Of Silk Saris & Mini-Skirts  (English, Paperback, Handa Amita Dr.)

The book explores how adolescent South Asian girls in the contemporary world are torn between traditional and modern cultural values.

Summary Of The Book

In Of Silk Saris And Mini-Skirts: South Asian Girls Walk The Tightrope of Culture, Amita Handa brings to light the clash between tradition and modernity. She has based her book on various Canadian articles, interviews, and discussions.

Divided into seven chapters, the book delves into the lives of fourteen teenage girls who are partly South Asian and partly Canadian. The author raises many pertinent questions related to their lives and values. She tries to understand their dilemma of being trapped between Eastern and Western cultures, and shares her analysis and findings of this central issue. Culture and identity clashes is the core essence of this work.

Handa also focuses on racism and raises her voice to oppose it. She tries to make the readers aware of many important issues like colonialism, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. The author also discusses the fusion of the East and the West, the confusion this creates, and the evolution from bindis to barbies.

She compels the readers to think about whether the girls can be viewed as victims. Handa also wonders if they should they stick to their roots or adopt modern culture. She questions whether the girls have to really choose between silk saris and mini-skirts.
The role of dance, dress, and music in establishing a South Asian girl’s identity is explored in detail. The delicate subject of religion and the role it plays at the individual and at the societal level has also been discussed.

Of Silk Saris And Mini-Skirts: South Asian Girls Walk The Tightrope Of Culture exposes the differences between South Asian parents and their children. It presents the clash between what they are and what they wish to be. Published in 2003, this book became popular for its interesting insights into the differences and the identity crises of South Asian girls.

About Amita Handa

Amita Handa is a young and dynamic DJ, author, and a research consultant. Besides this book, she has written Caught Between Omissions: Exploring Culture Conflict Among Second Generation South Asian Women. Handa has a PhD in Sociology. She loves exploring the dynamics between the Eastern and the Western world. She has been an integral part of the South Asian music community in Canada.