[Manani K.]

Why do East Indians smell as if they do not wash? Is this cultural? Are they not allowed to use soap and deodorant?

User Detail :  

Name : Manani K., Gender : M, Race : Black/African American, Age : 34, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, 

[jon27100]

You are probabaly the 1000th person to post this question on here. Indians or any person gives off a smeel of the foods that you eat. A lot of indians eat a lot of oily and exotic foods. That is what gives them that distintive smell \.

User Detail :  

Name : jon27100, City : Kitchener, State : NA, Country : Canada, 

[Murray C.]

As a white man, I can’t speak for the East Indian community, but from what I have experienced. I have worked/socialized with many East Indian people (male and female, young and old), and not one smelled as if they never washed. Whether they have lived in North America their whole lives or are just off the boat, I have yet to meet one who offended my nose. The only scent experience I have had with East Indians is in their homes. I have noticed from time to time that they cook with strong spices, and the whole house smells like an East Indian restaurant (not that it’s a bad smell, it’s rather pleasing, actually). I don’t understand why East Indians seem to be the target. I have met many white people in my time who smell like yesterday’s trash, yet no one seems to think this is a white trait – except that they smell like wet dogs when they are wet!

User Detail :  

Name : Murray C., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Unitarian, Age : 31, City : Halifax, Nova Scotia, State : NA, Country : Canada, Occupation : Draftsman, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class, 

[Catharine]

I think some of what you’re smelling is the very strong spices that a lot of East Indian immigrants cook with. The smell permeates their housing, so their clothes smell like it, too. There are also some hygiene differences at work. I don’t have a lot of experience with East Indians; by an odd set of circumstances, mine is with Sri Lankans, but the Sri Lankans I have known like to oil their hair instead of washing it, and they think using toilet paper is filthy. Instead of toilet paper, they keep a jar of water next to the toilet with which to splash and cleanse themselves.

User Detail :  

Name : Catharine, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Disability : Stage IV breast cancer, Race : Pacific Islander, Religion : Atheist, Age : 37, City : Seattle, State : WA, Country : United States, Occupation : Writer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Olu]

From the time I was a little kid I’ve wondered why it seemed that many East Indians had a distinctive scent. When I was a kid I called it ‘dirty armpits,’ though I never thought it was just complete funk. It seemed the more traditional the Indian people were, the greater the scent. When I grew up and began cooking for myself, I found outt that I love East Indian food from a variety of regions. While the cuisine differs from place to place, there is one spice that is featured in a large portion of the meals: Cumin. I got a whiff of really good, authentic cumin and realized where the smell that I called dirty armpits came from. The more traditional or just-immigrated South Asians are more likely to cook the meals in the old ways with the old spices. These strong spices then get in their clothes, clean or dirty, and to an unknowing Westerner the smell that we can’t place gets called odd or even bad.

User Detail :  

Name : Olu, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, City : San Diego, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Author]

Posts