International Flavor, Chicago-style

If you want the flavor of India without leaving America then Devon Avenue (Chicago) is the place to hang out in. It is a street that is a true melting pot of America. It starts with the Jewish quarters, followed by a few blocks of Indian stores and resturants that smoothly meld with those of Bangladesh and Pakistan descent.

Parking in Devon Avenue is truely a South Asian experience- double parking is a norm and I have yet to hear about someone getting ticketed for doing it, parallel parking can be tricky business as some smart South Asian alec might sneak in just as you are trying back into the parking slot ( it happened to me) or you would find yourself screaming along with other strangers at some driver who would be harressing another driver on the road.

These experiences of minor road rage and deliberate break of traffic rules which would raise my hackles on a normal American road are however looked upon with nostalgic fondness. The street itself could be one of the strip malls of India and reminds me of a popular shopping center back in Delhi called Karol Bagh.

In many ways Devon Avenue is a replica of Karol Bagh thronged with flashy saree shops and somewhat shabby music stores which incidentally sell pirated South Asian music and grocery stores which are cheaper and carry variety of fruits and vegetables not easily found in a regular American grocery store.

Devon Avenue is a magnet of cultural diversity which in its calm, smooth functionality does not reflect the tensions that surround the various countries of the Indian subcontinent. Except when the Indian and Pakistan independence day celebrations begin. That's when one would find cars cruising the streets with respective flags and patriotic songs blaring pass by but then again one hardly hears of any violent incidents happening between the two communities.

Article Author: Deepti Lamba

Deepti Lamba is an aspiring writer and an editor for Desicritics. She can be found at Things That Bang and at Suspended Moments

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