So I went to to Artesia, in Cerritos, to buy new clothes (about 32 miles from UCLA). My favorite store is Mirage on Pioneer Blvd. These few blocks on Pioneer Blvd. is also commonly referred to as Little India.
Here you can find stores and restaurants providing primarily Indian goods and services. There are a few that are distinctly Pakistani. But all in all, it caters to the entire South Asian community.
This area is quite different from most other areas in Los Angeles. Here you will find older women and men dressed in traditional clothing. The women will be wearing either shalwar (salwar) kameez or saris. Men might also be wearing shalwar (salwar) kameez. You will also see a lot more men wearing their turbans than in most areas. You will also see women wearing kurtis. And then finally, there are people wearing "normal" clothes. Depending on what the person is wearing, it can be easily deduced which generation they are from, for example the women wearing kurtis are generally first generation Indians and so on.
Even the aromas are different. Instead of smelling pizza or burgers you can smell dosas and chat (just thinking about it makes my mouth water!) And instead of eyeing cupcakes and cookies you'll be craving mathai (Indian sweets).
While I was getting my measurements taken, I was speaking to the tailor in my mix of Urdu and English. A common way I communicate with many of the people there.
We also shop the way we do back in Pakistan, trying to bargain with them. Or rather my mum just my mom, because I have not learnt those skills living over here. Although, it is becoming more common to find stores with the sign - All Prices Final. Even if this sign were adorned in a store in Pakistan, this would never be taken seriously, unlike here.
The grocery stores on this street are selling products coming from around South Asia and also other international markets, like South East Asia and Europe.
UPDATE: 12/1/12
These two snapshots from Simplymaps shows that all the people in the zip code of Artesia are all first generation Americans.
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| The % of US born citizens- 0% |
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| The % of naturalized US citizens- 100% |
With the short school week, this week I decided to comment on a blog written by Urban Nomad. This student wrote about their experience shopping in 'Little India’ that is a stretch on Pioneer Blvd, in between 183rd Street and South Street. This stretch of stores contains an array of Indian and Pakistani clothing boutiques, Indian grocery stores and many, many restaurants at each corner. My family and I used to go to Little India at least once a year, but now our visits to this ethnic enclave have decreased. Each time I went I remember being fascinated by the amount of South Asians I saw. They were literally at every single corner, eating and shopping. With the many restaurants all over, I used to be fascinated with the strong scent of the Indian food. We would step out of our cars and instantly we could smell the fried scent of Pakoras (fried lentil patties) and chickpeas. The scent of the food was so strong that when we would leave Little India, our clothes would smell like the fried food.
ReplyDeleteThis student captured the flavor of Little India very well in their blog. As I was reading their blog I loved the reference this student made to the bargaining that goes on in Little India. It amazes me how South Asian women and men can bargain a price down from $250 to $150 within minutes. I recall my dad bargaining a traditional Pakistani outfit for me from $500 down to $400. Bargaining for prices is a common practice in Pakistan and India. All in all it amazes me how similar Little India is to Pakistan. The scent of the food, the people, the clothing and the bargaining always remind me of our family trips to Pakistan. Little India is a very unique location to visit and I am really glad this student took the initiative to write about this diverse area. There are many ethnic enclaves around the Southern California area and I plan on visiting each one at least once in the next year.