Macj Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 Dude' date=' so what makes a tamilian? my parents are telugu, I talk with them in telugu but all my friends, even with my brother and cousins I talk tamil. So I cant call myself a tamil?[/quote'] No.
triam Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 No. haha, who died and made you the gatekeeper for tamils? on a serious note what is your definition of a tamil person?
Macj Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 haha' date=' who died and made you the gatekeeper for tamils? on a serious note what is your definition of a tamil person?[/quote'] This thread has really gone beyond its little scope, and my intention to highlight a very biased TN political system. A Tamilan is one who speaks Tamil as his native tongue and was born to Tamil speaking parents. BTW just for your info, even the Telugus who have living in TN for over 500 years do not consider themselves Tamil.
cochise Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 Ramanujan. - Number theory Chandrashekhar. - Black holes Tamil yes?
triam Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 This thread has really gone beyond its little scope, and my intention to highlight a very biased TN political system. A Tamilan is one who speaks Tamil as his native tongue and was born to Tamil speaking parents. BTW just for your info, even the Telugus who have living in TN for over 500 years do not consider themselves Tamil. My parents dont consider themselves tamils, I consider myself as one, and thats all that really matters. To elaborate a little further, I have decent knowledge about tamil literature, history etc, while having none about telugu stuff.
cochise Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 I consider myself human. These subtle distinctions escape me. But I am continually looked down by one and all with their ideas of superiority. Why aren't the layers pealed away to the essence?
Ram Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 No. I think that kinda sums up the attitude of the poster really. Its a fruitless exercise trying to reason with people who have their rules and mindsets set in concrete, rules that are on most occasions, logically flawed and archaic. Having Tamizh parents and being born in T.N may make you a nominal Tamizh person, but the real definition of the Tamizh person is one who contributes to the local community where he lives. I was born in T.N and my whole ancestry speaks Tamizh, but what have I actually done to either the state of T.N or the language of Tamizh? Zilch.. However, there are umpteen number of politicians/bureaucrats/activists/social workers from other states who may not all that lineage, but have done tremendous amounts of work in T.N. They’re the ones who really matter to the state, not namesake Tamils like me.
Ram Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 I consider myself human. These subtle distinctions escape me. But I am continually looked down by one and all with their ideas of superiority. Why aren't the layers pealed away to the essence? Unfortunately, humans have this amazing tendency to find more and more ways to move all of us apart by creating different classes that distinguish you from the person standing next you or sitting beside you.
cochise Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 Unfortunately, humans have this amazing tendency to find more and more ways to move all of us apart by creating different classes that distinguish you from the person standing next you or sitting beside you. One is not moved if one has substance. One is only amused at the Machiavellian machinations.
fineleg Posted January 23, 2009 Author Posted January 23, 2009 but the real definition of the Tamizh person is one who contributes to the local community where he lives. However, there are umpteen number of politicians/bureaucrats/activists/social workers from other states who may not all that lineage, but have done tremendous amounts of work in T.N. They’re the ones who really matter to the state, not namesake Tamils like me. MM, Your best post to date. :thumbs_up: As an example: People who live in US who have come from India (and some get citizenship, others green card whatever). They speak their Indian language at home with spouse (maybe with kids they speak more of English) - but STILL they contribute to US economy. Just because they speak some Indian language at home, does not mean they or esp their kids (who are born Americans) are any less American than the "lineage americans"
cochise Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 No finey. They are Indian in a way undefinable. India is the home of the soul. Everything can be taken away from one....but no one can take the soul away. It always resides at home.
Ram Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 MM, Your best post to date. :thumbs_up: As an example: People who live in US who have come from India (and some get citizenship, others green card whatever). They speak their Indian language at home with spouse (maybe with kids they speak more of English) - but STILL they contribute to US economy. Just because they speak some Indian language at home, does not mean they or esp their kids (who are born Americans) are any less American than the "lineage americans" I dont think your comparison is valid/applicable.
fineleg Posted January 23, 2009 Author Posted January 23, 2009 No finey. They are Indian in a way undefinable. India is the home of the soul. Everything can be taken away from one....but no one can take the soul away. It always resides at home. They (parents who get settled in US, acquire citizenship etc) are actually both cochise - they feel strong connection to both US and to India. There are differences ofcourse, and how strong they feel towards one versus the other is on a case-by-case basis. However - most of the time - the children who are born and brought up in US, have the strongest connection to USA. They may feel 'some connection' to India depending on their exposure and relatives etc. However, most certainly the have strongest connection to USA. Where you are born, brought up makes a big difference (which is why the parents feel strong connection to India as well). Born or brought up from early age (even if not born there) - that makes a BIG difference, and where you contribute as adult also influences this. I'm not sure I'm stating this clearly. Maybe I have some questions about this myself.
Macj Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 Ramanujan. - Number theory Chandrashekhar. - Black holes Tamil yes? Yes they are Tamilians.
Macj Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 They (parents who get settled in US, acquire citizenship etc) are actually both cochise - they feel strong connection to both US and to India. There are differences ofcourse, and how strong they feel towards one versus the other is on a case-by-case basis. However - most of the time - the children who are born and brought up in US, have the strongest connection to USA. They may feel 'some connection' to India depending on their exposure and relatives etc. However, most certainly the have strongest connection to USA. Where you are born, brought up makes a big difference (which is why the parents feel strong connection to India as well). Born or brought up from early age (even if not born there) - that makes a BIG difference, and where you contribute as adult also influences this. You will not believe this but in the USA there was a movement to prevent German Americans (much akin to Telugus in TN ) from speaking German EVEN AT HOME. Yes they were accused of collaborating at the extreme or even just sympathetic to the German cause in WW1 and all their schools were closed, and German was forbidden. So this is not a purely Tamizh phenomenon. Immigrants speak English within 1-2 generations English is all they know, why dont these Telugus speak Tamizh at home?
cochise Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 They (parents who get settled in US, acquire citizenship etc) are actually both cochise - they feel strong connection to both US and to India. There are differences ofcourse, and how strong they feel towards one versus the other is on a case-by-case basis. However - most of the time - the children who are born and brought up in US, have the strongest connection to USA. They may feel 'some connection' to India depending on their exposure and relatives etc. However, most certainly the have strongest connection to USA. Where you are born, brought up makes a big difference (which is why the parents feel strong connection to India as well). Born or brought up from early age (even if not born there) - that makes a BIG difference, and where you contribute as adult also influences this. I'm not sure I'm stating this clearly. Maybe I have some questions about this myself. I am four generations outside India. I profer myself as an example for you.
Macj Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 I am four generations outside India. I profer myself as an example for you. What language do you speak? Assume you are Assamese, will you vote for a Bangladeshi (who are now 50% of the Assamese pop) to represent you? I dont mind a non -Thamizh representing me, but I dont want him telling me WHO is Tamil and who isnt. (e.g Vaiko)
cochise Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 I am Punjabi Jat Sikh. I speak some Punjabi, some Hindi, some Tamil, some Malayallam, some Cantonese, some Hokkien, some Mandarin, some Dutch, some Portuguese, some French and I speak Malay fluently. My English is so-so. Yet, I am immersed in India. I dont mind a non -Thamizh representing me, but I dont want him telling me WHO is Tamil and who isnt. (e.g Vaiko) I do not wish to do anything of the sort. Do point out where I have. I am nobody...just human...so I flatter myself ONLY to point out what is humbly human.
Ram Posted January 23, 2009 Posted January 23, 2009 am Punjabi Jat Sikh. I speak some Punjabi, some Hindi, some Tamil, some Malayallam, some Cantonese, some Hokkien, some Mandarin, some Dutch, some Portuguese, some French and I speak Malay fluently. :omg:
fineleg Posted January 23, 2009 Author Posted January 23, 2009 I am four generations outside India. I profer myself as an example for you. cochise, you may be an exception - i can agree to that. Dunno how it works in Australia, but if person X has settled in USA, and if Y is the 4th generation (born and brought up through 3 generations in US), then its a fair bet that they are 100% American and they can ofcourse know about other cultures or languages but they will be Americans in all sense of language and culture.
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