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Can the second generation express allegiance to their country of birth, without forsaking their cultural roots?
This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.
Your reaction
Living in America has made me value Pakistani culture even more. America has no culture. It does not promote the same respect and love for your parents and spouse as in Pakistan. A lot of us are here for the money and that is it. No allegiance, no ties, only the money!
Saqib Hussain,
USA
To pass down culture and tradition to the next generation is not only individual responsibility but it is social responsibility too. As from this year, UK has started giving Diwali and Eid a week holiday in school which will definitely add to their culture value. Being born and bought up in Bombay, I have came across a variety of culture and tradition. So I personally believe it is greatly a social responsibility.
Dilip Damania,
Harrow, England
I was born and raised in Canada and am now residing in the US. The key to accessing any culture in my opinion is having the ability to understand and speak the associating language. Through language, one is able to understand the world view of that culture.
Although English is my first language, I am fluent in Bengali, the native tongue of my parents. As a result, I consider myself a true hybrid between Bengali and Canadian cultures. India itself is a multicultural society with a plethora of languages and dialect. To be "Indian" then is in my opinion not such a tangible concept whether born in the country or not. It's language which I think is most important. I know this even more raised in Canada, bilingual country.
Arin Bhattacharjee,
US
I am a Canadian citizen, born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka to parents of Indian Tamil origin. Complicated eh? Well of all three countries I care for and love India the most although I have never lived there and am three generations removed from our ancestral village in Tamil Nadu India.
It is hard to explain the reason for my feelings. It is possibly due to the pride my parents and grandparents had in their Indian ancestry which they passed on to us, the close ties we maintain to our native village and our relatives there or due to the discrimination that the Sri Lankans - both Sinhalese and Tamils showed towards the Tamils of Indian origin. I respect Canada, love India and do not care two hoots for Sri Lanka.
SD,
Canada/ Sri Lanka / India
I am a Bangladeshi living in the US and I think that Bangladeshis here are more conscious about their rich sub-continental cultural heritage than the people back in Bangladesh.
Saeed Khan,
US
I absolutely have no doubt that Indians, no matter where they are, always stay connected to their roots in some way or the other. I have met Indians in Fiji, Jamaica etc, who haven't even been to India for generations but still watch Hindi movies and speak the language.
Ramesh Verma,
India/ USA
For too many Pakistani expatriates it seems easier to identify themselves as Muslims rather than Pakistanis, especially when it comes to passing on an identity to children. Yes most Pakistanis are Muslims and religion is a key part of the Pakistani identity but it's not the only factor. Sadly, none of Pakistan's "leaders" have ever had the vision to deal with this vacuum in the national psyche and articulate what it means to be Pakistani. By default we are simply "Muslim" and "not Indian" and this is a shame since it marginalises the rich cultural and ethnic components of the Pakistani identity.
Anita,
Pakistani living in the UK
Internet has opened a new medium to keep in touch with what is going on around the world. South Asian web sites have millions of hits everyday. Most the portals offer everything to every age group. South Asian businesses are expanding overseas and they will create an atmosphere that will be homely. Times have changed and we will see a single entity well connected with other entities.
Christopher Jonala,
USA
Having lived abroad for much of my younger childhood,
I have seen how it is possible for the second generation to lose their roots.
Second-generation children cannot and should not be expected to be completely
'Indian', yet at the same time parents should play an active role in keeping their children aware and proud of their roots. Children should know that it is an asset to have cultural diversity and be proud of their rich heritage while accepting and assimilating the new culture.
Rishi Sahgal,
Australia/ India
The feeling towards the homeland naturally changes when we are living away from home. The fact that people have contributed more to their homeland living abroad is a simple example. The challenge here is whether we will be able to pass this feeling to the second generation, who naturally will not be able to spend more time in their homeland and understand its values.
Tarun Pokharel,
Nepal/ currently USA
Non-resident South Asians are the first ones to forget about their country and even if they look at their motherland it is because of the benefits that the governments at home offer them from time to time. For them the country of their origin is all about heat, sweat and cow dung.
Bibhu Prasad Routray,
India
This is all about economics. If the money and the opportunity is there in South Asia, all of us would be there. Or are there any North Americans migrating to South Asia?
HQA,
USA
Root is not only about religion, it is about having connection with the place where you were brought up. Though I am in the USA I am in constant touch with India and nothing can erase the way I was brought up. Though I have made some adjustments to my eating habits and lifestyle, I can confidently say that I will never forget my roots.
Maheshkumar SN,
India/USA
Believe me, staying abroad does not cut you from your roots. Interestingly, one becomes more patriotic and generates enough sense of ownership and pride. In my case, it is just 8 months since I arrived in USA but the kind of sensible and sentimental attachment I have generated for my motherland (India) in past few months is just incredible. I'm more than happy when I see India and Indians are in so much of demand. Every news of progress and success from India brings cheers to me; and any sort destructive and negative news about India keeps me equally worried about my own country. Hence, it is wrong to say that South Asians abroad forget their roots.
Akhilendra Kumar,
India
People living abroad from South Asian origin in particular Pakistanis are doing a great job and are a hope of better understanding, love, affection, problems and prosperity for a young nation of Pakistan. We make our motherland strong.
Ehson Syed,
Pakistan/Canada
My parents who are Indian and Sri Lankan respectively left because their country has nothing much to offer them except poverty and war. How can I care for a country like Sri Lanka where discrimination is still rampant?
Ratnam,
Sweden
It's is quite impossible to break the complex net of caste and religion in India which has in turn brought the second largest population with too many people chasing after few jobs. This has driven me to spend most of my time in the Middle East and Far East. But there is something which I will always cherish in my life, my desire to go to my native land India. I still miss the diverse culture which I will never find in other countries.
Mohan Sreedharan, Singapore
It is not true that we are forgetting our motherland. Actually the circumstances prevailing in our places of birth, be it corruption, nepotism or war, makes people take a stride out for peaceful greener pastures where your talent would be recognised without your creed, colour or race getting you bogged down. Our hearts are where the real home is and most of the Kashmiris would return to the paradise when we get free from oppression and Indian domination.
Kamal Kishore,
USA/Kashmir
I have lived in U.S. for so many years, I think that the first migrated generation keeps close relations to their country of birth, the second generation loses it to some extent while the third generation completely forgets about their grandparents' country.
Khalid Khan,
Pakistan
To me the question of whether or not Indians abroad are forgetting their roots does not matter. What really matters is whether we are imbibing higher values in personal life and whether we are carrying these along with us wherever we go. I believe that we are imbibing values such as independence and self-respect. India is certainly on its way to progress and the people living abroad have greater influence because of these values. Indians are known for their open-mindedness and readiness to accept change.
Lakshman,
India
I came to Britain about three years ago and probably I am going to stay here for a long time, until and unless I get a good job back in India. The whole struggle is of leading a life with basic comfort. I would love to be in India if can manage the same comfort level. My kid who has been studying here would not like to go back simply because he does not think it would be difficult for him to adjust culturally. My son has been to India just once - why should I expect him to feel for India, he should feel for the place where he lives and wants to live. I think we should now concentrate on universal values - like democracy, non-violence, peace and harmony - instead of Eastern or Western values.
Rajesh Sinha,
UK/India
I don't think one betrays his country
or forgets his roots by migrating to
the West. In this digital age, we all
live in a global village that is
becoming increasingly smaller, cosier
and tech-savvy. Soon, our
presence in the virtual domain will
become more important and useful than
the our actual presence.
Faisal,
Goddard Space Centre, USA
Mind you all Indians out there, let's not be critical about our motherland India. Change is something which has to come from every Indian heart. There is no point in sitting seven seas away and passing comments. We are all opportunists, we came abroad on a selfish motive: money. We are responsible for whatever is happening back home. It is imperative that we take the responsibility to bring about change in Indian life.
Srinivasa Rao Thota,
USA
I am one of seven children with siblings in the UK, USA, and Canada. I was particularly interested in watching how my brothers and sisters brought up their children and was pleased to note that they all seem so far not to have forgotten their roots, from learning the Urdu alphabet to reading the Koran. You can never turn around and say "everything about a country is bad or that everything about a country is good". While the children are being brought up to have certain values as dictated by the domains of their root culture, they are aware that they have opportunities and advantages available that a lot of their counterparts back home do not and what's more, their parents make it a point to make them aware of this fact so that they realize their position and do something good with it.
Naghmana Sherazi,
USA/PAKISTAN
The predominant situation in the
USA is well summarized by my uncle
living in the US for over 30 years.
The first generation has
emotional attachment while the
second has a vague and increasingly
distant feel for the country of origin,
based on occasional childhood visits.
In further generations, the links are
fully diluted by inter-marriage, etc,
and the roots may be relegated to
a minor role in the hunt for personal
identities during college years.
However, I increasingly find even first-generation Indians in the USA hard
pressed to define their `Indianness',
and it's difficult to perceive how
they are going to `transmit' any
cultural identity to the next generation
beyond Bollywood movies, and some
music and dance styles.
Sarb,
USA/India
Forget about Indians here, what about Indians in India? Aren't they trying to be more Westernised? The only problem with Indians is the lack of respect for own culture and values. Otherwise, why wouldn't they stand up if someone poked fun at their "Monkey-god" or "Elephant-god"?
shardool vyas,
US/India
I personally have grown to love Nepal more than ever after I left. Many people I have spoken to expressed similar feelings. I'd like to think that, as a scholar, I should try to get the best possible available education. Skilled manpower may be the answer to ailing nations like Nepal. Therefore, the more professionals return to their roots, the better. They may not be as productive in dollar terms once they go back to their countries but they'd probably have more social and political significance and would be able to see the real difference their work can make to peoples' lives.
Dane,
Nepal/US
After seeing the racism and the drug/sex culture of West (drug addicts/unmarried teenage mothers etc.) I can't wait to get back to India. Rather than forgetting about it, once we see how hollow the Western way of life is, it makes us realize how special and different India is.
Ramesh Suri,
India/USA
I grew up third generation Indian on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad. Even though I consider Trinidad my home and an important part of who I am, India also has a very special place in my heart. All my life I have read and learnt of the trials of my ancestors who, driven by a great love for Mother India transcended religious and cultural repression at the hands of British colonial powers to survive in a place much different from their homes. Even though my mother chose to change her name because it was "Indian" I grew up celebrating my Indianness though movies from Bollywood, music and most importantly the clebration of religion and festivals such as Dwali, Phagwa and Eid-ul-Fitir.
Bano,
Trinidad and Tobago/USA
I am a younger first generation immigrant. I came from Pakistan with my parents at a very young age. With the vague memories that I have, irregular visits, and many stories from my parents, I sometimes have a view of Pakistan and my family's struggle which borders on the mythical. I am not sure if other young first generation immigrants have the same view. The reality is that in our minds we don't have a clear vision of what we want. The power of our past makes us long for a country which for the most part never existed. The obligations and opportunity of the present makes us cringe at the thought of ever going back. As a result we have resorted to nationalism, not the kind of nationalism which entails a caring for our past tempered with any kind of educated vision of the future, but more of a candystore bubblegum nationalism which emphasizes religious group-think with a hefty dose of native pop culture.
Zafar,
USA/Pakistan
I think it's not 'migrating to a different place' that makes one forget their roots.
I've seen many people living abroad, donating/acting in some voluntary organization that work in India.
People donate money to help the poor recover from natural crisis like the one in Orissa last year and of course are all very patriotic.
But I've seen lot of people in India (particularly in cities) literally following Western culture in their life.
Do you say they still remember their roots?
Mathi,
India, living in US
I love my country, the people, the natural beauty, and enjoy the feelings of pride to live in the birth place. The natural tendency to respect, feel and share the thoughts of those known and close to your heart, the neighbours, relatives, the teachers, the schools, colleges, the places of worship, the local markets and shopping malls we had been associated with, simply gives us a feeling of pride and togetherness. Neither the politics nor the prolonging civil war could destroy the patriotic feelings of any son of Sri Lanka. We are proud of our culture, heritage and ancestoral origin.
Murugesu Thiru,
U.A.E
The West and India now have more or less the same value system and form of government which puts the general aspirations of human beings first, and ideologies a very distant second. That being the case, the notions of roots, loyalties etc. become almost academic if not meaningless. Human beings are too complex. It is perfectly normal - and no longer embarrassing - to see that a lot of Indians are fond of Shakespeare, and lot of Westerners fond of Upanishads. Same goes for Indians devouring Kentucky Fried Chickens and Americans licking last traces of curry off their fingers. As one oft repeated line in Upanishad says: world is one family. And, truth is one, spoken in different unique ways.
Pradip Parekh,
USA, formerly India
I am a first generation emigrant and happen to be in South East Asia. I have no other allegiance to my homeland except collecting the passport when the time is due. I would associate completely with the receiving society if I could change my looks that I unfortunately or fortunately cannot. I personally think that the integration of the South Asians in the receiving societies is too slow giving rise to mini countries being created inside the receiving country. This always spells trouble.
Miklos Nomad,
Hungary
In a region controlled by corruption, narrow-mindedness and most of all the Caste system, migration to the West and education in the West will help South Asians refocus on the problems back home and repair the miserable living conditions in their region.
Andrew Thill,
USA
I feel the very concept of being attached to motherland impresses an opinion of a lesser attachment to the local land. One should eventually see a borderless mother earth, and whether we progress in knowledge, wealth and harmony.
Balakrishnan,
UAE
I was born in Hong Kong and am studying in the UK. I visit India once a year yet I have this great pride in my country and I always will in my heart. However, I can only express this in India itself and find it hard to do so elsewhere. I will never forget my roots because I am a child of India whether I like it or not.
Shipra,
UK
As part of the forced diaspora from India to South Africa, I am the third generation born there. That is my home but I am proud of my Indian cultural heritage. However, I am not living in India. My home language is English and not an Indian one. This is the reality of diaspora. But what is the truly 'Indian' way of life? Speaking the language? Not eating beef? Or actually knowing something about the history, literature, music etc of your country of origin. Why does embracing different ideas and ways of living mean that it's bad just because it's not the 'Indian' way?
Natalia Shunmugan,
Italy
We the citizens of South Asia have realised
quite earlier than the rest of the world that
it is basically the mind and heart that matters
and not the country or the place where you
live. So even if we, Asians
stay thousands of miles away from our
country we always feel ecstatic about
our motherland.
Chirag Doshi,
India
I do not think that South Asians are losing their roots. I believe that they are too much involved with the back-home syndrome, missing a lot of new ideas and
opportunity that this nation has to offer.
Saeed,
USA
As a Muslim, we are not allowed to forget where we came from. We should never let go of the past.
Faraz,
Pakistan
Indians are certainly losing touch with the country of their origin. A large number of them have started thinking that India is a backward country steeped in superstition. It is shocking that thousands of Hindus coming from India do not hesitate to eat beef. They are the sons and daughters of those people who could never think of eating it. It is apparent that the next generation of migrants will completely forget their religion.
Mukhtar Ali Naqvi,
USA
If any ethnic group intends to migrate they need to take into serious consideration that they are not only leaving their country of birth but also the way of life they are used to. This includes culture as well. If somebody wants to hold on to their cultural roots, please don't migrate because you'll only be kidding yourself. Culture is nothing but the behaviour pattern of a particular group of people in a particular geographic location at a particular time in history. Since everything evolves, what makes anyone think that their grandchildren or great-grandchildren should hold on to the values of their grand or great grandparents?
Riza,
New Zealand
I do not think that living away from India means that you lose your roots. As a third generation Kenyan, I can say that Indians in Kenya have kept very close to their culture as a means of survival. We all speak the language, maintain our spiritual and religious ties, and many of the young people still have arranged marriages etc. In fact, we are often shocked when we watch Hindi movies, because it brings home the fact that Indians in India are more "western" than Indians abroad.
Kavita,
Kenya/ USA
South Asians have an identity crisis. The second generation thinks that if they behave like Westerners they will be accepted by that society rather than be left out like their parents.
I am sorry to say that even if Asians paint their faces white, Westerners who are ignorant of other cultures will always look on them as aliens.
Patrick Ratnaraja,
UK
Being first generation immigrant I still love my mother country and so do my children. I do appreciate the opportunities and the freedom in the USA and if I had this back home I would have never come here. In India, opportunity is for those who are rich. I am supporting some of my family members for their education and my children know how much in terms of donation (bribe) I have to pay for them to get admission to education institutions, so some of those sad facts will keep future generations love India. I thank God we have very strong community here in Dallas and we do lot of things which keep us in touch with India.
Kashmir,
USA
I personally don't feel that achievements of SE Asians, particularly Indians are really great.
Indians brought up in India are used to face and overcome stupendous competition (even for small things) and still maintain cheer and motivation for big things.
With such a background, prospering in the US, though competitive, is not really difficult.
The real challenge is in creating a system where even an alien with a potential can thrive, e.g. USA. There seems to be no urgency amongst SE Asians to create such a system, which
Makes me think that south Asians are forgetting their roots.
Ajay k,
India
As a 2nd generation Indian in Sydney I can say that I have not lost my roots in India. And neither have any of the other 2nd generation kids because there is just so much exposure in Sydney to Indian culture. The exposure does not always come from parents, at least not here in Sydney.
Anant,
Sydney, Australia
Absolutely not, to the contrary: Indians who have moved out tend to be more nationalistic. We are always looked at as Indians even if we take up US citizenship. Besides we have a selfish interest, if India prospers and is looked at positively, we are also looked at positively. Our only wish is that the countries in the sub-continent get along with each other and focus on development for the well being of the poor. Indians living overseas do care about the country they left behind and have been increasingly helping in its development. Many of those who have made it in the high tech sector have made investments in India and or have convinced their employers to set up shop in India. Now every major technology player in the US has a presence in India.
Indians living overseas celebrate many of the Indian festivals and in some cases in a grand scale. With the advent of DVD and Bollywood-only cinema halls in the US, folks from the sub-continent (including Afghanis) watch Indian movies in great numbers.
As for future generations of Indians, you only have to look at Indians in Africa or the West Indies, most of whom never set foot in India: they are more Indian than Indians! In most cases the roots will not be lost - primarily because of the ease of travel and access to information.
Sunil, California, USA,
India (country of birth)
It is sole responsibility of the first generation to inculcate in their children their cultural heritage and ties, but nowadays, due to rapid modernisation and westernisation, even parents are confused about the way they bring up their children. As a result it is the child who bears the brunt.
Piya Sharma,
India/US
I believe that no matter where the first generation originated from the second generation should get into mainstream of the land where they were born. They should remain devoted to the land where they were born and lived their lives instead of bothering about the land to which they never had any affection. The first generation should understand this and help their kids accordingly, instead of confusing them.
Naresh P.,
India/USA
Did British people betray their motherland by migrating to USA? The answer is NO.
So I think it's same case with South Asian people.
Narayan Shetty,
USA
I am surprised to see the post of Ashesh. I am not surprised to see how many Indians
try to portray themselves different than Bangladeshis. Just to remind you that
many Indians make their leaving by smuggling goods from India to Bangladesh worth more than $1 billion per year.
Hasan,
Bangladesh
First year abroad, I was attached to my original homeland but that affinity waned with time. After over thirty years, I am only attached to my close relations who still live back home in India but that's just about it.
The second generation has and will have no affinity to the values of the motherland we left behind. It is sad but a fact of life.
Narinder Dogra,
USA
Bangladesh is a country full of hard working and talented people.
It should stop looking towards West and especially towards the US for the
solutions of its problems. In the end everyone has to clean up their
own mess. The same advice goes for India. It sickens me when I see that
people of sub-continent haven't learnt anything from their history!
John Major,
USA
I think sometimes you can serve your motherland better by living abroad. If you know how to fly a plane but there is no plane where you live; it is wise to go where you have got the planes to fly, instead of riding a horse where you live. Back home, slowly the times are changing and I think soon we will be back in our homeland and the infrastructure will be there to utilise our talents.
Imran Ahmad,
Canada/Pakistan
I think in this age of One Global Economy and One Free World we need to think beyond allegiance to the country of birth and look forward to the betterment of fellow human beings via better Medicine, Technology, Environment and of course Peace. God bless mother Earth.
Krishna,
India
It is the economic conditions in S. Asia that has been the primary reason for people to migrate to greener pastures, be it US/UK or E. Africa, Fiji, Hong Kong or even Caribbean. One would then expect people to return only if the reason that compelled to emigrate in the first place had changed.
While it is true, particularly in Southern India, that opportunities in software and services and so forth are there, by and large India is still governed by a political class that is more interested in control (corruption) than creativity. It is even worse in Pakistan/Bangladesh where the establishment composed of military and wealthy land owners practically own the country.
So in this context, one can hardly blame an average Indian or Pakistani to pack his bags and move on. In the long run, it is actually better because the more Indian software engs leave the country, the less pressure is on the govt to bloat its numbers even further.
Ashesh,
USA
If the first generation is keeping that link with pride to the motherland, then YES the second generation will follow that pride. With pride they will associate themselves to that culture and roots. It's that FIRST generation that has to take that STEP!!
Jay,
USA