plaza of fruit and vegetable stalls, set up by the Aga Khan Foundation as a way for informal growers and middlemen to sell their wares (the Aga Khan Development Network is one of the big cultural and development engines in Kenya). The space is quite large, a muddy warren of piled mangoes and bananas, cucumbers and tomatoes, plus many unfamiliar fruits whose names in Swahili meant nothing to me. There were some Indians shopping, older couples or large families spreading out among the stalls (men in one direction, women in another). A typical Indian Sunday morning.
The traders’ market seemed like one of the few places for Indians and blacks in Nairobi to meet outside the employer-employee relationship. It wasn’t a public park, and there was no socializing, but commerce is good for community relationships if people come together regularly and negotiate terms.
Daniel later told me that the original plan for the market had been to sell low-cost produce to poor people. “But now rich people shop there.”
I didn’t debate with him about how the flow of capital from the haves to the have-nots is invariably a good thing or that anyone could shop in the market or that nothing could stand between an Indian auntie and a bargain on groceries, but I took his point. Perception is all.
Aloofness or, better said, the political and cultural status of diaspora Indians in their home countries is always an issue. Indians form the core of Kenya’s middle class (especially in Nairobi) and contribute significantly to the economy, but they are a market-dominant minority, possessing greater wealth than the “native” majority population. But at some point, these terms are useless. Meet the Indians in Nairobi, and you will find that most speak Swahili. Many families have been in East Africa for four generations or more and have no contact with the subcontinent. Some families have relatives in India, Britain, Canada, or the US, but they see themselves as Africans, not non-resident Indians or PIOs.
The identity question is more than just fodder for a cultural-studies seminar. The Amin purges in the 1970s still resonate. Racially charged political instability is a hallmark of life in Africa. Zimbabwe’s expropriation of white-owned farms has shaken minorities throughout the continent, especially in nominally stable and prosperous countries like South Africa and Kenya, which haven’t been as strident as one might hope in their denunciation of the practice. Lives and property, long family histories, and unique ways of life are bound up in questions of identity.
But Daniel was probably right. Amin-style purges would never happen here. Blacks and Indians have too much invested in each other to start tearing things apart. But no one takes anything for granted.
The aloofness question comes down to whether or not Indians are perceived to have a stake in the future of the country and are not a foreign population siphoning wealth and keeping it for themselves.
One recent event went a long way toward showing that Indians are as Kenyan as any black in the country.
In 1998 when the US embassies were bombed by al-Qaeda in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, the victims were almost entirely black civilians who worked at the embassies or in nearby buildings or who just happened to be passing by at the wrong moment. The initial relief efforts were haphazard and mostly by hand–—individuals picking through the rubble looking for survivors. Indians, who dominate the construction industry, quickly brought in bulldozers and backhoes, the heavy machinery vital for the rescue operation. Indians were credited with saving many lives through their initiative and organization. That gesture has not been forgotten.
Scenes from the traders’ market:
all photos by Preston Merchant
Great post, and an interesting new Mutinous path. I’m waiting for more, Preston…
I’m more of an Azar Anwaar fan…he be winning shit these days too (2006) And Azar uncle once took me for a spin in his car…no wonder I’m trying to relive that constantly on 1-it’s not just the name of the road-95
U-N always got me in trouble
Belevue
ISK was for the diplobrats 😛 I went to the missionary school for the evangelibrats oiii-veh
definitely this is the most interesting thing ever. I really never realized that indians are so established in Africa. It’s kind of funny when i think of how racist indians can be towards black people, especially around here, and then in places like that we accept them. i dont know.. just thought i’d comment
Could someone post a link explaining the Idi AminÂ’s purges Preston’s talking about.
I think you can find racists of every colour everywhere…Kenya is no exception…but Kenyan desis still rule Cinamon Rani 😛
i personally find the snowflake crystal the most interesting thing ever – does the fetish for whyte symmetricity make me a racist sepiderm. maybe. maybe not. but worry nary. trust in hairy.
Here ya go.
Anyone seen the Last King of Scotland?
thanks DJ Drrrty Poonjabi. i remember now.
American Desan,
I think it depends on which generation you’re talking about. I am sure that my great grand parents thought about black people very different from what I do now.
Also, Indians from India in the US would have different attitudes when compared to Indians from Africa.
That’s why it’s all so cool!
One of our nephews is married to a Kenyan Gujarati. I was quite impressed by the fact that there indeed were a couple of African touches to their very Hindu wedding ceremony. I remember something resembling a tribal dance, which had some fertility rationale behind it. This was a wedding ceremony in the US. Then later on I was at the pre-Republic Day festivities in New Delhi, and watched a Kenyan desi group perform an African dance in front of a “desi” desi audience.
Nice… the market looks just like the ones in Lusaka. Hey motorsport – I’m going to raise my Zambia hat and say that ‘the flying Sikh’ Satwant Singh is the greatest.
Ah, yes…Soweto market with its mounds of mangos on tarps. Any updates on how Indians are treated in Zambia nowadays? 20+ years ago, the Zambian kids used to yell out “mpiri piri” (Chili-refers to the Indian diet) and “Patel go home” as I walked to school.
Well now kids yell out “Mwenye” every now and then. Last elections had one of the contendors, Michael Sata, attempting to pull off a Mugabe and saying that all foriegners should get out. My friends inform me that he meant the Lebanese and South African muzungus who have a bad rep as far as worker treatment goes. The older desi crowd did expect some harassment if Sata won. Mwanawasa won so we don’t have to worry about it.
It’s mainly the jobless kids and adults who have a bad impression of Indians. The Zambians who are educated realise the importance of the work that Indians (and PIO) do in the country and go out of their way to be friendly. I’m an expat though, so perhaps my experiences are different from those who are settled in Z for 100s of years.
There’s also a PIO in government – the honorable Dipak Patel, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry. He’s been in parliament since MMD took over in 1991. Unrelated, but Kenneth Kaunda was seen on US TV a couple of months ago, among the audience in the reality show ‘dancing with the stars.’
Thanks, Ranjit. Back when I lived there (my father was an expat), Indians socialized almost exclusively amongst themselves in various desi groups (Kannada Sangha, Telugu Association, Punjabi Association etc). I’m curious if this has changed any.
Good old Kenneth Kaunda. Still remember this:
One Zambia, One Nation One Nation, One leader and that leader… Kennethi Kaundaaaaaa
Eye opening post Preston 🙂 Coincides with Oprah opening up her school (in Johanesburg though). I can’t wait to read what you post next!
Haha, I hate the u/i rule. Actually, I just hate noun cases, full stop.
My favorite cinematic representation of this is still Mississippi Masala. That said, I agree, there are racists everywhere, including in Kenya 🙂
Ranjit, what does “mwenye” mean?
Cybershrink – i think the community mindset is still strong for expats. There are active malayalee, tamil, punjabi, gujarati associations. They generally did socialise with themselves. Things have changed a little with the second gen expats – we hang out with our buddies from school. I think it was in 1994 that the malayali association decided to have a big India Day function, inviting all the other associations to contribute songs / dances / whatnot. Actually there was also a Zambian traditional dance to a tamil song – “Rukkumani” from Roja – this went off amazingly. Next time I get to Z I’ll digitise the video and put it up on youtube somewhere. ’97 was the biggest because of the 50th anniversary. Every year most people show up at the garbhas regardless of state of origin.
Camille – mwenye means ‘member of opposing tribe’ according to a nyanja-english dictionary that I found. It is also translated as ‘member of Indian trading community’. It’s used in a pejorative sense these days.
Hello Preston. Hope you are enjoying the weather down there in Parklands! (and the Equator). I grew up in the Parklands area back in the 80’s. If you are studying Ismaili culture, make sure you visit and possibly give lectures at the Aga Khan Academy. I think you will find that there are many different cultures in Nairobi, although Indians are probably the largest ethnic minority. Have fun and pay a visit to some tourist areas as well.
Hi, folks. Glad you all are enjoying this thread.
Here are some responses to some questions above, along with additional impressions.
The question of integration, for any community over here, is different from the way it is perceived in, say, America. To integrate is to be successful, and in Kenya (and in almost every corner of the planet) success equals money. Having money (and it doesn’t take a whole heck of a lot of money) means you live in a guarded and gated compound with servants, a nice car and driver, satellite television, and sufficient funds for international travel and schooling for your kids. The goal is to be above the fray. In Kenya, the Indian community was one of the first groups to achieve that kind of success, though now there is a pretty strong emerging black middle-class and there is a lot of money floating around Africa. So there is a recognizable business-class global elite here, which is well connected to the rest of the world, and it’s comprised of just about every group you can think of. This is true of India, the Middle East, China, etc., all the new nodes of global capitalism.
This is not to say that all Indians in Kenya are rich, but the community as a whole is pretty comfortable, especially in local terms.
I spoke to a well-respected Indian businessman and entrepreneur yesterday, from a prominent Nairobi family, who said that business has really become separated from politics here, similar to the way it has in India. Business stability trumps political instability. Money matters far more than ethnicity, so there is less fear that a political meltdown will damage the Indian community–the business interest is just too strong.
That said, the Indian community here is beginning to shrink, a trend that began only five or ten years ago. Families send their kids off to Europe or the US for university and they don’t return. Most families are prosperous enough to the point that their kids don’t have to live in Kenya with the crime and perceived insecurity. There are elite jobs available abroad, and professional opportunities in Kenya aren’t so numerous.
Granted, this is just one person’s opinion, and I haven’t been here long enough to dispute it. But I will say that, at least on the surface, the Indian community here is well hidden behind its walls. You can read one of the English dailies cover to cover and not see a story about an Indian. You might not even see a recognizable Indian name. There are Indian shops and restaurants, but they are staffed by blacks. I must admit that it is an odd feeling to place an order for a masala dosa with a black man. As I walked around Parklands the other day, one of the main Indian sections of the city, the only Indians I saw were in the Diamond Plaza and the other shopping centers around it. The people walking on the street, waiting for buses and matatus (the mini-van hop-a-rides), the streetcorner stall vendors–none of these folks were Indian.
This is all in contrast, at least for me, with Durban, South Africa, which I visited in 2004. Durban’s Indian population (in numbers and percentage) is much greater than Nairobi’s, but Indians are very visible. Durban is an Indian town. Indians drive taxis, walk along the beach with their families, gamble in the casinos, feature in the news stories, work as staff in hotels, etc. Their presence is Nairobi is much less obvious.
Is integration really the point? There are distinct Asian cultures in East Africa that have their own space and tempo, but they’re not Kikuyu or Nubian or even Swahili. Even the prominent participation of some Asians in government (Mac Maharaj and Frene Ginwalla in S Africa, Amb Jamal in Tanzania) does not signify integration as such, but shows that there is a place — a good one — for Asians in these countries. The money helps, of course, but there are many middle class Asians as well.
But if they are not African, are they Indian? Sort of, until a real one comes along. There are quite a few new Indian immigrants working these days in Uganda (hired by Asians who — Preston take note — don’t always hire Africans…) My sense is that most EA Asians would be more comfortable and have more in common with an educated black African than with a freshly arrived Indian.
Considering that Zambia (and Kenya) are deeply impoverished, what exactly is “the importance of the work that Indians (and PIO) do in the country”?
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56416&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=ZAMBIA
“Zambia’s per capita income on average retrogressed at -0.6 percent per annum over the past 45 years and, as a result, its 2004 level of $902 in 1996 international prices is 23 percent below the 1960 level of $1,167,” the report commented.”
Somewhere East, you are right in assuming that. I don’t speak for everyone but a lot of people I know would rather hire and work with an educated black African then a freshly arrived Indian. Again, this goes to show that there is an emphasis on the so called culture of the country.
Black or Indian, you will hear a lot of people say ‘Hakuna Matata. There is no hurry in Africa’.
@71
Zambia’s economic progress is not purely a function of Indian/PIO efforts. It primarily has been a copper-driven economy, which until recently was not a good place to be economics wise. Also, there is a significant health crisis with 20+% of the population infected with HIV.
You know, critical thought is a useful faculty. That and watching Krishi Darshan.
Hmmm. Sort of like Houston, except here I place the order with a hispanic woman and a hispanic man does the actual cooking (Balaji Bhawan on Hillcroft in case you were wondering).
Seriously though – great post. I am looking forward to reading more.
The bit above made me think about the large Lebanese community in Ghana, and some of the ire/envy/invective they generated in the local population (I didn’t get a sense of the extent of the South Asian community in Ghana, though). From Preston’s account and several comments, it sounds like Kenyan Indians are more “well-integrated” than that, and it’s set me off on a tangent of thinking about all these intersections of ethnicity, race, and class…
I’m feeling like the Lebanese are sort of a variety of brown, so I’m wondering if anyone can comment on whether there’s a significant Lebanese community in Kenya/East Africa (yes, I know there are Lebanese everywhere), whether they have a prominent niche in the economic hierarcy, how similar (if at all) their status is to that of Indians, and relations between the two groups?
Doordarshan, I do not quite understand your question. Could you rephrase it? Thanks.
Ek Aurat,
Balaji Bhawan rocks! It is also true at Madras Pavilion. Hispanic waiters taking orders for S. Indian meals!
Preston, great post. Keep it coming…
They are everywhere — the usual figure thrown around is 14 million abroad (vs 4-5 million in Lebanon); no idea how accurate that is. While they appear to have blended in Latin America (Shakira and Salma Hayek for the punters, but also many prominent politicians like Menem in Argentina, Jamal in Ecuador — not solely Lebanese, but Levantines) my impression is that they have remained more distinct in Africa, and have maintained closer ties to Lebanon. Many of them come from the traditionally poorer southern part of Lebanon, and seem to invest their earnings in building large palaces in their home villages.
The Lebanese perform the same function in West and francophone Africa as the Asians in East and South Africa. Just as there are dukawallas deep in the EA bush, you will find a ‘Libanais’ (the generic term for a store) in the rural parts of West Africa. My impression is that the communities seem to have divided the continent somehow, and don’t overlap, but I could be wrong.
Oh man, great blog you got goin on! I love reading through everyone’s comments! Nairobi is just incomparable to any place on earth – not that i’ve been everywhere! lol. Don’t miss Sweety Sweets, thats my favourite sunday morning breakfast joint! The best one is pop-in centre but to dodge the queue try westlands Apic centre or South C shopping centre! My mouth’s watering already!
peace.
There are desis in west Africa, although more in Anglophone West Africa, and mainly Sindhis. But you’ll see them if you keep an eye out for them. Some in Francophone, but fewer.