Kiran,

Oh brother! –A year and (almost) a half later, I realize that you responded to my comment. Okay, so I was being just a wee bit dramatical back then :)

As for my previous words, my issue most definitely was that, “all the brown faces on TV are in homogenous roles” ...ones in which brown folks as a group are maintained as being foreigners. I have no offense with parts that are less than “100% glorifying” (sure, I’ll admit that the whole terrorist angle provided some amount of discomfort –only that it’s a little discouraging in that there’s the major possibility that such a role will wind up supporting misdirected post-9/11 apprehensions and stereotypes of all things and persons dark and/or foreign) –for example, some took issue with “whitecastle”, but the representation of a brown kid as an average everyday, mainstream, full-blooded American is likely what excited audiences –that it was a refreshing departure from the usual. In your post, you mentioned that you would soon be playing a physician (again), and that you’d have an accent –like most of the older Indian/Indo-American doctors you’ve met. The reality however, is that the vast majority of Desi med students and physicians in our age range, do not speak with (non-American) accents –it’s another way of forcing us into place as outsiders. Even on ER, when they finally placed a Desi actress in the spotlight, the character is from England and speaks with a Brittish accent (once again, the brown person as a foreigner –I’m not ripping on Nagra, as she's talented and could probably effortlessly speak like an American). In the same vein, there was a car advertisement (I cannot remember which one it was for) –showing photo after photo of happy owners with their new vehicles ...and then there was one Desi gal ...wearing a bright sari in hers (granted, she looked beautiful, and we all have cultural pride –you can wear a salwar, jeans, or not even a single stitch, and be American ...but, in an ad, wrapping her up in the “costume” of ethnic dress markets her (and us) to the viewing general public as primarily South Asian, not American)

I do wholeheartedly agree and sympathize with the following statement:
“None of the writers who pen these roles are Desi. When a non-Indian writes about a culture they don't have a lot of intimate knowledge about, it's going to be full of stereotypes. This is just like how most Black characters were sterotypical until African Americans became more involved in media creation. Maybe if there was more community support for South Asians that take on non-traditonal careers there would be more Desi writers and better Desi parts?”
It’s wonderful that Desis are getting more and more parts and are becoming more visible –but unfortunately, as you touched upon, there’s going to be a phase where actors will have to take what’s available and play into stereotypes like the ethnic minority actors from other groups before them did.

I just wish that there were broader roles to fill, and that we (brown folks) will be considered for and prominently displayed in roles where they are Americans first and foremost ...hopefully that’s something that will happen with time.

Congratulations on the continued success of your career, and best wishes for the future.

Kali.

Brown men on the boob tube, after a post on brown men's boobs!