Imperial Valley press., 1919-01-17

rich homes. We have to work hard
to meet the high expenses over here
and have to be economical so that we
may not get into a deep hole AS a.
rule, the rich, society people of India,
if their families and religions allow
them to leave their country, go to
England, France and Germany, and a
few who come to the United States as
1 globe-trOtters are, as a general rule,
| dressed in English style and stay in
large hotels of the leading cities for
day or so at a place and go right
back to India or proceed to some other
country, and the general public do not
get chance to know them. Further
| more, it is unjust on the part of the
/ representatives of the "Church of
God" to misrepresent the people of
India by citing few local and indi-
vidual cases in order to collect money
from the Americans and use for their
own comfort, at least most of it.
What would the readers think of the
writer if he should return to India
and by his lectures and stereopticon
slides of moving pictures depict the
i slums or poor sections of Chicago or
any other place giving the impress
sion directly or indirectly, that the
Entire United States was that way,
and thus unjustly lowering a nation
in their nind's-eye? Is it not true
that a people who can donate millions
| of dollars and send to the battle front
/ hundreds of thousands of men to
| fight for humanity, can take care of
their, own fellow -countrymen without
begging foreign nickels?
read in the newspapers that a
number of "Hindus" are returning to
their country. Let me ask you frank
| ly, what have you given them to take
back to India? Money! They could
have earned and saved up more money
over there. What impression have
I they gotten of you and your country?
They came here via Pacific Ocean
in group, lived in the Imperial Val
ley in groups due to the American or
"white man prejudice, talked in their
own language nearly all the time; had
no time to read books or magazines
and thus learn your ideas; were often
turned out of the barber shops or
other places with such statements as
'We don't want black man. here;
denied the association of "white man.;
contemptuously called "ragheads";
and now they are returning like globe
: trotters to their own country think
ing they have been to the United
States and know all about that coun-
! try. Do you see the folly of all this ?
4 The writer has frequently encoun-
tered popular misunderstanding with
respect to the dress of the Indians.
India is very unlike the United States
in this regard. The people in India
: whether Indians or foreigners are not
4 compelled by low or by public opinion
to put on particular style. Every
ent styles; some wear long robes,
one wears clothes of his or her own
choice. The English or Americans
who go to India do not have to adopt
any particular style; the Turks in
India dress in the style of their own
country; the Cinnamon and Japanese
are not out of place to keep up their
own style. Besides this, the Indians
themselves have thousands of differ
others short coats; some put on tur-
bans of one style and the others of
the other; some put on hats and caps
designed after English style and the
others cover their heads with round
caps or Turkish caps. There is no
particular style in use which could
be termed as typical national cos
tune. OF course, the reason why you
see all the Indians in the Valley with
turbans on is that nearly all of them
belong to a particular section of the
country, speak the same language,
follow the same religion, and these
are the only people in India who have
long hair. In India you can, in most
cases, tell by the costume or head
dress to which religion a certain per-
son belongs. The writer has always
dressed in the English style, but some
of his relations wear some other style.
The people have become so used to
their freedom of dressing that no one
becomes sensitive or shows slightest
contempt for the style of dress of a
newcomer or foreigner. Likewise,
all the Indians do not have the same
complexion. There are people of all
shades of color in India. Some are
as dark as Negro and others as fair
as any European and yet they mix
with each other and intermarry with
out the slightest color discrimination
L really wonder if the Americans will
ever become "color-blind" like the In
dians!
have often been advised by some
of my good American friends not to
tell the people here that | am elm
du." They suggested that | should
claim to be citizen of one of the
southern European countries or a
South American, as ! should then be
treated better and would have better
chance for work. Woe unto me if /
should deny my birthplace, and do not
try to create better understanding
among the people.
The Indians are like any other peo-
pie so far as the human nature is con-
cerned. The only difference is in the
beliefs and customs that have been
SHAPED by TIE years of religious teach
ings.
Why should anyone have prejudice
against or contempt for an Indian
when he is not responsible for his
birthplace He is a little different