I’m back in my apartment in Evanston, slouching more than I should. I leave for a semester in India in a week. My visa is all in order, my flights all booked, and the thing I’m most anxious about is missing football season.
But enough about me.
My research on the Punjabi YouTubers of Toronto turned into a direct look into the Punjabi community of Brampton and how they are equally proud to be Canadian as they are Punjabi. Canada has been kind to their cultural identity, their language and organization of families largely intact. Interviewing the YouTubers was just beyond my reach; AKakaAMAZING, his career on the decline since his videos turned predominately negative, was off the grid. JusReign lives 45 minutes away from Brampton, and he has been especially busy releasing one video per week this summer. Superwoman was mostly out of the country during my visit. I at least had the chance to briefly meet each person, and though they seemed open to being interviewed at some point, this effort never panned out. I’m sure future attempts on visits to Toronto will prove fruitful, my connection to Parminder Singh indispensable. Despite leaving Canada, I don’t consider this project done. I had my introduction to the Sikh community in the Greater Toronto Area, and I should have no problem going right back at any time.