ABCD's more Indianised?

Hey guys do you think kids brought up here in US/UK are more Indianised than kids in India? I see more second generation /ABCD's going to temples, wearing saris/salwar, singing bhajans, learning classical music/dance/tabala, going to chinmaya,learning Hindi etc VRS kids in India wearing jeans mostly/speaking only english/westren dancing/westren music. If so why do all these serials and movies protray NRI kids as spoilt and hip hop?after being in this country for 30 years I strongly beleive that our kids have much more INDIAN VALUES than the kids in India. What do you all say?😕

Well, being born and raised in New York, I love my culture and even get my American friends to join in on the festivities like going to temple, wearing Indian clothes, eating Indian food and other Indian things! I don't know how it is in India, but I do see a lot of Indian things going on here, and other cultures and religions are interested in joining in and learning about our culture. Bollywood movies and music are also having an impact here. And classic Indian dancing and bhangra too!😃

~Monica~

Yes i have noticed that the American Born Indians definately try so much harder to be Indian in their ways . They certainly make a more serious attempt since they feel and their parents feel afraid that they may loose the essence of being Indian . Being in a Country that is their adopted country and not native one they pressurise their children to go for every Indian function , learn Indian Art and Music ,language etc .

Although i feel not every kid feels comfortable with the pressure . I read a wonderfull book by Jhumpa Lahiri- Namesake recently . The book is about the first generation and second genaration of Indian living in the U.S( The ABCD). It follows the conflict the second generation character (Gogol) feels with all the pressure from his family to be a typical Indian(Bengali) , while he lives in a society(In U.S) so very different from what his parents had belonged too and want him to hold on to !! ( A must read,)

Anyways i feel Indians born and brought up in India do not become any less Indian if they speak English , learn Western Music or dances . They don't have to prove anything to anyone or struggle hard to hang on to the Indian culture . Thats the Difference !!Also it doesn't make them have any less values because of it . I feel its the comfort zone ..... they are Indian ..........NO MATTER HOW WESTERNISED THEY DRESS , TALK , DANCE ETC.........!!! Where as the poor ABCD is a part American or part English ,or Aussie or whatever the country his folks have adopted along with having Indian roots !!😊

YES thank you i have experienced this as well

well i was born here in NYC, US and have lived here for ever so i qualify as an ABCD but im not confused.

Being here, parents want to preserve their culture because it they dont we will loose touch with it and a few generations from now nobody will know anything about our traditions.

This is very important for language. I learned Urdu and English side by side but ever since i was little i knew i speak Urdu at home and English outside of home. If i spokin in english at home when i was little my parents didnt answer me because they felt if they dont speak to me in Urdu I will never know it properly and i might fprget it. and thanks to this i can say that my urdu is really good (many ppl say with that type of urdu its hard to believe ive been born and raised abroad. Knowing urdu so well makes me feelproud of myself because i am fluent at a language many people here do not know.

As for clothing. well to school and stuff of course i wear westenr clothes. but when im in the mood i add a desi touch to it. Now that salwar suit shirts r kinda short, they can pass as long tops on jeans so some times i do that. And well i wear shalwar suits to go shopping or whereeva and i think its kewl. some ppl r embaressed 2 wear eastern clothes outside of home but i dont mind. its kewl cuz we r spreading our culture. many times ppl like it and they appreciate it.

Then why do people back home perfer to speak in English and wear western clothes? well this may be wrong but heres my take on it. Living in india or pakistan, they consider the "western world" to be more advanced and cooler than them. they feel that if they copy their style of talking, eating, dressing etc they will also be more advanced. People who decide to stick to traditional cultures r looked down upon because they are backward and a "behen-ji". but there is nothing to be ashamed of. Infact we should be proud of our heritage. India and Pakistan have such a rich culture anf history that we should spread it and not hide it.

I just feel that people living back home arent influenced by other cultures as much as we r so they take what ever they c in movies and try 2 adapt it 2 their life to "westernize" themselves. Where as we c everything and the western culture isnt nething kewl or new to us so we dont think its as big a deal. Also we are Ambassadors of our culture and I really like repping the desi culture. (Esp in a place like NYC where u meet ppl frm all over the wrld cuz it is the most culturally diverse city in the wrld)

WOW i wrote a lot...sorry to bore u with my long speech but i can go on and on and on when it come 2 this subject 😳

Originally posted by: ~PaKi*PrInCeZ~

Then why do people back home perfer to speak in English and wear western clothes? well this may be wrong but heres my take on it. Living in india or pakistan, they consider the "western world" to be more advanced and cooler than them. they feel that if they copy their style of talking, eating, dressing etc they will also be more advanced. People who decide to stick to traditional cultures r looked down upon because they are backward and a "behen-ji". but there is nothing to be ashamed of. Infact we should be proud of our heritage. India and Pakistan have such a rich culture anf history that we should spread it and not hide it.

I just feel that people living back home arent influenced by other cultures as much as we r so they take what ever they c in movies and try 2 adapt it 2 their life to "westernize" themselves. Where as we c everything and the western culture isnt nething kewl or new to us so we dont think its as big a deal.

I really appreciate that you try and be a ambasador for our country (India/ Pakistan )..........but i disagree about people back home who dress in Westerns , and enjoy everything Western as being under the impression the Western world is more advanced or cool !!!!

If you go to India where in every corner people speak in a different language(southern lang , eastern lang , Kashmiri , punjabi etc etc ) or accents(Hindi spoken by different states with a different accent) ....English is one unifying language that works through out !! It especially helps India do business with the Western World !!!!!!!!!
Not every desi speaking in English or wearing jeans is in awe of the Western World or think its a big deal , its the first language in most schools( not because they think its cool , but its a unifying language), so thats what they get used to speaking outside their homes !! Indian clothes are still as popular as they always were , but people are happy to try out variety and wear western as well !! Not because they want to look American or something !!

Wao!!! This is interesting. I think its all different from family to family. It all depends upon how the parents brought up the child. Upbringing of a child is 95% that effects on who they become as adults. Some ABCD's are totally ignorant & they don't even know anything about Indianism. But some ABCD's are way more Indian than the actual Indians.

yea ashley gud point....i guess it duz depend on the upbrining

(My opinion only, nothing personal against anyone on this forum)

ABCD-I dont think that is a nice thing to call someone.
I guess depending on the situation, and if its in fun I can tolerate it but it's still annoying.
These are people of Indian origin, neither are they confused nor are they Desi.
How can we measure Indianness or westernness- pray tell me. If this has to do with clothes,
The stereotypes like you wear a salwar suit or a saree a girl is more Indian, if she wears jeans she is somehow less Indian- absolute nonsense. That idea boggles my mind. Or vice versa for that matter.

Personally, I have family who cannot speak in any Indian language but loves Indian food and clothes and music. But surely they don't consider themselves Indian and neither can they see themselves living in India. The biggest topic of discussion in my family is- Why do I have to be "Indian" when I am not?

Culturally everyone tries to understand and fit into their best comfort zone. I might like to wear whatever depending on what I am comfortable in. Some might like english, some might like Urdu. Whatever works best for you, go for it.


If I have to carry a tag for doing what I like, so be it.

yeah, i've noticed. I'm here in Illinois in USA
i always have a feeling that i'm being seperated
from what i really am, not being in India. So I
try to be as Indian as I can, but I don't go to
temples, I do whatever else I can do to make that
empty feeling inside of me go away.
Although, I haven't been to India too often,
I know for experiance, that most people there
wear a shirt and jeans and go around like that where
people here in US go around in shalwars.

ABCD= American Born Cute Desi (in my sister's lanugage 😛 )