The Tamil Project - Anusha Kav
This interview was conducted in 2020
Anusha Bhagavathy Kav, 22, is a Master of Journalism student at the University of British Columbia.
Where did you grow up and what did your childhood look like?
I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta. Throughout my childhood, I loved playing outdoors, especially in the snow. I loved music and dance, both Western and South Indian, and I took Bharatanatyam for around 10 years. I grew up in the neighbourhood of Millwoods right as demographic shifts were happening, so much of my early teens I never noticed experiencing racism, as a lot of the people in my neighbourhood and Jr. High were also of South Asian descent.
Tell me about your experiences as a Tamilian living in Canada
For a long time I felt like the minority of the minority. Even though I grew up around a lot of South Asians, I didn’t know any other Tamil people at school, and I was constantly mistaken for another ethnicity. I think over the years more and more Tamilians have shown up on social media and are more outspoken about their experiences and our culture. I think it’s also hard when South Indians specifically are so underrepresented in Indian media that is consumed here in the west, and our culture and language is often different from those in North India. Often, I ended up having to explain what it means to be Tamil and in that process found myself learning more about it.
Tell me about your family, how do you think they have shaped who you are today?
My family and community traditions definitely shaped my worldview and my values. I grew up vegetarian which influenced a huge part of my identity which is a love for animals. I also have an interest in Indian culture, alongside the cultural practices we did growing up, that have definitely shaped the way I see the world, and how I navigate my own identity.
What do you often talk about with your family?
My family is very outspoken and love to talk about politics, current events and animals. As a second generation immigrant and the first born in Canada, we often talk about diaspora politics, race and racism, and just some of the unique experiences living here brings about.
What is most important to you and why?
Integrity, kindness and justice. Having conviction in what you believe standing up for it. As a feminist and someone who dedicated my whole degree to critical studies, I think without integrity and a commitment to justice we are furthest from achieving progress and equity for all.
What is one thing you know for sure?
Science can never with 100% confidence confirm that mermaids don’t exist because the vast majority of the ocean is undiscovered :-)
How do you want to be perceived?
As a person, I would want to be perceived as someone kind and passionate. Visually, I love neutral tones, vintage and antique aesthetics, and soft neutral colours and textures. I love playing around with old Hollywood aesthetics and Tamil culture/Indian aesthetics. I think the hybrid of Western/Indian is beautiful and challenges dominant understandings of who and what has claim over vintage/antique aesthetics, considering racialized people were and continue to be excluded from it.
What does Tamil representation look like to you?
I think the most important thing about Tamil representation is acknowledging our vast diversity within our culture. Tamilians are all around the world, in India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Canada the US etc. and our traditions and cultures differ and adapt depending on where we are--there’s no one correct way to be Tamil or showcase your culture. I also think that people don’t fully understand the roots of our language (how it's a Dravidian language with a completely separate root from languages such as Hindi and Punjabi), and that it's one of the oldest living languages still in widespread use. I also think it’s frustrating when some aspects of Tamil representation continue to revolve around stereotypes, or rely heavily on jewelry or the visual aspects, and less so on just being Tamil regardless of how deeply you resonate with the language or homeland.
