Gold Diggers Deep Dive

When I first saw this book I was all in. As a black woman in America I have a certain idea of gold diggers so I was very curious to learn about it from the perspective of an Indian-American. I knew I was going to learn something and, really, that’s why we read (fiction and non-fiction).

First things first – it takes place in Atlanta. I spent my college years in that city so it brought back memories and while my memories were in the city and the story takes place in the suburbs – it was nice to feel that connection. Having a connection with a book or discovering one is why we read.

One thing you need to know is that I love history. With that in mind, the history person in me was intrigued by the story of the Bombaynian (someone from Bombay) who came to California to be a part of the Gold Rush. Immediately, I was struck with the revelation or forgotten truth that PEOPLE FROM EVERYWHERE came to find gold. In the white washed version of history we are taught in America – only white men are shown as being a part of the gold rush and obtaining a better life because of it. The first fact for me to remember is that other folks made the gold rush happen. It’s also worth noting that cultures from non-European decent tend to have a relationship with the earth. Africans, Native Americans, Indians, etc. all have stories of using the earth and it’s rhythms to get what they needed from nature. So I’m not surprised that the non-white participants of the gold rush used nature and observations to find gold. The European folks observed what was happening and stole. They either stole by befriending and betraying or by theft and violence. It seems like all backgrounds and races have had this experience when dealing with white people. (Sometimes I forget that white people were awful to everyone, not just black folks.)

As we explore the Bombaynian in the story – we can’t find his true history AND we assume he changed his name. This is another common thing for those without whiteness who are trying to be better in America. We change our names – last name, first name or both. This way, on paper, we can’t be denied entry. The problem with changing our names is that our descendants can’t find us. Historians also can’t find us. The story also alludes to the successful life of the Bombaynian that is devoid of his heritage and community. Let’s assume that he tries to pass for white; so he adapts to the white ways of the world – hiding his true customs, traditions, and values. He also made it priority to move away from whiteness and I believe this was a way to limit exposure to whites and give them less of a chance to figure out who he really was. This creates a double dose of loosing your identity. You have to isolate yourself and let go of your traditions to keep your LIFE and the things you earned. This is no way to live and yet many families who travel to America for a “better” life have to make that choice. Do you keep your traditions, do you keep your family name…

For my own ignorance, I’d never considered Indians as Asians – even though it’s all on the continent of Asia. It makes perfect sense and I never thought about it. I blame America… It’s the same way that in American news media people from Egypt are Egyptian and not African. (Or as of late – they’re middle eastern which is also false.) Indians are Asian and Egyptians are African. Why do we (American media/politics) make these distinctions. That part, I would need to read about. :-) Challenging what we’ve been taught is why we read.

A sign of a good book, for me, is that it makes me want to learn more. So, between the Gold Rush; the story of the descendants from South Asia, South Asians “passing” in the United States; why we change the identity of nations in America – this book gave me a lot to consider about what I don’t know AND I haven’t even written about gold-digging…

I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about Alchemy (page 270). This is not a paper about that. This is just a recognition of alchemy being a part of cultures. The yogini in me got excited about that!!! It also points out that we can find ourselves in any book and that’s one of beauties of fiction.

I’d like to end my deep dive with a statement from the book; one that made me smile and think of the idealized California:

“ The fun of California, I mean, the whole point of this place, is that there are other ways to be. Be fucking polyamorous. Be an entrepreneur. Live some other way than what they sold you on.” pg 270.

When I think of California, when I visit California – that’s how I feel – I feel free. I don’t know if it’s the water or the trees or the wine – there’s something about California that makes you feel you can get rid of the bullshit of America and be yourself.

I close this deep dive saying that this book looks at the term Gold Diggers in a variety of ways; as a verb, noun, and adjective. I found that it confirmed my definition of the term and provided me with some different perspectives of it as well. I look forward to your thoughts on the book and the term gold digger. Be sure to share your perspective with me.

Please share with me:  nmrlbooks@gmail.com