Friday, July 14, 2006

Biden's Stupidity

My parents are both from India and moved to the U.S. in the 70’s. Although I grew up in America and cannot speak Hindi very well, I am still told, in a very derogatory manner, that I have an Indian accent.

Senator Biden’s comment, "you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin' Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent” was a remark that amplified a stereotype of Indian Americans.

What’s it going to take for the stereotype of this stereotype to fade? When will people stop seeing all Indians as ‘The Simpson’s’ character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, someone who was created to be laughed at? The economic boom in India didn’t remove this image, nor have the thousands of Indians in engineering and medicine.

Joe Biden's remark was not, as he said, misinterpreted, nor was it the same as "I could have said that 40 years ago about walking into a delicatessen and saying an Italian accent in my state.”

The comment was directed at the stereotype of an Indian storeowner who says phrases like “Thank you come again.” It represents Biden’s, and many other Americans, image of an Indian American.

As someone who was in the Senate for so long, there is no excuse for this kind of remark, for pointing out to Americans that if you look a certain way, you must be a certain way.

Posted by Swati Gauri Sharma at 05:12 PM

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