The United States recently released its 2020 census. One of its purposes is to identify “races” and “ethnicities”. The numbers are impressive – but to be taken with caution, as the criteria have changed since the last census in 2010 (source).

In 2020, the percentage of people reporting multiple races changed more than all single race groups, from 2.9% of the population (9 million people) in 2010 to 10.2% of the population in 2020 (an increase of 276%). There are now 33.8 million Americans who identify as “multi-racial”. Even if all of them are not “multicultural” as well, that makes a few potential readers for Bandati!

My French-Indian 6 year old boy on female hair:

• Me (looking at my legs): Hey, it’s crazy how fast hair grows in rainy / wet weather. It’s time to take it off.
• Him (looking at my legs): But there is no hair! Women don’t have hair on their legs.
• Me: Oh yes honey, they do.
• Him: But I’ve never seen it, especially on French women.
• Me: And about Indian women?
• Him (thinks hard but finds nothing to say)

I must say that it is still quite unusual to see the legs of Indian women – except in westernized urban areas. For others, revealing an ankle is immodest… So no exposure, no hair removal! (Sometimes you catch a glimpse of a forest under a salwar – it is an observation, I am not making fun, I think everyone does what they want with their body. I am even a little angry to whoever decided that we should not have body hair, what pain…) On the other hand, they happily shave their arms. An ex had suggested me to visit the salon to get rid of my poor blond hair (which is really not a French habit).

My French-Indian 6 year old boy on driving:

• Him: Mama, I prefer France, and you?
• Me: Oh but why?
• Him: Because of the little people!
• Me: The little people?
• Him: Yes you know, when you want to cross the road, there are these little walking people on the signal pole. Here nobody stops, nobody lets us cross and everyone honks, it makes so much noise!