I WAS CALLED CURRY

"He used to call me 咖喱{gaa3 lei1 - curry}," the tan, Hindu-Muslim kid recalled, with a slight chuckle playing on his lips as he recalled the so-called “funny” moment in his life, the moment he was called curry. "I thought it was funny, because I like eating curry, so I just laughed" he continued with a small amused laugh, dismissing the subject.

To spare his innocence, I decided not to ask if he knew the meaning of the word. Perhaps entirely too young to know the actual meaning behind the word, the connotation it held, and even the reason the local kid called him that name. I decided not to reveal the true implication of the word, letting him think it was pure fun and games. I know this was wrong of me, I know I should have told him the word and the meaning of it. It might just have helped him understand that the word he was called was not to be taken lightly, but maybe he would have just laughed it off. Knowing him, he loved to shrug anything heavy off his shoulders. I have taught him for over 5 years after all, so his nature was something I was familiar with. Despite this, I did feel bad that he was called such a name, because I was called this term too, when I was younger.

The word ‘curry,’ as defined by Merriam-Webster, means: ‘a food, dish, or sauce in Indian cuisine seasoned with a mixture of pungent spices.’ However, over time, this innocent word has been contorted and is now used in a derogatory manner. This word started gaining popularity in Australia and was used to describe South Asians (particularly Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani or Sri Lankan people) with dark skin. As per normal, slang from various parts of the world gets adopted and translated, and this seemingly unassuming word found its way in the Cantonese dialect and was also turned into a derogatory term.

In fact, this feeling of unease turned out to be perfectly warranted when I interviewed his parents as well. Upon arriving in Hong Kong, the family of four had to find a house, as all able-bodied, earning humans do, wherever they go. However, the trip to the many different realtors proved to be strenuous. 

There were a number of barriers present in the several meetings that took place. The language barrier was a constant reminder of the fact that they had left one home for another. A foreign, alien city where the culture and language were drastically different from the place they once called home. 

Beliefs and areas of worship were other factors that turned most realtors away from the family. The realtors would argue that the smell of incense was annoying, especially since people from certain religions light incense and candles at home in the name of their respective gods. This could pose to be a fire threat at home, despite their “fake money burning” that was “smelly and suffocating,” according to the woman who bitterly recalled her first encounter with the ever present racist scene in the diverse Hong Kong.

“You make...uh... eat curry?” was another annoying question both her and her husband were constantly asked. “What is the correlation between what we eat and who we are? Who cares if we eat curry or not?” her husband frowned as he recalled the not-so-bright moment in his life. A moment that made him stray away from his beloved potato curry that he had every Thursday, for a whole year, only because he thought the smell would tick off the landlord.

One look at the chador (a full-body-length fabric that muslim women wear) the woman wore, and the realtors assumed the pair were illiterate and poor. Comments were thrown around casually between the landlord and realtors. Comments that none of them could hear or understand, but were ultimately horrified to find out that the comments were simply “The landlord...think [sic] you no [sic] pay on time,” as this assumption was and concern was voiced out to them when the pair asked the realtors what was wrong. 

These difficult struggles were brought up only because an innocent kid mentioned a “funny” name he was called in school. The casual racism being evident in even little children, who have been raised on these silly stereotypes.

Perhaps entirely too young to recognize the struggles his parents went through to make a proper living in Hong Kong for him and his younger brother, I smiled and told him that he should focus on his studies and work hard instead, because he was growing up in a muddy, stereotype-driven world that fought tooth and nail.

I know in the future, he will know exactly what the word “curry” insinuates, and I hope he speaks out on this, telling whoever told him this word just how wrong it is. I hope he isn’t phased by this and just focuses on bettering himself and learning more about different cultures and languages, after all, respect and understanding is of utmost importance. I hope he can be a good example to the other kids in his class, showing his friends how to respect everyone and call out someone on their bad behavior.

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 “Curry.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, 2021. Web. 2 April 2021.

 “Curry.” Urbandictionary.com Urban Dictionary, 2021. Web. 2 April 2021.