More Indian away than when at home

For long, Indians have been constantly migrating to foreign lands in search of oppurtunites ranging from higher education to improving the social and financial status. But such oppurtunites, in the past, were restricted to either the elite or the daily-wage labourers who took up low-end labours. It is only since the early 90's that the migration of the middle class professionals began. Thanks to IT, faster means of transportation and cheaper communication .

While the elites and the poor labourers, who migrated earlier were keen to merge with the society and culture of their new homeland and shed their original identity; the middle class emmigrants seem to have chosen to carry thier Indian identity along with them. I see a lot of desis, here in Dallas, who would never visit a temple at the street corner of their homes in India, drive a long distance every week to a small temple. The sense of longing and belonging for and to India respectively is growing and growing fast among Indians. This is evident when you walk through easily identifiable Indian communities throughout US. This has made living in the United States better than for example, living in Gujarat for a South Indian and vice-versa. This has made it easier for new immigrants to settle down.

On the dark side, Indians have started restricting to socializing within their group without really opening up to the real America. This is sure to rebound on them when their kids grow up as normal Americans. Well, its better to start preparing for that cultural shock now. For, the first batch of American desi kids of middle-class emmigrants are about to graduate high school.