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Yet another desi student was accosted by miscreants last week. This was the third incident in as many months. Most of these incidents have occurred in the Northgate area of College Station. There are enough desi students living in and around the Northgate area to warrant their own yellow-colored polygon on the census map. Professors fondly refer to this area as The Indian Ghetto and although I don’t live in the area, I reside close enough and have to walk through Northgate everyday to get to the university.
Incidentally, Northgate is home to the quintessential bar district that every university town boasts of. Dudley’s Draw, a nationally-known bar boasts of selling the most beer per square foot in the world; more so on “ring-dunking” nights. So on the average weekend, there is enough bedlam and traffic late into the night to make you feel uncomfortable. Additionally, drunken students in the heart of conservative Texas are a potent combination. Moreover, couple of bars recently have been accused of racist behavior and are under investigation.
Now, as I see it, there is no possible solution at least in the near future to improve the situation. Students will continue getting drunk, letting their inherent racial prejudices surface, and then go bashing up some poor desi who is returning home late from the lab. I get all riled up at such blatant discrimination and violent reactions; enough to warrant shooting couple of drunks and sending out a strong message. Just shooting their kneecaps off and letting them go – go tell your brothers that desis will no longer tolerate your BS (hehawhawhaw…the Scarface sadist surfaces). But nerdy desis with guns is as good as a combination as onion rings in chocolate sauce. How about simply spreading rumors that desis have armed themselves in case anyone attacks them? Simply post anonymous notices from some random “white” student organization that they condemn use of arms by desis in student conflicts (assuming they have heard of colleges in UP and Bihar).
Word-of-mouth campaign can be a bitch but goddamn effective. No guns with desis but just the rumor that they exist (gosh! I should be a consultant to ABVP). But I suspect desis might be first laughed at and then beaten up. Moreover, we just might end up with a dead desi, considering that even the grandmas in Texas have guns.
The local Indian students association is drawing up plans for car pooling for students who want to return late. But, in my opinion, these are defensive methods and will merely embolden the miscreants. In a previous incident, some juveniles (16 or younger) were caught shooting
at a desi with an air gun, even going to the extent of puncturing his skin. But considering how lax Texas law is regards juveniles, I doubt they were given anything other than a strong warning. The campus police sends out a cautionary email after each attack; asking us to remain
calm and note down the details of our assailant for investigation. Of course, nothing comes out of it. Common descriptions are; white males, aged 18-22, medium built, maroon t-shirts. That just about describes 60% of Texas A&M 45,000-strong student population. The situation actually isn’t funny as I am painting it out to be. The Texas A&M authorities better come up with solutions otherwise desis will stop coming to College Station and trust me, the research departments don’t want that.
Now what would I do, if I am ever confronted by some racist buggers? Honestly, I don’t know but I know that if I live to tell the tale, it would make one hell of a blog post :)
PS. I hope you didn’t take my ’suggestions’ seriously.
by Patrix | on Monday, November 7th, 2005 at 3:00 am | 
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November 7th, 2005 at 7:07 am reply
this post is an awful reminder that the world hasnt really changed much. i thought this kind of stuff belonged in “harold and kumar”…….. i guess desi mums like us need to focus on self defense- in addition to just GPAs as part of educating our kids.
November 7th, 2005 at 9:05 am reply
hell ya! The suggestions need to be acted upon. If grandmas are armed with guns why not the desi students?
November 7th, 2005 at 12:31 pm reply
I say, arm yourself. Thats about it. My bro tells me these horror stories happening in ohio. The fact that everybody gets shot at without any bias is not a consolation. So, the students come and go in big groups of 8 or more after 8pm.
November 7th, 2005 at 2:55 pm reply
See, just like I told you. However, I think the safety in numbers idea is really the best approach. There’s no changing these people. Just lay low, get your piece of parchment with the university’s seal, and get the Hell out. Personally, I think it’s better not to stay there at all. No degree is worth that kind of treatment. There are many other universities in this country who are willing to fund Desi researchers.
November 7th, 2005 at 9:24 pm reply
If you ever get confronted. Walk away, avoid confrontation. Thats what I have done in the past, there is simply no percentage in confronting some red-neck.
A second thing you guys can do is to make the univ. admin. aware of whats happening and ask them for
1) Additional patrols in that area.
2) Night-time rides for students who need them.
3) Desi students can organize their own community rides.
Just looking at the number of desis in all US univs as both faculty and students, I think that your concerns will not go unheard.
I hope you remember that you are, after all a legal alien in the country.. While that doesnt mean that you dont have any rights, that does mean that you need to be more circumspect before shooting off your mouth. Having been a student in AZ not so long ago, the only thing I can say is your post is incredibly stupid and almost designed to get you and other students of AnM community in trouble.
November 7th, 2005 at 11:38 pm reply
M, Harold and Kumar was based on real-life situation. Some racism will always exist. The only difference is how much exists.
Pradyot, honestly if desi students arm themselves; it will be war and frankly, I dom’t think any desi student can dare hold a gun let alone fire one. Frankly, that is a good thing.
Queer, I don’t think that arming yourself would be a good idea. These buggers have more guns than children. Moving around in groups is fine but it just seems too defensive.
Sabra, I know! Whenever I think that this town is alright such incidents occur making me think again. But I am stuck here for few more years but will get out when I can.
Sudeep, dude, did you think I was serious. I thought I made myself clear. My post might be “incredibly stupid” according to you but it just voices the frustrations felt by most desi students. Just because we are “legal aliens” doesn’t mean we should take defensive measures.
Other rational measures are being considered. I don’t expect anyone to consider my post as the official voice of the desi community in College Station.
November 8th, 2005 at 1:45 am reply
uhh.. I didnt think you were serious at all, but there are others who may (and those who *will* do so with malice and deliberation)!!
In this day and age, its just not done to talk about kneecaps being blown off and “we dont want to take only defensive measures”.
I am just pointing out the inappropriateness of such language - even in a light hearted manner - on a public forum such as a blog.
November 8th, 2005 at 2:01 am reply
Having previously written (in comments on this blog) that A&M is not all that bad, I guess I owe you a “Sorry, I was wrong” apology. I am appalled by the incidents. We shoudldn’t give the idiots too much credit by saying “they were drunk and didn’t no what they were doing”. Hopefull the university admin will soon come up with a solution that will make walking back alone from the university at night time safe. Until then, desi students will probably have to rely on a safety-in-numbers attitude. Good luck.
November 8th, 2005 at 6:40 am reply
Whats wrong with car pooling?
If I were drunk and white, I would pick on some tiny Desi too. Its not racism, just sadism that happens to be racist, incidentally.
And why is being defensive not to your liking? You want to return the favor?
November 8th, 2005 at 3:01 pm reply
SJ, OMG! now I am expected to be PC on my own blog?? No wonder we get picked on. If ppl take sarcasm and some humor too seriously, that is not my problem.
Rajagopal, I haven’t faced any such discrimation yet but hopefully I won’t. But yeah, I hope the Uni.takes some serious action soon.
Nilu, car pooling is cool! I would recommend it too but sometime grad students work crazy hours and the fact that you have to adjust your schedule to guard against some racist bugger can be frustrating. But yeah, the temptation to “return the favor” is strong :)
November 8th, 2005 at 9:13 pm reply
This is rubbish. In this day and age, with so much globalization, we are still seeing such nonsense.
We were fortunate enough to be in the Los Angeles area, to be spared of racial hatred. There was a time though, in certain other parts of the area where we were laughed at for wearing ‘chappals’ to a shoe store, but in general, no violence out of hate.
And no matter how much noise the Indian Students’ Association creates, as long as it stays at the lower level, it is not going to help much. The President of the University, and Deans/Faculty have to be alerted and they need to start making statements. There is no point in laying low and being defensive.
Stay safe and good luck!
November 9th, 2005 at 7:23 am reply
its really sad that this is happening. but then texas is pretty conservative. we felt it a lot. usually it was just a suppressed ‘feeling’ but one time it got out and came through pretty bad. we were actually asked to stay away from work a few days. but theres some justification or some logic u can find there. they think we r taking their jobs. but why besat up students ya! thats so dumb
November 9th, 2005 at 12:01 pm reply
Wow! I didn’t know that College Station had this problem. I feel so lucky to be in State College (Penn State). I have never heard of any racist incident involving a desi here and it’s so normal for us to go back to the apartment at midnight.
You guys should definitely take this up at the highest level otherwise the situation won’t change. How about form e-mails to the deans and the president, or a petition signed by Desi students. Also make sure that you get influencial desi faculty involved. Stay safe and good luck.
November 10th, 2005 at 5:45 am reply
i only wish i could say come study in the UK and you wouldnt have that problem…