Harlem - Integration and racial makeup

[eva_rajzman]

Chapter 5 of Bald’s Bengali Harlem relates the establishment and integration of many Indians, especially ex-seamen, in east Harlem amongst communities of immigrants from Puerto Rico, Cuba and Dominican Republic. The multicultural environment of this neighborhood facilitated integration and connections, with many Indians marrying into local communities.

Food has played a significant role in the integration process of Indians. The firsts Indian restaurants started emerging in the 1940s and 1950s. As they were some of the first Halal restaurants of Harlem, different Muslim communities, namely South Asians and African American, were meeting there. Some have recalled these places to be communal hubs where people gathered to discuss political issues and even debate different practices of Islam. Over time, these establishments have been extended to social spaces for all communities in Harlem. “Black journalists, artists, local politicians” used to have meetings and hold events in Indian restaurants. Thus, Indian restaurants in Harlem fostered connections between diverse groups, creating a sense of solidarity and community in the neighborhood.
On the other hand, these restaurants have served as communal spaces for the Indian diaspora to preserve their culture and language. By discussing political issues and news in India with other people of their community, it allowed them to stay connected to their identity. It made me think of Rajiv’s Ari in Antiman who felt so much happier when she could speak her native language in this specific store, and thus of the importance of the native tongue in migrants’ melancholia. Thus, Indian restaurants have also allowed Indian communities to keep their culture alive both in Harlem and in themselves.

The racial makeup of Harlem was attractive to Indians because it allowed them to be integrated into a community with other minorities and to feel a sense of belonging and solidarity. In this neighborhood, each community felt free to practice their culture without the fear of facing racism. I also think that minorities, especially of colours, felt less “seen”, in the sense of not being pointed out by whites for wearing a specific piece of clothes or even just their skin colour. The diversity of communities had made Harlem a neighborhood of cultural freedom. Thus, Indians were drawn to it.