Author Archives: Mohil Kapadia

Beginning Rather than the End – South Indian Saying

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Language: Telugu, translated to English

Saying/Culture: “Anthya Nishturam Kanna Aadi nishturame melu” 

Translates to: Better to Regret in the Beginning than at the end

  1. Context:

Being made fun of his whole life, he told me about his dad telling him this when he started his journey in the gym. Starting as a scrawny high school sophomore who could barely lift 45 pounds to someone who reps out 205 pound on the benchpress, this saying has truly resonated with him. He told me that his dad learned this from his dad when growing up in a farm in South India, where trying something knew and even breaking out of a generational farm path was the fruition of this saying.

Analysis: The fact that this proverb has been used for something far from its original grounding demonstrates the duality and multiple meanings that this can have. I found it interesting that the gym is why his father passed it down to him rather than traditional & preconceived educational stereotypes placed on south indians and south asians as a whole. The meaning itself has seen multiple translations or similar lines in America in other forms, in my opinion, and roots from a traditional sports background or more currently with Generation-Z, the college application process.

Success Beats Talent – American-ized Saying

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Schnectdady, New York
Language: English

Saying: “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard”

Context: Coming from an immigrant family, he learned this from his parents who believed that no matter how much work he puts there will be output. As long as you are dedicated and you put hard work into something, you can make a tangible impact and achieve what you want. As an acting major in LA, this has been a big part of his life and he wasn’t a kid actor who made it into Hollywood. Rather than starting in high school and acting in plays at this production level, he saw this hard work pay off when he got into the USC School of Dramatic Arts.  Furthermore, he saw this come into play when he got into the Business Technology Group as a non-finance background major. Beating out kids with backgrounds in finance, or strong connections to executive board members of the club he put time into casing and breaking down parts of the application process.

Analysis: Being brought up with Indian parents myself, I find myself in a similar situation to him, as our parents both fought off systematic racism to make their place in the country. As such, I also find it interesting how culturally this saying has been generationally modified because as we have parents and parental figures who bear down us to become doctors or engineers, this has changed in the fact that he is pursuing a non-traditional career and is seen as one that is hard to break into. For background, in Bollywood, those who make it into this career are those who come from money or have connections, so the fact that he has been able to suppress that and continue this idea in his unpaved path is truly eye-opening.

Horse to the Barn – Farming Culture Proverb

Nationality: Australian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Hyderabad, India
Language: English

Saying: You can take a horse to the barn but you can’t make it drink water.

Context: Being brought up in India, and coming from ancestral roots in farming, he told me about a saying that his dad has taught him. Being a child who was extremely talented, and had a passion for learning his dad instilled in him throughout his life. Historically, his dad learned this saying from his grandfather, and is something that he and his sisters, his aunts, grew up with. In a competitive environment that required everyone to be the best of the best, his grandfather wanted to ensure that all his kids succeeded and that money would never be the issue but rather the passion and heart that they put in could be the only thing that held them back.

Analysis: I find it interesting that the horse is the object of this saying, specifically surrounding the fact that ancestral roots in India are in farming. Furthermore, a horse is seen as one that can be guided and tamed which can lead to certain implications. With a rider or an owner who takes care of and grooms them, they can be a workhorse or one that is very talented through practice as seen through shows and races like the Kentucky Derby. This can also apply to friends helping friends, in the fact that you can offer advice to someone about life, education, or a sport, but it is up to them to take it and listen for what is best for them.

Idiots – Wealth Saying

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Miami, Florida
Language: English

Saying: “Don’t go half idiot, go full idiot.”

Context: Being passed down from her grandpa to her dad to her, this saying comes from when her father immigrated to the States for the first time. With uncertainty and restraints such as doubt and fear having the ability to hold someone back, her grandfather wanted to remove this preconceived notion to ensure the fact that if he went through with something stupid, such as a useless business idea, or buying a used Cherokee with 40,000 miles. Generationally, this has changed for her coming from the East to the West Coast, especially with friends. To her, if you make friends with someone don’t talk to them once, continue talking with them and stay in touch.

Analysis: I find this saying particularly interesting, especially from an ethnic perspective, as she is Korean. Talking with her, I learned that until the latter half of her high school years, her parents embodied the stereotypical tiger parent image. However, breaking off this and creating her own identity she was able to do this by putting her 100% into everything she does, whether or not it came to fruition. Especially with the idea of half vs full, something that comes to mind is a glass of water half full vs half empty. As such, with this saying, something that can be perceived is that if you plan on doing something and whether it succeeds or fails go down with the idea don’t leave it at the tilting point. This saying has evolved and culturally differs especially in the US. Similar to the glass of water is the idea of a captain sinking with the ship. As such, the meaning of the saying stays the same but changes depending on how/the cultural background you were brought up in. Strict parents follow the idiot idea, a family with ties to the naval space would have a ship, and a traditional American family of 4 going from the American dream would have a glass of water.

JoJos – Saying/Synonym for Food

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Seattle, Washington
Language: English

Saying/Culture: “JoJos” as Potato Wedges

Context: Hailing from Seattle, Washington, I was told about her and childhood friends referred to potato wedges as jojos in elementary school. Growing up with this, she was able to reflect on how this has evolved and how her friends laughed about this in high school. According to her, there was a sort of irony to it. Reading an article from Willamette Week, a newspaper based in Oregon, the name ‘Jojo’ comes from the middle-class industrial working man in the 1900s. Coupled with the invention of the pressure fryer, and an ideal combo of batter, spices, and frying, jojos were born. The pressure fryer was nicknamed Jojo, giving these wedges a northwest nickname.

Analysis: I find it interesting that the historical upbringing of this region of the United States can have such a large cultural influence, primarily because we normally find history rooted in museums or some buildings left behind by those who came before us. This unconventional naming speaks to how the working class back then was inventive and thought of cultural and food-related items through a lens that can heavily relate to their own everyday life. Traditionally, I have heard fries referred to by different names rooted in different ethnic or demographic cultures but one that comes from historic divides is truly fascinating. Furthermore, the Jojo is a testament to how history remains intact even from a 2-year-old to a senior citizen in Oregon and Washington, as they have been brought up with this reference. When these individuals go elsewhere and exit this limited box, seeing the mixture of cultures truly comes to fruition.