Amelia Singh Netervala

The harsh restrictive immigration laws in America during the early 20th century brought together an unexpected racial pairing between Punjabi men and Mexican women. This union created a vibrant community filled with cultural diffusion. Netervala is one of the few remaining first-generation Punjab Mexican Americans. She came from a father originally from the Punjab region of Northern India and a Mexican mother residing in the U.S. The Immigration Act of 1917 and the 1924 National Origins Quota Act left Punjabi men with a difficult choice to either stay in America or go back to India (British-occupied). Many Punjabi men decided to stay in America and raise a family there. Many men engaged in seasonal work like agricultural jobs to provide for their families. During this time, the Mexican Revolutionary War left some Mexican women widowed, and they began working on U.S. farms. From there, they met the Punjabi immigrant men.

The video above provided by Simran Singh, discusses more about Punjabi immigration to the U.S. and connections to Mexico. It includes more information about their homeland, circumstances and challenges living in America.

Between the 1910s – 1940s, there was about 400 marriages that happened between Punjabi men and Mexican women.

Mixture of Different Cultures

Although Punjabi-Mexican partners came from different parts of the world, their experiences of discrimination in America and sharing cultural commonalities made them compatible. Punjabi men were targeted for wearing turbans and had to cut their hair to live in America. Mexicans had to participate in field labor after coming to America. In many Punjabi Mexican households, there was blended cuisine and culture. Netervala recalled her childhood experiences eating dishes from both cultures, like Indian Daal and Mexican-style pinto beans:

“We would have daal (Indian lentils) and also Mexican beans. My father taught [my mother] to make Indian food. So she would buy the different whole spices and grind them and make masala out of that.” 

Issues with Fitting In

Netervala grew up with Mexican influence dominating the household. However, as she grew older, she began identifying more with her Indian side by connecting more with her father and his side of the family. She has fond memories of her childhood. At the same time, she dealt with issues fitting in Indian and Mexican communities. Years after America’s restrictive laws, Indian women were able to come to America. However, they didn’t get along with Mexican women who were married to Punjabi men. Also, some members of the Mexican community didn’t socialize with mixed-race families.

“We were just sort of outsiders to some of the people. I remember in the third or fourth grade, some of these Mexican girls would sort of bully me. They would make fun of my last name ‘Singh’ with their Spanish words,” she explained. “And later on, when Indian women came, they kicked out the Mexican women. They wouldn’t allow them in the [gurdwara] kitchen.” – Netervala

Netervala did befriend other families of similar backgrounds, but it was overshadowed by acts of racism and restrictive government policies.

The Luce-Celler Act

After California repealed its miscegenation policies (lifting racial restrictions on who could marry) and opened up the border, it allowed more Indians to come to America. The restrictive laws brought people together, and today, many Indian restaurants in America have Mexican-influenced dishes. For example, Akash Kapoor first started the fast-casual Indian Concept Curry Now in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2009.

Curry Up Now’s Quesadillix, made with paneer and mozarella inside an aloo paratha 

In a 2015 performance Half and Halves, dancers from Ensambles Ballet Folklórico and Duniya Dance wore traditional Mexican and Punjabi attire on stage to celebrate the Punjabi-Mexican community and its history.

Sources

Chopra, Sonia. “California’s Lost (and Found) Punjabi-Mexican Cuisine.” Eater, Eater, 23 Apr. 2019, https://www.eater.com/2019/4/23/18305011/punjabi-mexican-migration-roti-quesadilla-el-ranchero.

Singh, Simrin. “This Little-Known American Community Is Fading into History.” Project: MS Template 2018-2019, https://ascjcapstone.com/terms/spring-2020/simrinsi/.