Full Text of the Excerpt

ANDREW JILANI:

Okay. Chandrika, tell me you early memories of United States. When you came here, how did you feel? What did you experience here?

CHANDRIKA DALAL:

Not good!

ANDREW JILANI:

Tell me about it.

CHANDRIKA DALAL:

Gradually. You know, they don't like your skin, they don't like your dress. If you speak in your language, they don't like. They make jokes on you.

ANDREW JILANI:

Uh-huh. Who are "they"?

CHANDRIKA DALAL:

American people.

ANDREW JILANI:

American people.

CHANDRIKA DALAL:

If you talk with two Indian people. If they heard, they make jokes and laugh on you. You know, they don't respect-, our culture, or our language-, you know. They say it is a free country, but I don't think-, they treat as a good person to us. Because—. When-, when we move in Pittsboro-, they always-, police follow my husband.

ANDREW JILANI:

Uh-huh. Why?

CHANDRIKA DALAL:

Because of-, he has a California license plate, and they-, just make-, trouble! Every time he drive, police just come-, go after him, and make him upset and mad. Because, you know, we are out-of-country people and Pittsboro is small town. They don't like outside people. But we come here and we take this business on the lease. So, make him so mad! And-, he don't find out jobs, so we-, we have a one Indian friend. One day my husband go in that-, er…. Motel/Hotel Association meeting, and-, er… one Indian people there— they are from Marora, and they have a business on Hillsboro, Economy Motel—and-, they ask my husband how much he want. He say eight hundred, nine hundred dollar-, I can make in-, that's good for me. So, we take business on the lease.