Monthly Archives: May 2009

Comeback Kid: Hari Sevugan

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I probably shouldn’t open up with an admission of weakness on a blog ripe with zingers in the comments. But the truth is I’m not exactly the queen of snappy comebacks. I still haven’t thought of a good one for the Gandhi gauntlet — the group of skateboarders who would hang out in front of the library and taunt me, almost inexplicably, with yells of “Gandhi!” when I made my way inside to the children’s section circa 1986. (In a possible foreshadowing of Sondheim’s assassination humor, my dad suggested I call them “Kennedy.”)

profile.HariSevugan.jpgJudging by his skill in deploying memorable rapid-response retorts on behalf of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Hari Sevugan probably didn’t have that problem when he was growing up. Born in Madras, raised in Illinois and a veteran of several political campaigns including Chris Dodd’s run for president, Sevugan completed a stint in the New York City public school system with Teach For America and practiced law before moving on to politics.

In an interview with Fox News Sevugan, a Cubs fan, shares his fondness for the underdog and the story of a bet made with his middle school students that left him with Dennis Rodman-inspired blond hair. He’s not a bleach blond anymore, but these days his colorful quips as the DNC’s national spokesman attract attention. Continue reading →

Newest Census data shows troubling trend

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The economic downturn has begun to take its toll on the spread of diversity into the burbs. If what we know from past analysis is true, less immigration equals an even worse economy:

The recession has reduced the growth rate of U.S. Hispanic and Asian populations, the Census said Wednesday, slowing the spread of diversity in American suburbs and exurbs…

The combined growth rate of Asians and Pacific Islanders dropped more than a full percentage point to 2.5% in 2007-2008, compared with 3.7% in 2000-2001, according to the Population Reference Bureau, a nonprofit research group in Washington. The Hispanic growth rate was 3.2% over the latest period, compared with 4% in 2000-2001.

“We have a slowdown in immigration,” said Mark Mather, a PRB demographer.

The worst recession in a generation has prompted people of all races to stay in place, causing a migration drop-off demographers say is among the worst since the Great Depression. One consequence is that minorities, in particular Hispanics, have increasingly stayed in city centers and gateway states where they entered the country, such as California. During the boom years, increased numbers of blacks, Asians and Hispanics moved to the suburbs and exurbs, seeking jobs in places where their numbers were fewer. [Link]

…

“What this means is that the idea of creating new Asian and Hispanic enclaves in different parts of the United States will undergo a bit of a wall,” said Frey. “Those staying in these enclaves will be competing for jobs with long-term residents, while others will return to social support systems in major gateways.” [Link]

This reminds me of the Tom Friedman observations that I blogged about a few months ago.

The Census Bureau projected last August that white children will become the minority in 2023 and the overall white population will follow in 2042. The agency now says it will recalculate those figures, typically updated every three to four years, because they do not fully take into account anti-immigration policies after the September 2001 terror attacks and the current economic crisis. [Link]
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Will Amrit give her autograph back?

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A few weeks ago, when Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was in town, it was reported that he asked President Obama for his autograph…for his daughter Amrit Singh who works for the ACLU (see our previous posts):

How big an international star is President Obama? Even other world leaders want his autograph.

When Obama met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh this afternoon, the soft-spoken leader noted that his daughter wanted his American counterpart to autograph something for her. [Politico]

Amrit is the ACLU lawyer that has been leading the suit to obtain yet-to-be-released pictures that reportedly show the abuse of terror suspects in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Obama administration reversed its stance that previously agreed to allow the release of these damning pictures. Now Obama says “I changed my mind.”

The American Civil Liberties Union, which argued for the photos’ release, expressed outrage and said the decision “makes a mockery” of Obama’s campaign promise of transparency.

“It’s absolutely essential that these photos be released so the public can examine for itself the torture and abuse that was conducted in its name, and so that high-level officials who authorized or permitted that abuse can be held accountable,” ACLU attorney Amrit Singh said.

The human rights group Amnesty International said it was disappointed. [Link]
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An email that a-tax us

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Some emails can be downright scary, such as the one saying that the IRS wants to audit us. And this one that has been landing in some inboxes and even appears as a news item (seemingly) on the website of India Journal, making it available through Google News.

NEW DELHI – The Government of India announced April 22 imposition of a flat 5% tax on all NRIs over their world-wide income.

Income that is already taxed in India has been kept out of the purview to avoid double taxation. No double taxation benefits would be available for this 5% tax, meaning even if you are paying tax on your income in a country with which India has double taxation agreement, the benefit would not be allowed against this 5% tax.

All those Indians who are holding Indian Passports and have been out of the country for more than 180 days during the year are under this requirement. Income proof would have to be submitted in form of employer certificates, foreign tax filings etc.

The Indian government is also coordinating with Australia, Europe, America, UAE and other countries on collecting Income data for its citizens as part of data sharing initiative on terror prevention measures. This has been hailed as bringing in compulsory participation in development of India from Non Resident Indians. This means NRIs can no more just continue to retain their Indian citizenship without paying taxes in India. …

Having recently filed my taxes, the thought of having to hand over another piece of my income almost gave me a lump in my throat. Thankfully, Fawaz Iqbal put me at ease when I came across a post on his blog that confirmed the email’s hoaxity (is that a word?). But I’m still a little concerned and join a commenter named Guru on Fawaz’s blog in asking — even begging — the creator of the email “not to give such ideas to our Indian politicians.”

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Please, Shekhar, Make It Stop

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Shekhar Kapur has made the worst advertisement ever, for Schweppes. It stars Nicole Kidman, Arjun Rampal, Rubina Ali (the little girl from Slumdog Millionaire), the Lake Palace at Udaipur, and a thick, dripping heap of tacky, pseudo-sensual, Orientalist ambience. I think it’s sort of meant to be ironic, but the irony doesn’t really work:

What is the thing you hate most about it? I’d like to compile a complete list and send it to the man.

I used to really admire Shekhar Kapur, for Masoom, The Bandit Queen and for the first Elizabeth. More recently, I started to think something something had gone wrong when my wife and I wasted one of our rare babysitter nights to go see the half-baked Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Now, after watching this ad, I think I’ll abstain from Shekhar Kapur (and probably also Schweppes) entirely. Continue reading →

Healthcare Innovation in the Desh

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It’s been pointed out that when it comes to capitalism, there are often many cases where the poor can teach the rich a thing or 2. In the past, we profiled private education available even in slums. A few weeks ago, the Economist had a great article about the innovative entrepreneurship that’s starting to deliver healthcare to millions of previous unserved desis.

As the patient was chatting away, Vivek Jawali and his team had nearly completed his complex heart bypass. Because such “beating heart” surgery causes little pain and does not require general anaesthesia or blood thinners, patients are back on their feet much faster than usual. This approach, pioneered by Wockhardt, an Indian hospital chain, has proved so safe and successful that medical tourists come to Bangalore from all over the world.

This is just one of many innovations in health care that have been devised in India. Its entrepreneurs are channelling the country’s rich technological and medical talent towards frugal approaches that have much to teach the rich world’s bloated health-care systems.

There are hundreds of ways to slice and dice “innovation” but one of favorites buckets stuff into 2 broad categories – Continue reading →

Dot Not Feather

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Christopher_Columbus6.jpg“Excuse me! Can I ask you a question?” the black 40-ish year old man said with a cell phone in his right hand as I walked out of Samosa House in Venice. It was closing time, and I had run in to grab a late night meal. He had been hitting on me earlier when I had first walked to the counter – he said he liked my red heels and dress, asked if I worked in an office, wondered what Indian food he should order. I had responded nicely yet curtly, and he had disappeared as I ordered my food to go. It seemed like he hadn’t ventured far, and was on the phone hovering around the entrance.

“Sure…” I responded hesitantly. The old me would have brushed him off, but I’ve been trying to be nicer this past year.

“Back when I lived in D.C. I always wondered this,” he answered deadpan, phone still open in hand. He didn’t hang up on his call. “What is the difference between Indian and Cherokee Indian?”

I looked at him to see if he was kidding. His expression was not kidding. “Well… uh…” I hesitated. “Cherokee Indians are indigenous to here, to America. And Indians … are from India.” I looked at him and he still looked confused. “You know India? As in the country around the world? On Asia, the continent?”

“Then why are they both called ‘Indian’?”

I bit my lip as I tried to figure out how to best answer his questions. Could he really not know the difference? Slowly, I said, “Well, when Christopher Columbus landed in America, he saw brown people and thought he had landed in India instead. He called the brown people he saw Indian. So it was an accident.”

“Brown people? Christopher Columbus?”

“Look. I’m late. My food is getting cold. I have to go.” I walked quickly to my car shaking my head exasperatedly, hoping he wasn’t following. I realized that there was no point in breaking it down for a man that needed 4th grade educating. And try as I might to be nice to every guy that approaches me… there’s a point where you just have to walk away.

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“You know, that’s a myth,” a friend said when I recounted the story to him. He was an activist for the indigenous community, and if anyone should know, I figured it would be him. “The word India wasn’t even around back in 1492. Research shows that the term Indian comes from when Columbus landed he referred to them as ‘una geste in Dios’ or in other words ‘a people of God.'”

Really? Could I have told the told the man at the Samosa House wrong? I did a little digging. Continue reading →

A brown captain and an ewok-like thing

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[warning: very very mild spoilers are contained in this post]

[warning: only a true sci-fi fan will understand all the references in this post]

Yesterday I got the chance to see Star Trek at the local IMAX theater. A little backstory about me: I am a Trekkie. I am not the kind of Trekkie that dresses up in Star Trek outfits and knows all the obscure little trivia, but I am still pretty hardcore (well, ok…only half of the previous statement is true). You see, the original Star Trek movie (which sucked by the way) is the first movie I have any memory of. I saw it at the drive-in theater in San Jose, CA in December of 1979 when I was three. I sat behind my dad and the audio was lousy but it must have made some sort of a subliminal impression on me given that I spent the next 30 years of my life quite literally trying to be Captain Kirk.

Captain Christopher Pike: [to Kirk] You can settle for less in ordinary life, or do you feel like you were meant for something better? Something special.

Sigh.

In any case, the new movie opens with the magnificent bald head (no, not Captain Picard) of Captain Robau of the Federation Starship Kelvin. Robau is played by Pakistani American actor Faran Tahir:

[It’s] a great thing,” Tahir said in an exclusive interview. “I have had conversations with J.J. about this, … because I knew the other people who were being considered for this role, and they were not [cast]. So one day over dinner I was, ‘So what was it, why?’ You know, just to get a window into it. And I think he–and I have to commend him on this–what he was trying to do was find a certain quality in the actor and just to set up the story, you know? And to me, that is refreshing, and it’s great to hear. … The biggest compliment is that he was looking for a certain quality. He could have found that in me, he could have found that in [anyone else]. And it just happened to be me, and … the added … layer to that is that, yeah, I happen to be of a certain descent, and … the casting was [in] the spirit of what Star Trek is about.” [Link]

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I like my coffee … brown and sweet

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One of the first things I noticed while visiting my parents in NYC this weekend an ad (sitting in the junk mail pile) just like the one below:

McD’s is microtargetting tri-state desis with mailers that say “Taste ki baat hai!” While I like to be seen and recognized, I’m afraid the coffee flavored milkshake they call iced coffee really isn’t my cup of tea.

More to my liking would have been the Indian Mysore Coffee (“full bodied and nutty”) being offered at the local gourmet independent coffee place down the street, listed next to Ethiopian Sidamo Coffee and Hawaian Kona Extra Fancy as a Sunday special. That’s very good company to be in for a coffee that gets its flavor by being drenched by the monsoon! While they were out by the time I came by, I’m looking forward to trying an Indian beverage which doesn’t have “masala” in the name.

[Note: these are not my photos and therefore this is not my name on the ad. The pics are from Slice of Lemon, and linked back to the original post.]

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