Indian American

There are many different aspects between American and Indian culture, religion, and economy. While some distinctions jump right out in front of you, others are really hard to notice. If you were to take one look at India, it may not be too appealing to the eye. You would notice the stray dogs roaming right and left, loud, chaotic traffic swerving you in the jam packed streets, everything covered in trash, the aroma of spicy foods, and no toilet paper in public places. Likewise, in America,…

of social roles, the Indian and American family units, for example, are far from similar. The most noticeable difference is the average living situation. In most families of the United States, only two generations live within a single home while in India it is not uncommon for three generations to live together. In “30 Days: Outsourcing,” the American Chris Jobin questions why Ravi Ranjan and his wife still live with Ravi’s parents. To which Ravi replied, that in the Indian culture one is…

Since the authors who explored cultural decimation through colonization mainly analyzed the situations of native Americans, native Hawaiians, and the Maori natives of New Zealand, these case studies are incorporated in this literature review to contextualize the authorsʻ arguments. In the literature discussing the methods that colonizers employed to acculturate the native peoples they came into contact with, each of the authors assert that these actions were initiated by the colonizersʻ…

I am an Indian-American, and my parents constantly ensure that I don’t forget the “Indian” part. My parents both migrated to America, eventually making their way to California where they met, and where I was born. Because they were raised back in Punjab, India, I grew up with neverending stories starting with “When I was your age, I had to …” in an effort to make me more appreciative of how much easier life is in America. My mom’s favorite line is “Why can’t you clean your room? When I was your…

This semester I attended 3 events having to do with India and elements we have learned in this Cross-Cultural Psychology class. The first event I attended was the Indian American Community Tour. The main cultural experience for me took place at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. The beauty of this Mandir is that it’s a magnificent building dropped in the middle of a busy suburban city. I was awestruck at the Mandir’s architectural elegance. We took a few minutes before entering the mandir to…

The experience of a first generation Indian American growing up in the US was a privilege given to me by my parents. Throughout the years, I have had the opportunity to visit India and have witnessed different ways of living. The first time I visited India, I was six. My parents took me to all the places they lived, learned, and explored throughout their childhood. I was immersed in the culture and was able to learn so many new things about my heritage. I was also able to see how people lived in…

are different religions and belief systems, each slightly different than the other. The Zuñi’s from Zuñi, New Mexico are one of these many religious groups that have their own traditions, including traditions for death. In the short article, An American Indian View of Death, author Dennis Tedlock shows a slight view into the Zuñi’s religious background by describing the impact that the death of one had on them all. Death, in the Zuni’s perspective, can be seen days before the death takes place.…

Indian vs. American Culture Cultures something seemingly superficial the changes across borders. I have grown up looking at the differences between indian and american cultures and living between two orders. Both societies have similarities associated with religion and family. Nevertheless, American and Indian societies have many differences when dealing with family, food, and diet. American and Indian culture both have strong religious beliefs. Many people in the Indian society share the same…

Alexie provides the readers a succinct description of character for the great American Indian novel. In the first 22 lines, he discusses the characters, both hero and heroine. For the hero for example, there some qualities that must be possessed. In general, the great American Indian novel must have a character with the tragic features (line 1-2). They must have secrets (line 14-15), and see visions (line 25). Aside from the tragic features, having secret and seeing vision, first of all the hero…

There is an emphasis on the role that drugs and alcohol play on violence on reservations. Alcohol was first brought to Native Americans during the settling period of Europeans and has caused problems for many years since then. Alcohol and drugs mess with people’s minds and can cause people to become violent. According to The Impact of Drug Trafficking on American Indian Reservations with International Boundaries, “[It has been] reported that 62% of men and 74% of women said they were using…