I wrote a part of this post last week before hearing about the Sikh Temple shooting in Wisconsin. This unfortunate event reinforced that stereotypes, racism and hatred do exist in this world, but through discussion, cultural awareness, education and experiential travel, we can help bust some of the myths people think of as ‘facts’.

Stereotypes are everywhere whether you travel or stay at home, but in my personal experience I’ve come across more during my travels than when living in Vancouver. After surveying fellow Indian travellers and friends, I’ve come up with top 9 common stereotypes when travelling.

I know that many travellers are just simply curious and South Asians secretly love all the attention that India is getting on the global platform. The tourism industry is expecting 50 million Indian tourists by the year 2020. There’s a chance you’ll meet someone of Indian descent while globetrotting. We want to educate, we want to tell you about the turban on our head or the bindi on our forehead. Please don’t be afraid to ask out of fear you may offend, but by rephrasing certain questions, you’re guaranteed to get the answer you’re looking for and maybe even a friendly conversation over a beer!

And to all the desi travellers – don’t be afraid to travel out of fear of facing stereotypes or racism abroad. Just like we we’re not all ‘cow-worshipping’ Indians, Americans aren’t all “ignorant” or racist. I’ve met many, many awesome friends while travelling and by opening doors and conversations I know you will too.

Here’s my list of common Indian stereotypes to avoid:

1)    “Do you speak English?” 

I had this question asked of me multiple times while working on a cruise ship. Try talking to me first and you’ll get your answer. Otherwise I may just pretend I don’t so I don’t have to talk to you any more.

2)    “Your English is very good!”

“Oh, why, thank you! I’m so flattered my English is up to your standards!” Really?! Okay. Please don’t say this. Ever.  It’s an insult, whether an Indian is from India or from North America. But alas, I’m glad to have broken some pre-conceived judgements.

3)    “I heard Indians smell bad because they eat a lot of curry?”

No lead in, no friendly conversation, just a blunt statement said to me by an American girl while on a tour in Morocco. Alas, I’m now turned off by tours completely.

4)    “Can you take my towel?”

Just because we’re brown doesn’t mean we all work in customer service. Please do not assume that all Indians in a hotel are workers.

After working out at her hotel gym in Dubai (where many Indian and African immigrants were working), my Indian friend was about to exit the gym when a Caucasian couple thought she worked there too and was about to hand her their dirty towel. Made for an awkward elevator ride when all three stepped in at the same time.

Instead of assuming, ask “Do you work here?”

5)    “Where are you from?” to “No, where are you really from?”

Indians living outside of the motherland get this question a lot. It will garner different reactions so be prepared. I might say the hyphenated “Indo-Canadian” while other South Asians dislike that term and may say “I’m Canadian”. It’s okay if you’re curious, but maybe ask “what’s your ethnicity or background?” instead of the more blunt “No, really where are you from?” question and be okay with whatever answer you get.

The reality is we’re still confused Indians and the ‘identity’ question is something we ask ourselves all the time so some of us might be a tad touchy about this subject.

6)    “Did you have an arranged marriage?”

Yes, arranged marriages still exist, but so do love marriages in the Indian community. Better to ask “How did you and your partner meet?”

7)    “My friend is Indian, do you know her?”

There are a few billion Indians around the world. Sorry, I don’t know your friend Priya or Raj.

8)    Talking in an Indian accent while bobbing your head side to side.

We get it. It may be funny. But we’re over it. We may tolerate it, but we hate it. Unless Indian comedian Russell Peters does it 😉

9)    “Oh, you’re from Mumbai. I watched Slumdog Millionaire. I want to visit those slums too!”

This is what I call the Slumdog Millionaire Syndrome (SMS). Agreed there are many social issues in India such as female foeticide, caste problems, illiteracy, poverty and in my opinion these should be discussed and brought to light, but at the same time Indians want to discuss both the positive and the negatives. While social issues exist and are acknowledged, some Indian travellers are ready to move beyond the ‘SMS’ talk. Listen, hear them out and discuss.

Some of these stereotypes I’ve only come across once or twice and others I’ve come across multiple times. Now on to my readers. What are your thoughts? Is there a 10th stereotype you’ve come across while travelling?

Photo Credit: istolethetv