Liam – “Dadu”

I am 50% Korean, 25% Indian, and the rest of 25% is a mix of Filipino, English, Chinese, and German. I consider myself a Korean - Indian - Filipino because my mom is full Korean, my Grandpa is full Indian, and my Grandma is majority Filipino with some European and Chinese blood in her. I've been closely connected with these cultures. I’ve visited my Korean grandma in Seoul many times, I call my grandma Lola, which is Filipino for grandma, and I used to call my grandpa Dadu, which is Bengali for grandpa. Even though I am more Korean, I’ve always seen myself as more Indian than Korean because when I was younger, I just did not see myself like the Koreans I see in the variety shows my mom watched. Sadly, I did not get to learn much about my Indian ancestry from my Dadu because he passed away when I was 10. I knew my grandpa from when he was very old, so my image of him was a smart old man. He was short, Indian brown skin, with a little white in his eyebrows and hairs. His eyes could usually be focused on the TV, but when looking through his storage of his paintings and teachings, his eyes would be focused on seeing his youth. His mind was creative, and as an artist, he painted various objects around the house, some plants, and imagery from his imagination. While I never got to talk with him about his heritage, I learned lots about my Bengali Indian ancestry from my dad and Lola when I was 10. I first learned of the Indian caste system and my dad told me Dadu was a Bengali Brahmin, at the top of the caste. Brahmins are usually teachers, professors, or have professions of intelligence. Dadu was a professor at UH, which is normal for a Brahmin, which are usually people with high intelligence and education. Another part that categorized a Brahmin was their pinky nail. It was thought that if you cannot make a living with your brain, you'll have to work labor. People that make a living with their body cannot have long nails, because they’ll injure themselves. So having a long pinky nail shows that they are intelligent and has the ease of using their brain for their career. It was also interesting to hear of how he lost his social Brahmin status, by marrying Lola. At the time, it was custom for Brahmins to marry other Brahmins, which is thought to be based off the religious idea of reincarnation in the Indian caste system. So when Dade chose to marry outside the caste, his family took away his status. This Brahmin intelligence has been passed through my family, with both grandparents being professors at UH, and my dad getting a Masters. I feel that this heritage is something I fit in, and I will continue the heritage of education and intelligence. Even though I am not a socially accepted Brahmin, my Dadu had a saying that the true Brahmin was in the heart. My grandpa has left behind lots of intelligence in the form of a library of all books he found interesting, and I will begin to read them in my free time. I feel more connected to the idea of intelligence and that my Dadu left behind and I keep some of his gifts that he has left. Mostly books are the most important, with knowledge kept and preserved inside, I have his bible, his journal, and a book on particle physics that my dad found and gave to me. In more sentimental objects, there is a small elephant carved out of soap stone that I like a lot. I like how it feels, and I see the beauty and attention to detail to create a sculpture that is simple to be detailed.