Why did Indians on the east coast contract marriages with African-American, Caribbean, and Latina partners?
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The 1940s and 50s saw the formation of a "Bengali-Puerto Rican-African American" community in Harlem. There was an a fairly large group of Indian Muslim ex-seamen in Harlem working jobs in restaurants and hotels. These single men married within the local communities but also merged into these populations of immigrants in a general way for various reasons. It helped them disappear as they could avoid census takers and other officials. When Indian grooms were classified, they were not merely "East Indian", but mistakenly classified as possibly "White" or "Puerto Rican". Furthermore, there were certain benefits as the Lower East side had low-rent tenements. Butchers who produced kosher meat were also beneficial, as it allowed for Muslims to continue eating halal, an important practice. Evidence of these marriages were found all over New York City through marriage certificates and even Harlem's local press. Not only did the Amsterdam News report marriages, but it also reported bigamy that included Indian men (as either the offender or the victim).
An example of a mixed marriage can be seen in the very beginning of Chapter 5, where Bald introduces Victorian Echevarria Ullah and Habib Ullah. Victoria, a Puerto Rican woman, and Habib, a South Asian man, both work at Ibrahim Choudry's restaurant as waitress and chef. The two of them had migrated to New York City between 1920 and 1935. Their paths crossed when Habib moved to Harlem in the 1930s. Their collaboration with Choudry demonstrates the intersecting of different peoples. Although Harlem had its issues regarding health conditions and education, it still managed to allow immigrants to form a new type of community and identity based on similar pasts and shared experiences.
In a way, Harlem kind of reminds me of Quebec and Montreal. There are so many cultures that intersect and merge with each other through various methods, like partnerships, friendships and marriage. People adopt each other's cultures while still practicing their own. This is quite amazing, in my opinion, as it demonstrates how culture and tradition are not static and open for everyone to learn about.