Paying Our Dues .....

[aden123]

http://www.indiacurrents.com/articles/2011/06/01/paying-our-dues

What do y'all think about this India Currents editorial ?

[moneyIsNot_funny]

Why dont you first tell us what you think about this, so that we know what the OP is all about and then discuss it? :)

[M V]

http://www.indiacurrents.com/articles/2011/06/01/paying-our-dues
What do y'all think about this India Currents editorial ? [/quote]
I've observed the part below to often be true for Indians (and Asians), and I myself am guilty of that too at times. I wonder how long and what it will take to become fully "American" in thinking as described in the second para below.

[quote]It is not surprising, therefore, that we desis are tribal instead of communal. The same impulse that drives a householder in India to keep his home clean but throw his trash on the street makes us rail against taxes and fees meant for public education, infrastructure, and services for the underprivileged. The same impulse directs our charitable giving to causes that are personally dear rather than socially relevant.

But let’s not forget that we’ve come here because America offers us opportunities that are missing in our home country, and those opportunities arise from a respect for the rule of law, an emphasis on the community over the individual, and the checks and balances that make government accountable to its people. If we truly want to assimilate, we have to start thinking of ourselves as skeins in the American tapestry and not as privileged guests who plan to take home the mini soaps and towels when we leave. [/quote]

[Old-Spice2]

I've observed the part below to often be true for Indians (and Asians), and I myself am guilty of that too at times. I wonder how long and what it will take to become fully "American" in thinking as described in the second para below.

To become fully "American" you need to quit this forum. This is for mainly Indians as we are happy to add members of opposite gender as Ex in our FB profile just my shaking hands:)

[IndianByDefault]

I generally find that bay area is vastly different than most other parts of the US and offers fewer opportunities for immigrants to assimiliate. The reason being there are so many pockets of cultures.

California is mult-cultural but it is far from a melting pot. I take the BART to downtown SF for work. I know I can stand in a line behind a bunch of white people and they will all get on the Pittsburgh train and I will move to the head of the line for the Fremont train that follows :) You can tell by looking at a person what train they will take and which part of the bay they would likely live in. When I mention that I live in Fremont to some white people I talk to, it's not unusual for them to respond "Oh, I grew up there, but now I live in walnut creek/north bay/concord etc". Some even say Fremont is not what it used to be.

Bottom line, when I first moved to the bay area what struck me was how different it is from the rest of the US, even New York. I even remarked to my wife when we stopped at O'hare on a trip recently about how it felt like we had suddenly ran into an ocean of white people :)

I lived in New York, Chicago, in a small town in Indiana and now in the bay area. Of all those experiences, I think the most interesting experience I had was the time I spent in that small town in Indiana. I found the people there to be more decent and more friendly than anywhere else in America. In more than a decade that I spent there I never encountered any racism from white people there, but I have already seen instances of racism from white people living in the bay area. I guess familiarity breeds contempt :)

If you get a chance I would say try moving around the country and taking in different experiences. Living in the bay area may not necessarily make you american enough :) There was this other thread about life becoming monotonous. Moving around is one way to break that cycle.

[Rajram]

I like the first comment more than the original post.
[QUOTE]I have been great admirer of editorials by Vidya Pradhan for the last ten years. This one has let me down very badly. Vidya is totally off track. The Galleon Fund scandal: Why are you holding Indians above human standard of morality? This nation has been economically brought to its knees by the large scale frauds or near frauds by the "big Giants'.Next comment about free parking; Is it legal to park outside the Public Parks? If yes, then what is wrong with parking there? Are only Indians involved in this sensible way to save unnecessary waste? (Perhaps a little walk from the street to the Park is beneficial).By the way, do Indians not own Mercedes?Or do only the Corolla and Civic owners are the smart ones to park free and save?
Next you criticize Indians for being "tribal" instead of Communal. How long or how many generation did it take for the Germans, Ukranians, Brits, Scots, Irish and many other Ethnic groups to become "Communal"? I submit that many of them still to this day are tribal.Are you aware how strongly tribal Jewish people are? Please Vidya, do not fall below your standard. calling a part of a town a "Desi Ghetto" by an Indian is an insult of the highest level. I have tried to keep this brief but hope you get the point.
By akramDin Hencie ? June 10, 2011, 7:39 p.m.