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In Reply to: Re: Why the hang up about race and ethnicity posted by Traveler in India on September 15, 2009 at 00:41:06:
Nationality, ethnicity and culture are separable things.
Populations get displaced and people have been moving around for centuries.
I agree for sure about that...although ethnicity and culture often seem to go/belong together for much of the people worldwide...but even that is diminishing more and more
What you see is not always what you get.
Well, I am not sure, whether you read many of my posts and/or my mind or got a "revelation" but that's just what it is all about with K.K.As wonderful and beautiful many think her to be...and I think that should be true...many /most don't know her past (especially the TF-part) and background and that could lead may be one day to some problems for her....though that's not a must,not automatically...
And far too many people can't even be defined by traditional parameters for nationality and race.
My take on that...true...as there are also many prejudices (from older times about nations...nationals) and some just don't seem to fit...they are global villagers in a way...cosmopolitans
I have just read the fantastic biography of Dr. Jane E.Gilbert...who came as a student - of jewish background...born in Brooklyn/New York 1947 - to Germany/Berlin etc. to learn to overcome her hate for the Germans and also to find out, what's so typical about the "enemy No. 1" , the Germans.To some of her "dismay"/surprise she found out, that many Germans just reacted & lived as she knew it from elsewhere...also the US.
Much to her parents & relatives shock...she even immigrated later to Germany.It's such a fantastic book, but sad to say...from what I know... only in German....So I can relate in several ways to what you're saying...though there are limits...I read recently on the i-net, that there is a family...I think in Brazil...a black/negroid or whatever is pc gave birth to several children who are albinos among other black/brown children of hers...what a contrast to the rest & they're geting ridiculed, you know what I mean...for a genetical defect or whatever you want to call it....just an example, from some outward features you can in many cases deduce some ethnical belonging...all the more, if you did some blood or genetic tests.Since people are equal before the law, even if that is not so in reality...may be/for sure...I know in general , that it doesn't matter, the race question.But as you probably know, the race-card or other ones are often politically played...even if that is worse than backward...it's also what we Germans call Futterneid...fodderenvy...you see in the other (foreigner) some "bad" competition, that it won't be enough for yourself....I agree, that's pretty animalistic & is not my own op.
In the end it's how people feel about themselves, how they see and define themselves that matters, and not how outsiders see them
Again, how did you sense my "trouble" with K.K. ...for I am really doubtful, that she knows that much herself.See, the whole thing is also about her childhood (the TF-part e.g.).She says, if I remembr correctly, she doesn't remember her father...we want to believe that he's Kashmere.I had hopes before, that Kaif is at least her father's name...but if he had long disappeared & not even acknowledged his child, then she could not even have his name...still I had thought so.Instead we learn much later, that it seems to be an "easier" artist-name...that's ok in most countries I bet...but here it kind of leaves some
"bad" taste...it shows, that her childhood is a bit covered up...her right...but then to say, that the name is easier than Turquotte...oh please...Brown or Smith are also easier to pronounce...but it had to be something Indian...and true she is half Indian. Dr. Jane Gilbert talked in her book about the difficulty Jews/people had being of a jewish father, for by law & tradition they are not Jews...Hitler Germany considered them then e.g. as half-Jews, kidzof "technicaly correct" ...so they had an identity problem and probably still have, because orthodox Jewry doesn't consider them much as "theirs"
That's why I kind of sighed at the report/interview of hers...of course, I can imagine somebody more Indian than her...just consider her dancing abilities, ponounciation etc., they are far from refined, but I bet she's bravely learning, having made a huge career...my respect.See, there are and have been other foreigners...half Indians (for example Lisa Ray
and Lisa looks even "less" Indian than K.K. which is even part of the plot in her movie Bollywood/Hollywood) in bollywood.
I figure of all the ones who went to India from abroad, K.K got so far the biggest success and I really wish her that wholeheartedly.
On the other hand it's really also about the past...no other actress brought up abroad or half Indian
(another one is e.g. Dia Mirza )
had quite her success or publicity...but can afford to be open about their past..but could she??
And if you have noticed the movingon posts...it is reported, that she has spend her youth in TF...so how does she feel about herself??...I immine, that's quite a big...steep road..
Besides this, she is not too sure, where she belongs spiritually...I figure:
and how outsiders see her is quite important for her career and I am convinced, that she very much wants to hang on to that career or not???
Therefore I think she also does what looks as compromises to me...opportunism it's also called....but again that's human too
It's then up to everybody to be open-minded enough to accept who people say there are...
Not quite or always..IMHO...the star/actress also lives of the acceptance through the fans & public...if that's jeopardised by whatsoever it could mean a pause or end to a career.
If Kat says she's Indian, that's good enough for me. If she had said she was British or English or mixed, that would have been fine too--it's how she defines herself.
Ok...she feels as Indian...much of it...also having not been there for much of her time...being h a l f...emphasis intended...Indian...it also means
being inter-cultural..multi/dual ethnical, kind of...like an ambassador between the cultures...not bad at all IMO.
As human being we interact...so it is not totally dependant on how we see ourselves...even more so as an actress, how the public perceives us is almost equally important....otherwise I could go into the desert & think to be a Bedouin...I could act like one...learn the language, change into their outfit...but for some of them I might still just be the outsider...like a monk in the desert ; )
Have a wonderful im traveling..
