Is Acculturation of Hindu in American Society a Success - Case Study Example

Is acculturation of Hindu in American Society a success? America has been a land of opportunities. After the WWII1, there has been tremendous influx of foreigners in the country. Indians too, headed for the country, initially for higher studies in technical and professional line. Later, the lure of money and better living conditions formed the prime motive for settling in the state. India, being a large country with diverse cultures, is also an amalgamation of different religion, caste and creed. Hindu form the dominant population and therefore, when migration started, Hindus formed the majority of immigrants, in the overall Indians who came to America. Hindu religion and Hindu mythology differ widely in terms of concepts and precepts of the religion that the maximum Americans follow i.e Christian religion. The social values and customs of a typical Hindu differs vastly with that of the adopted country. The cultural shock that one might expect far exceeds the realty. So it becomes all the more important to analyse the various factors that help adapt them to the new environment, which definitely is more liberal and probably more complex than it first appears. The acculturation of Hindus in American society can be gauged from the fact that in the last 60 or so years, the Hindus, in America have made their presence felt in almost all the field, be it the politics, Hollywood, technology or social science. We would therefore expound on the acculturation and primarily take up the main factors that contribute to the success of the acculturation of the two diverse cultures which promotes harmony rather than discord. Pre and post war scenario in America witnessed major changes in terms of immigration of war refugees and as also of students from far-east in search of better opportunities for higher education. Table 1. extract from table 4 from http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0029/tab04.html Line number Region and country or area 1990* 1980* 1970* 1960* 1          Total 19,767,316 14,079,906 9,619,302 9,738,091 2 Reported by region and/or country 18,959,158 13,192,563 9,303,570 9,678,201 Statistically speaking, as per Table 1, the growing numbers of immigrants from India, in America, over the years, indicate that despite being a minority group, immigrants are finding it easier to adapt to new culture with more enthusiasm. Whereas in table 2 the native language Hindi seems to have been picked up considerably showing an increasing comfort and confidence in pluralistic society of America. Table 2. extracted from table-6 from http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0029/tab06.html Language All races White 1970* 1960* 1970* 1960* 1940* 1930 1920 1910            Total 9,619,302 9,738,155 8,733,770 9,294,045 11,109,620 13,983,405 13,712,754 13,345,545 Mother tongue data available 9,523,155 9,360,179 8,651,756 8,962,711 10,861,120 13,941,172 13,705,588 13,229,273  Indic languages 22,173 3,561 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)             Hindi 22,017 3,493 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) Hindu religion is basically moderate and teaches general empathy towards other religions. Despite the concept of one god, they worship that one god in his various incarnations like Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, Shiva, hanuman, Ganesh, Vishnu etc. They have social stratification based on knowledge and area of work. Their festivals have a strong historical and mythological basis giving vibrancy and meaning to the celebrations. The festivals of India have often been the sources that bring people together. Regional diversity which is predominant flavour of Indian ethnicity and comprises of various regional languages, cultures, caste and creed, rejoices in the fact that there is unity in diversity indeed. The acceptance of this feature and the underlying truth of being an Indian over and above everything, is probably what makes a Hindu more amenable to accept and embrace other cultures without losing one’s identity. Again when we look at America’s egalitarian society, we find that it has a social setup that has more flexibility and tolerance. Demographic compulsions have made it easier to accept people of other countries and regions. The inter-state diversity within the American states has necessitated internal reforms, especially those related with racism and equal rights, which have become a source of fair play for the immigrants who find it easier to adjust in a new environment. The education system prepares them for a world that may not only be vastly different from their own but which may also provoke deeper investigation in man and environment relationship. The Hindus, on the other hand, have an ageless quest for knowledge and are backed by a religion which promotes love and cooperation among the fellow-beings. This perhaps leads to a better relationship between the two groups of diverse culture. This mutual inclination towards knowledge based integration in multi cultural society provides a strong basis for accepting each other as individuals in a pluralistic society rather than unhealthy competitors. It, Therefore comes as no surprise that the Hindus, in America have in general, been more accommodating towards their hosts. They have accepted the differences as an intrinsic part of adjustment process in an alien atmosphere and have accordingly tried to incorporate those very differences in their lifestyle. It is true that Indians bring particular psychological capacities to aid in adaptation to what is radically different culture….. the Indian conscience or ego-ideals for both women and men is to act properly according to the context of the time, the place, nature of the person involved..(Roland,p27). Hence the Hindus have not been tagged specifically. They have just been accepted as individuals whose religion recognises rebirth, nirvana2, meditation, yoga etc. Over a period of time, the India of wild east has been replaced with that of a country with fast developing economy and technological advancements. The presence of Hindu Americans in fields like politics, Hollywood films and information technology speaks volume in favour of their acceptance in America. Shyamalam, the Hollywood film producer/ director whose films, Sixth Sense, The Sign, The Village have been box office successes and who is recognized as present day Hitchcock! Another Hindu American Bobby Jindal, is a die hard republican who won from Louisiana with 78% votes in 2006. Then again, there are scores of Hindu American doctors and scientists who are intrinsic part of American society. The subsequent generations of Hindu Americans have brought a new wave of accultured society who have embodied the best of both the cultures and have come out the winners. The Hindu Americans have been known for their hard work and consistency in achieving good grades in higher education. In 1960s, when the Indians had started coming in numbers, they had only one objective and that was to obtain quality higher education. Later, the education opened opportunities for them that they accepted and which provided them with better lifestyle and of course the all important factor – good money. Over the period, the Indians that have immigrated to America, have in general followed a set pattern involving higher education in specialized fields like medicine, technology, social sciences and business administration. The dedicated sincerity with which they have achieved expertise in the respected fields, have unconsciously formed a strategy that has proved more effective in the process of sooth acculturation. The Hindus Americans are more popularly recognized as Indian Americans who mostly follow Hindu religion. Semantics apart, specialized education has literally become the forte of Hindu Americans or Indian Americans and it has facilitated their integration in American society with ease and confidence. The education also provides them with the opportunity to help create a better understanding with immigrants from other countries. The interaction and exposure of inter-racial communities and cross cultural diversities promote a platform which expands into global values. Thus, without having any concrete strategy, Hindu Americans have found that education is that one link which can bridge the gaps between communities and bring in the concept of global village. The two communities with so much dissimilarities have still managed to coexist in relative harmony. The Hindus and the Americans, both have distinct identities with their own drawbacks. The Hindus are burdened by the prejudices and cult practices which are exercised by few in their religion. Since these practices border on bizarre activities and unorthodox conventions, they have attracted media attention resulting in bad publicity and an image which projects them as sorcerers, tantriks3 and savages. In the early years, economically weak status of the country also gave impetus to the theory. Subsequently, socio-economic development of the country helped eradicate such ideas from the mindset of the west. Later on, the Hindus, who came to America in search of education, became better equipped to project their country as a civilized one whose culture promulgated universal brotherhood and peace. The Americans, on the hand, had been accused of promoting racism. The discrimination practiced by the whites against the black population during the 18th and 19th century, produced some great leaders in America, like Martin Luther King 1 and 2, President Abraham Lincoln, President Kennedy, President Johnson etc. These leaders helped abolish slavery and racism and provided equal rights to the black by incorporating laws in the American constitution. The whites in America, till today are accused to practice racism in their life. Here again, the education, helped broaden the outlook and attitude of the whites in America and they too, subsequently accepted the blacks as their equal. With education providing an important link to overcome inter racial prejudices and preconceived ideas, acculturation of two different communities has become a reality. Hindu Americans never believed in confrontations and hostile dialogues. Education gave them the necessary confidence in their abilities which helped them to communicate with the dominant population in a manner which both soothe their ego as well as projected Hindu American as their equal. Today as Dinesh D’Souza says in his book that America, while still flawed in its race relations, is now the least racist white majority society in the world; has a better record of legal protection of minorities than any other society, white or black;..(D’Souza, End of racism). It is a big step towards a society which is multi cultural and needs special understanding for a peaceful co-existence in a foreign land. The identity crisis that so often beset immigrants in a foreign country is mostly due to the fact that being minority community and coming from different cultures, the final reality of facing the whites in their own country leads to disorientation of self. The faster the re evaluation of the current situation and coming to a firm decision regarding themselves, better is the integration in the social setup. Cultural background coupled with strong religious beliefs, goes a long way in easing out apprehensions and prejudices of the unknown in an alien land. This is universal truth. Then again, in an article by a law student at Yale, Aditi Banerjee argues that second and later generation Indian Americans from a Hindu background should adopt a Hindu-American” identity as opposed to an Indian American or Asian American identity because a religious identity is more deep-rooted than ethnicity or even culture. she further says that “while I may go for months without uttering a word of Bengali [her native language] or even without speaking to another Indian, not a day would pass by where I wouldn’t pray to Krishna or recite the Gayatri mantra [a Hindu prayer]”….it’s an identity that is chosen rather than assigned.(Silicon Blog) Very true indeed. Religion practiced by the individuals should bond people and communities. It should teach tolerance and not create strife. God by any other name is still God! Prema Kurien, Professor in Syracuse University, asserts that While Hindu American spokespersons espouse a genteel pluralism and attempt to use Hinduism to secure a place at the American multicultural table, they also use the ideology of multiculturalism to justify and legitimize a militant Hindu nationalism. Every religion of the world has moderates and radicals its folds. It is unfortunately true that the radicals or the extremists normally form the minority within the religious group but often take up the centre stage. The basic human nature of striving for a peaceful existence is usurped by the uncouth fanaticism of the few. The media plays a very vital role in eulogizing the muttering of the militants and projecting their voice as the gospel of the masses. The misuse of the freedom of the press by the media for their own vested interest (their TRP4) leads to unprecedented misunderstandings and often violent repercussions for the innocents. Self restrain and if required, government controls must ensure that the media plays a more constructive and positive role in building a cohesive multi-cultural society which moves towards common goals of peace and development. Hindu Americans form a significant niche in the larger picture of immigrants from other countries in America. Asian Americans who comprise Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, Korea Americans, Indian Americans etc. People from all over the world and who have settled in America have retained their identity, atleast, so far as their birth nationality goes! Of the various immigrants, Japanese and Chinese Americans have made huge impact on the American socio-economic field. Indian Americans have also not lagged behind. There has been no major conflict of interests among the immigrant groups in America. The economic development in their individual countries of birth, have made direct impact on their status as role models for others. The Indian diaspora with its inherent diversity in culture, religion and caste have found that Hindu American tag gives them a wider platform to represent a unified and strong community which has absorbed all the good points of American culture while retaining their own. The fast developing Indian economy has given special buoyancy to Hindu American confidence which has become increasingly visible in socio-political arena of American politics. The acculturation of the Hindu Americans as a single identity is today, not only a reality but it also espouses a greater understanding and trust between the two communities. The recent events of terrorism experienced the Americans have forged new bonds between them as now the Americans can empathise with Indians who have been coping with the terrorism for the two decades or so. With the fast changing socio-political equation in America, it becomes imperative that role of Hindu American becomes more important in coming time. It therefore becomes imperative that acculturation of Hindu Americans needs to redefine its socio- cultural parameters. the process of acculture, needs to work both ways and efforts must be made to fulfill each other’s needs rather than just the Hindus trying to integrate unobtrusively in American society. The native Americans must realize that the impact of globalization has permeated in all the sphere of life and the need of the hour is the acceptance of change. The technological advancements have turned the world as a global village. It is no more just a dream. It has become a reality and we all need to realign our priorities and set realistic goals which encompass communities that are global in nature and substance. India is an emerging power and Indians all over the world are reasserting their identities in foreign land. America is no different. From 1960 to 1990, American Indians population has increased from 523,591 to 1,878,285 (American census) According to Joane Nagel, University of Kansas “Researchers have concluded that much of this growth in the American Indian population results from "ethnic switching," where individuals who previously identified themselves as "non-Indian" changed their race to "Indian" in a later census…..I argue that this growth in the American Indian population is one instance of ethnic renewal. I identify three factors promoting individual ethnic renewal: (1) federal Indian policy, (2) American ethnic politics, and (3) American Indian political activism. These three political factors raised American Indian ethnic consciousness and encouraged individuals to claim or reclaim their Native American ancestry”. This new trend in the Indian immigrants living in America, today dismisses the hypothesis of identity crisis in Hindu Americans. Re-assertion of their nativity signifies emerging confidence in traditions and values of their culture and religion. The emerging new Indian culture among the Indian immigrants, seem to facilitate acculturation on an equal footing. There is general acceptance of Hindu Americans in the dominant society. White House has celebrated Diwali5 for the last three consecutive years. Richard Gere, the famous Hollywood actor, makes annual visits to Himalayan monastery for meditation and rejuvenation of self. Popular religious practices like Yoga and meditation are becoming increasingly popular in the States. Native Americans are seeking peace by going towards spiritualism and spiritual gurus. These are few of the examples that just illustrate growing acceptance of a Hindu community and their customs and traditions. The Americans are ready to absorb the good points of the culture and religion in their own lifestyle and daily routine. Looking across the initial cultural divide, the difference between the two cultures, has narrowed down. The easy acceptance of each other (the Hindu Americans and the native Americans) bodes well for their future relationship. The Hindu Americans in the States are highly educated and doing exceptionally well financially. They have established a great rapport with the majority group. So it raises the question of the future strategies that must be adapted which would forge stronger bond between the communities. There is need for a shared strategy that would strengthen understanding and trust between the two diverse cultures. The fast evolving socio-economical scene of the birth country of Hindu Americans has redefined the paradigms facing the immigrant society. This necessitates urgent need for fresh steps to be taken by the two communities so as direct their energies towards a common goal of global unification of thoughts and action for a better world. It would, therefore, be appropriate to say that acculturation of two diverse culture during immigration to another country needs to be addressed urgently in the changing time. Though education is a powerful tool, one still needs to look up new opportunities which are mutually beneficial. the answers must come from within the communities and the values that they represent. One must absorb and exchange the best of each other which would undoubtedly result in harmony and peace. The culture and religion of each community need to be more constructive in broadening the outlook and thereby facilitating integration which is not merely physical but also promotes vision of common goals. Acculturation has not failed us now and one must believe that it would continue to forge ahead the ties universal brotherhood. List of References American Indian Ethnic Renewal: Politics and the Resurgence of Identity.(Nagel,Joane). American Sociological Review. 947-965.retrieved on April 24,2007 from http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-1224(199512)60%3A6%3C947%3AAIERPA%3E2.0.CO%3B2-D Banerjee,Aditi.2003. Hindu American: Both Sides of the Hyphen.Silicon India. Retrieved on April 24, 2007 from http://www.siliconindia.com/ D’Souza, Dinesh.(1999).The End of Racism. New York. The Free Press. Social Problems. (2004). Multiculturalism, Immigrant Religion, and Diasporic Nationalism: The Development of an American Hinduism. (Kurien, P,A.). Caliber University of California Press. 362-385. retrieved on April 25, 2007 from http://caliber.ucpress.net/doi/abs/10.1525/sp.2004.51.3.362 Roland, Alan.(2007),Cultural Pluralism and Psychoanalysis: The Asian and North American Experience. London. Routledge, Taylor and Francis group Table 1. Rerieved on April 24, 2007 from http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0029/tab04.html Table 2. 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