Who is Karim Amir, Creamy from The Buddha of Suburbia and what is their importance?

Karim is the main character of the novel. The plot follows him from late teens into his mid-twenties. Karim is his given name, but his close friends call him Creamy. Karim begins the novel as a bored teenager looking for action and excitement in his life. He is the son of an Indian father and an English mother. Although more English than Indian due to his upbringing, he still has to deal with the problems that come from being of a minority race.