Student Union
- By Parth Vohra
Language Bonds Students Whose Cultures Clash at Home
As the melodious tunes of an Urdu song wafted in the background, an Indian, a Pakistani and a Bangladeshi — who had just met — found themselves singing along.
Soon they were holding hands. Occasionally they looked at each other and smiled, deeply appreciating the golden voice of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, who sang the Qawwali song. They shut their eyes again and soulfully sang along.
"Afreen-Afreen," the room reverberated behind the voice of Khan's. "Afreen," an Urdu word, expresses praise.
I was one of the three.
I'm Indian by birth. Khan is Pakistani. Our countries can be hostile to each other, but it doesn't matter to me. And it never will. I will sing, dance and celebrate with Khan, and others.
Although all Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis were countrymen before the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, today, the scenario seems overwhelmingly less cordial than before.
Only 15 percent of Indians view Pakistan favorably, and only 13 percent of Pakistanis view India favorably, according to a Pew survey conducted in 2014. The favorable views of Bangladesh toward India and Pakistan are higher with 70 percent and 50 percent, respectively.
However, these statistics don't represent my feelings. The first time I met anyone from these two nations was when I joined the University of California-Berkeley in August 2015, and my interactions and friendships with them have been more than amiable.
We often have light-hearted arguments on the better cricket team, but that's about it.
So how does such a strong affinity develop when hostility exists back home?
Language.
My second question to any South Asian person after asking his or her name is: "Do you speak Hindi, Urdu or Punjabi?"
No joke.
And if they do, we talk in one of them ad nauseam. I feel connected. I feel belonged. I feel inclusive.
Don't get me wrong, I love the English language. It's truly beautiful. But there is something about my mother-tongue that helps me develop a bond instantly with the speaker.
A majority of Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis coming into the United States as students speak one of these languages, and it's the primary factor in creating a relationship, especially in a foreign country.
A conversation sans filters.
Some of my favorite memories in my time as a student in the United States, so far, is sharing butter-chicken with my buddies from the global south, and conversing in only Hindi, or Urdu, and the occasional curse words that I utter in my Hindi sentences. It's fun, and engaging.
I've not only made the lifelong friends through my bilingualism, but also the connections outside of college — with co-workers, restaurant owners or people walking on the street. At a famous Pakistani restaurant in Washington, D.C., I always get a hefty discount, as I once played the "Urdu card" with the owner, as one of my friends put it.
My association with my mother-tongue is something I can't get rid of. It's been more than two years since I've been in United States, and even now my music playlist is made up of only Indian or Bollywood or Pakistani music.
"Afreen-Afreen" is one of them.
To all those Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi students hoping to come to the United States, always remember one thing: Never shy away from who you are.
You don't belong only to India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, but to all of them.
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Trump administration opens antisemitism inquiries at 5 colleges, including Columbia and Berkeley
The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.
It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.
In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.
Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.
Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.
"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.
The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.
An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."
House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."
Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.
Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.
The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.
"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."
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