The "bright and dark" sides of Orientalism
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Bengali Harlem by Vivek Bald sheds light on the complicated interaction that exists between Bengali peddlers and American culture, especially when considering the influence of Orientalism and the laws that influenced their lives. The Chinese Exclusion Act and the Alien Contract Labor Law made it difficult for South Asians to enter the United States in the late 19th. These rules were a reflection of larger racist attitudes that saw Asian immigration as inferior workers.
Orientalism had a conflicting effect. On the one hand, Bengali peddlers found a market selling items like silks, and perfumes to rich Americans as a result of Americans' obsession with Eastern goods. Bengali merchants were able to prosper in a market thanks to the demand for exotic goods. While middle-class customers wanted to look like their richer peers by buying cheap exotic products during holidays, the upper class, especially ladies, sought out these goods to express their superiority.
However, negative perceptions were also strengthened by the same Orientalist beliefs that helped the peddlers in their success. Rather than being productive businessmen, these Bengali men were sometimes viewed as exotic strangers, which limited their ability to assimilate into American culture. These men's fragile success was determined by how well they conformed to the racist dream of the East. When they fell short of these expectations, American customers saw them as less valuable, and the reality of discriminatory immigration restrictions restricted their success even more.
Many Bengali immigrants found New York, specifically Harlem, to be an appealing location because of the racial mix of the neighborhood. The lascars created multiracial homes by frequently getting married to Latina, Caribbean, and African American women. These enabled them to forge communal links, and food started to play a major role in their lives. Indian restaurants, like the Bengal Garden, combined African American, Puerto Rican, and Indian culinary traditions to create social hubs where these exchanges took place.