my penny in the pond

On the subject of racism and racial profiling, many an article seem to rear their heads in many of the leading websites and newspapers today. On any given day, the probability of such an article appearing someplace would send the concept of "impossible event" to the darkest dungeons of obscurity.

So what's the big fuss about it ? Quite a picnic to be had with this topic raised as a subject of discussion. As someone who has seen and experienced the worst side of racism first hand, I have this to say; your own kind will one day look down upon you as if you didn't belong! Yes, this is the mindset of many a 2nd generation indian/asian that has lived or lives/works or both in the west or here in Oceania where I've made my home the last 3 years.

Talk 'bout this brings back fond memories of my first ever trip to the United Kingdom. Excitement filled my senses so much so that I couldn't even sleep that night. The journey knackered me like never before; afterall, I was a novice to 10hr non-stop journeys. As the moments passed by, I observed, that a lot of Indians based there(airport staff or otherwise) had this look of disdain on their faces. I still remember the lady at the "bureau de change" where I got a few of my travelers' cheques encashed looking at me with an "what the hell are you doing here?" expression.

My disappointment at the lack of warmth exhibited by these people didn't end there. On our way back from a short but memorable trip to Paris, I was stopped by an Indian(most obviously raised in england), asked a million questions regarding my itenerary, the source of my funds and the lot! All because I was dressed in a kurta pajama!.

So why highlight the fact that you feel like a foreigner in a foreign land(erm... isn't that obvious already?) when even amongst your own kind you can feel like a stranger with no claim on the small speck of land you stand on ?