For all the hipster posing, Mathangi Arulpragasam is a typical desi. Beneath the misunderstood, art school retrowear beats the heart of a traditionalist:

• She named her albums after her dad and mom
• She makes her own clothes
• She brags about what she can get for ten dolla
• Some of her best songs are just Bollywood remixes
• She came to America via another desi diaspora
• She goes by a nickname because nobody can pronounce her real one
• She comes from a village and lives in a ghetto
• She has visa issues, and the government thinks she’s a terrorist
• She wears loud and dated fashions
• She’s hung up on homeland politics
• She hates being hit on by geeks speaking her native language
• She’s really just in the import/export business
• Like uncles, she can follow a melody but she can’t really sing

Maybe the next two albums will be named Kali and Sugu after her siblings

Update: Cross-posted at Racialicious, with some interesting comments.