Youth Forum Video – Bridging the gap between 1st and 2nd Generation
August 26, 2012 in Community Debate, Community News, Email Newsletter, Headlines, IACA News, Values & Culture Clash
Check out this lively discussion as part of the youth forum seminar at the recently concluded Festival of India. You may have to connect to TV and increase the VOLUME.
The discussion touched various topics from parenting to career choices and how to bridge the cultural gap between first and second generation Indians. This discussion does not end here. Join this site as a user and as a Youth Member Group and post your comments or articles that are relevant to this topic.
Narayan said on August 28, 2012
Comment from Vani Prasad, Memphis
It was very good dicussion and panel did a very good job. If I can add, I think for Indian parents it is all about progression. We have given our children certain standard of living and we expect our children either to maintain the same or higher then us. Anything less is too scary and make us feel guilty and question about our parenting. Congrats to the panel members. I hope the youth and parents in that room took notes. Thanks! for sharing this Usha and Swamy. I have forwarded this to my kids and friends.
Dan Ninan said on August 30, 2012
I talk to so many Indians whose parents are violently against them marrying anybody non-Indian. And not only does the prospective husband/wife have to be Indian, they also have to be from the same part of India.
When pressed, the parents say that it is for “cultural” reasons. I have another name for it. It’s called racism…
Narayan said on August 30, 2012
Among Indians marriage is not between two people but between two families. The goal is to minimize friction, enhance harmony and enable relatives on both sides to help each other during good and bad times. America is a melting pot whose culture is to follow the norms of the rich, be it right or wrong while others feel inhibited to exhibit their uniqueness. In India there is greater freedom to live within your family traditions and be respectful of others differences. That is why Hindu Faith with all its facets, Jainism, Buddhism and many other isms thrived with no crusades or holy wars. This “cultural” difference in having faith in your tradition and comfortably accepting the “arrange marriage” for a lifetime partner is the basis for resilience of Indian culture. This has statistically proven to be more stable in raising a healthy society (with need for fewer psychiatrists and drug stores).