I have had the first hand opportunity to see an immigrant community grow. It has been an interesting journey that has allowed me to see how the growth in a new community leads to changes in its behavior.
When I came to Boston almost 40 years ago, there were relatively few Indians. To get Indian groceries, we had to go to New York, to see Indian movies we had to trudge to a monthly showing of Bollywood fare at MIT. To live in the US meant westernizing to some extent and learning what the west had to give. We had a lot more non-Indian friends, and a lot more opportunities to be exposed to the world besides us. Assimilation was not a choice; it was a necessity if one wanted to enjoy the finer aspects of life.
Things changed in the 80s when the trickle of Indians coming to this country became a stream. These were not just students, as was the case when I came, but mid-career professionals and relatives of those who were already established in this country.
Concurrently, the city of Boston started seeing the emergence of an Indian culture scene. It became a large community which permitted its members insularity from the rest of the world, if they preferred. An immigrant from India was now able to satisfy all his or her “needs” without venturing outside the “Indian cocoon”. In essence we created a ghetto, not in the classic sense, but in the form of a “virtual” entity embedded in the community at large but existing without many interactions.
Now there was no need to assimilate or try to learn what the west had to offer. When a “path of least resistance” was created by permitting the immigrants enjoy the cultural and entertainment that did back home, why would they bother learning something new? When Hindi films started becoming available, first on video tapes, and then in theaters, why would they need to watch “foreign” films (interesting…one should call them “native” films!!) When the Indian music scene emerged, why not enjoy it…and why take the more difficult path to learning to enjoy the Western Classical music? This leads me to my first observation:
A growing immigrant community goes through a short period when the door of assimilation is open. Once a critical mass is reached, it become self contained and the door gets shut because one does not need to venture outside. The assimilation now becomes unnecessary.
Currently, the Indian community is moving through the next step in its establishment in the US. It is making efforts to preserve and promote the finer aspects of the Indian civilization to the next generation. Now, a lot of Indian kids are learning Bharat Natyam instead of ballet, native languages, instead of Spanish and Indian classical music instead of western. That leads me to my second observation:
A community of recent immigrants values the preservation of old culture more than learning a new culture.
The operating word here is value. If someone’s child becomes an accomplished Indian dancer that is considered a higher achievement than if she learns ballet. Assimilation is almost looked down, or so it appears.
Of course one is free to do what one wants to do. That is the foundation on which this country is built. There is no need to assimilate now that we can surround ourselves with all things Indian.
But then I ask myself, are we missing something?
To me, living in the US provides an opportunity to not only be successful in life, at least financially, but also to learn and absorb what the Western culture has to offer. One does not need to abandon the old culture to learn something new.
If we listen to, and enjoy Pundit Jasraj, why not learn to enjoy Beethoven?
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Good observations. Maybe these are just the early oscillations of adaptation to a new society. If your hypothesis is true, then the USA would be islands of immigrants, each living in their own imported cultural world. But it is not. It is a mixture of assimilated (homogenized) folks together with those living in thier own worlds. Hence, what I believe you are seeing are the early and large oscillations of a longer process that eventually comes to a steady state somewhere between the two extremes... Sharad
ReplyDeleteYes that is possibly true. Alternately, the reason why the Indian immigrant group is different is because its members are more educated than those of the previous groups (say Chinese or Irish). In those cases, they started with in a ghetto, because of inability to assimilate, and as they prospered and got educated, they moved out. For us, we started as individuals, because we had no serious assimilation problems, but moved to ghettos, albeit virtual, as we grew to be a larger community, because it provided a path of least resistance.
ReplyDeleteVery well articulated, Ashok!
ReplyDeleteYour observations are perfect but the reasons for this distinctive behavior of the two populations could be different. Of course, my interpretations are totally hypothetical and theoretical since I have not grown through these times. But, I do believe that the behavioural differences should also be seen in perspective to the changing scenario in India and the ways Indians are perceived by the world.
The earlier immigrants came to USA looking for something more, most often in terms of financial or professional opportunities which were nearly non-existent at that time in India. India was little known or more so known as a third world under-developed country. The immigrants had to prove themselves in the USA and possibly work harder and ‘deliver’ more than their American counterparts. And, for that it was important to be ‘accepted’. One tried to adapt and adopt the western culture and lifestyle. I feel that it was more a necessity than a choice.
What was also important that the benefits and advantages (albeit materialistic) that were experienced by the earlier immigrants is something they could never ever have dreamt of getting in India. These advantages, to some extent made-up for all that one left behind – family and to some extent, Indian culture.
People who immigrated in the 90s, also went there for financial and professional opportunities but the difference was that these opportunities were now available in India. More and more people in India could afford the lifestyle, the materialistic choices that were earlier unheard of in India and one got in the Western countries. So, when people left India and immigrated, they did so for ‘better’ opportunities like their predecessors but they were very conscious that they were ‘leaving behind’ something! And to ‘justify’ their decisions and ‘loss’, they started getting exposed and exposing their children to Indian culture, which they believed they were leaving behind! “let my children study Bharat Natyam, learn to appreciate Pandit Jasraj.” One wonders whether these same people would have got their children to study Bharat Natyam if they were still in India!
Furthermore, it was no longer necessary for the newer immigrant to take that extra effort required to get ‘accepted’ in US, like his predecessors. Now, like any individual in a competitive world, one had to prove oneself but nothing ‘extra’ was required because you came from India. Unlike their predecessors, these individuals not only had professional choices and materialistic choices but choices on getting their children exposed to a variety of cultures. They can in any case get exposed to western culture so let us expose them to Indian culture.
I think that it is not a conscious effort NOT to assimilate the western culture as much as a conscious effort to hold onto your roots and also expose oneself to what one believes is the best of both worlds! By this time, Indian culture, art is now being appreciated, respected and value worldwide!
Finally, one should also realize that there are also two distinct types of immigrants. One who came out of choice (about which I have spoken enough!) and the other who were ‘compelled’ because either their spouses were there or their children had decided to immigrate to the USA! It is mainly this group which formed the virtual ghettos that you are referring to for it was difficult for most to adapt to the ‘new’ ways because of age and also because it was not out of ‘choice’ that they were there!
Rajvi, this is very thoughtful and insightful, although you have not experienced it firsthand, as you said. I agree with almost all of it, except for the last paragraph. I believe that with a few exceptions, almost everyone, whether he/she came here out of choice or not, belongs to the virtual ghetto.
ReplyDeleteAssimilation in a new land has become a complex phenomenon because one has a choice.
Hi Ashok kaka! I enjoyed your last post too, though I didn't comment on it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I can contribute much to this discussion but as far as individuals, I think a lot of clinging to Indian culture has to do with identity. When we assimilate, those of us who are more insecure with our identities and places in society lose sense of who we are. I may be utterly wrong about this, but that's the feeling I get with the younger generations who are so geographically distant but culturally close to India. They need something to distinguish their Indianess, to show that they are "true" to their roots.
Oh, and how do you feel about Rahman getting recognition in the West for Slumdog Millionaire? And did you notice that Obama included Hindus in his inaugural address? Isn't it odd to have this recognition in America?