Namesake

Namesake was a film about the struggles of an Indian couple who immigrated to the US. Ashoke and Ashima faced isolation, unaccustomed to how individually everyone in the US lived. The film skipped ahead to the couple raising their two kids, Gogol and Sonia. The film illustrated the tension between first generation and second generation Indian Americans, which has been a common theme in each of the groups we have learned about. Gogol and Sonia’s resistance to constantly stay in touch with their parents was an example of their tensions. In India, as your parents grow old, you’re supposed to help them. But, being assimilated, Gogol and Sonia ignored them and lived individual adult lives.

A CRT term that related to this film was assimilation, as relating to the children. They often were embarrassed of their parents because of their commitment to Indian traditions. The only time this seems to change is when Ashoke dies, and they comply with every tradition. Although I think that mostly had to do with pleasing their mother. Another term that relates to this film is identity. The identity the parents had differed greatly with their kids, because of their surroundings. Ashoke and Ashima grew up in India, and identified with that as a large part of their identity. Their kids grew up in the US, and while they had some influences from their parents, were mostly molded by US culture. This is why during their vacations to India, Sonia hated spending time there. Even though she looks Indian, she has no association with India and cannot see why her parents enjoy it. On the other hand, after Ashoke dies, Ashima wants to move back to India. Her identity still largely lies with India, and even after all the years spent in the US, she still feels her home is in India. The formation of identity is not based on skin color, but largely based on your surroundings while you grow up, during your most impressionable years.