I have subscrition to this magazine, Little India, that targets an audience of Indian Americans. I started getting it shortly after Sujal and I got engaged — in pert to have some info on wedding vendors, but also to learn aa bit more about my husband’s heritage. It is a general human interst type magazine — not very literary or hardcore journalistic — but a generally well-written (with a few misused idioms) magazine. My favorite write for the magazine is Lavina Melwani. She does good research and has a readable and intelligent repertoire. I first became interested in her writing with the article, “The Colors of Desi.”
I also love reading the letters to the editor. But this month, there’s one that really bothers me. The text follows and here’s a link
As an American woman involved in a relationship with a married Indian man I suggest you do an article on this issue. He is in an arranged marriage and very unhappy. We have been secretly going out for six years. Why do so many Indian men have affairs with white women? Why are they so unhappy?
Anonymous, Via email
I find it troubling. On one hand, it makes some serious assumptions that a large quantity of men in “arranged” marriages are unhappy. I do not know if this is true. It seems to assume that because one man is (or perhaps anecdotally several), that there must be something inherently wrong. She also assumes that being an American woman makes her white. It seems to imply some fault on the part of indian wives, and it places white women in the position of the floozy homewrecker. And in trying to find something redeeming, I’m wondering if there has been investigation. Is there evidence to back up her claims? It just seems like a senseless thing to do — to send that letter in, and it bugs me. Grrrr.
The Connecticutian 