Mane America Jaoo Che. So, what is it like to be in America. A first hand account of an Amdavadi in USA in response to an earlier article Strangers in a Strange Land.

From: Rahil Patel <rahil.patel@bsis.com>
Organization: Broadway & Seymour, Inc.
Subject: Re: Strangers in a Strange Land

Nice article,

I feel that our friend here, went a step too far trying to re-discover himself. That being true of most of the Indians that are born and brought up in the "new" world. The problem begins at the root. When Sub-Continent dwellers (Indians and Pakis alike) immigrate to the states, they start missing the everyday, seemingly mundane life of back home. Small things like the chirp of a bird and the smell of dust in fresh rain seem to trigger thoughts that fill ones mind with nostalgia. We seem to hold on to these small memories, gripping ever so tightly with the passage of time. We come to a point where we can no longer enjoy here, start scorning at everything American start thinking why we ever decided to come here. At this time we visit our respective ‘motherlands’, come back slightly satisfied with so-called mental and emotional fuel to make us carry on till next time. This very easily and involuntarily trickles down to the generation we help giving birth to. Now its just not you, but you are helping confuse a perfectly normal child about a lot of things. You find yourself talking about how things are back home constantly, giving food for the child's imagination, giving the child a false identity, one which comes back to haunt many second generation Indians dwelling here.

I am not saying that one should give up their Indian identity, culture, et al. Coming to the New World is not pure opportunity sake. Sure most of us have made it here for the better life, better returns and last but not the least, the mighty dollar. But if one doesn't adapt to everyday life here, one will never enjoy life. Face it, you’ve left India, you study here and will work, or work already. Hear this, you will NEVER get the same satisfaction or compensation (monetarily or otherwise). So you’re stuck here! Accept it. Mingle in, it only helps. You’ll feel less of a stranger, and your kids even lesser. Maybe you will remain an Indian-American all your life, but your kids being born and brought up here, will be Americans. The fact that you came from India has little to make them Indians. Did you ever hear an African-american tell you "I’m from so and so country?", or a Caucasian for that matter, who goes "I’m from so and so place". Point is if these guys are born here, they consider themselves Americans. The Chinese are a very fine example of this. Second generation Chinese KNOW that they are Americans, and that their parents had emmigrated from china.

Family ties remain across oceans, I am not asking you to break them, but adapt the better part of life here and fuse it in your own, maybe that will help. Anyway I wouldn't know, I’ve lived in India most my life, and been here only three years.

Rahil Patel