If ever anyone asks me where I am from I say I am an Indian first then a Kiwi, who has lived in the US and working in Canada (as long as it can get eh? :)). Then the typical question a fellow Indian asks is where in India do I come from? I say Hyderabad. I am first a Hyderbadi above all (born brought up there and lived for 21 years, so its easy, though I am not an Andhrite and belong to a different state). Well probably thats just me and a few others like me who are that particular with answers to such questions?
The reason I say that is cos I once met this Indian lady (way back in NZ) who was asked her place of origin (it was obvious she was an Indian her looks, accent etc but conversation-sake a fellow-Indian asked her and I am sure she was expecting an Indian city name) and this woman blurts 'I am from Portugal' I was stunned. Are you kidding me? Are you ashamed to claim your an Indian (I say in my mind!)? Just cos I dont know how ever many generations back 5-8? there was some intermingling of the races you disclaim that YOU are an Indian anymore? Phew! I dont get it! And then in Orkut the other day I saw someone's profile who also claimed a descent totally Non-Indian even though for 5 generations atleast I am sure their family has been in India.
This has nothing to do with citizenship, but would someone so openly claim to belong to a totally different race? It so happens the reason for both could be religion-based; the former lady was a Jew (Portugese-Jew connection!) the latter you know
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