Many argue that most people in the world desire to be like the powerful nations of the West. People drop religious and cultural traditions in order to become "Western." For instance, many people in Delhi drop their traditional clothing and even their language to become Western while, for example, in the United States many South Asians desire to learn about European history and religions rather than the history and religion of their native land. Is it possible to maintain cultural and religious traditions in a world where many different cultures are melting into a Western culture?
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hi. im prabh from america and i think its really important to keep our
traditions. i live in america but i know more about our culture in india
than some of the people who live there. you know its really hard not to
act like the americans or others but you got to keep sikhism alive
cause some eople in india are failing to do that. plus we should show the
world what sikhism is about and were totally dedicated to our culture. -- prabh , pkvirk2001@yahoo.com |
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Hello everyone.I`d like to tell you about my culture.See,I have lived in
the Unted States all of my life and I am only 13 years old.I am of a
native american tribe.A while back my family and I found out that my
tribe and my ancestors came from india and a few other countries.The part
of india that I am from is punjab and kashmir.I have taken in my
ancestors culture and still have my native american culture.I believe I am a
person of both cultures.The way I look at it,I am person from my tribe
but I am also a person of india.I see it like this because if my people
had never come here from india or if India never existed,then I would
not exist.My best friend told me that no matter what anyone says or
does,I did come from india.I have had many comments directed at me because
Of my origins.I have had kids yell at me,"Why don`t you just go back to
India!"and other things but it never really affected me.I just say to
my self that I am who I am.I can`t change that.I am proud to be mixed
with indian and native american.I cook native american food and
sometimes I cook Mattar Paneer and drink chai.I also listen to alot of indian
music and I am making outfits for a dance I am doing with my best friend
Nikita.If any of you all have any ideas as to how I can overcome these
nasty things people say to me and how to stay proud of my ancestory I
would sure appreciate it.My email is shortstuff10291@aol.com
I sometimes have to wonder though,why do people have to call me mean
things when they find out that I am originally from india?Is there
something wrong with liking my ancestors heritage or something? I just don`t
understand some people.
please reply,
Joelle -- Joelle , tupuedes@talentedkids.com |
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WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH!!!!!!!
Gurbaani.............The World from the source of all Existance, the
Creator Waheguru/Parmaatma is the Most Powerful vehicle to reach the
Supreme Truth-Satnam. It is also the most powerful weapon to fight against
all evil in this dark age of Kaljyug.
YOU SPEAK PUNJABI, YOUR PARENTS COME FROM INDIA (PUNJAB), YOUR PATH IS
SIKHISM, YOUR IDENTITY IS A SIKH, KEEP SIKHISM ALIVE, GET EDUCATED!!!
DIXIE GURDWARA GURMAT CLASS GOES ON EVERY FRIDAY FROM 7 TO 8P.M. IN
HALL NUMBER 5. TAKE OUT TIME TO ATTEND THESE CLASSES. YOU WILL BE AMAZED!
WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH!!!
-- Jasmit , jazzyb_31@hotmail.com |
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in some cases our punjabi culture is drifting away but then its not.
when i went to punjab last year i noticed that people down there try to
act american. while the people down here act indian. some people wouldn`t
believe my cousins when they said i was from america. why? because i
lookes so simple compered to those sterotypes the have in films. also
american borns act less american than ones who have came from india. its
not true in all cases but in some it is. the indian borns act more
american than the ones born in the USA. we need to preserve our culture and
religion. i my self am an american born but hven`t forgotten my culture
and its ways. even though i dress, talk, and act american it doesnt
mean i`m not a punjabi on the inside. i`m proud of who i am and always
will be. sonia -- Sonia , jaan_leva_usa@hotmail.com |
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Attenc`ion...
For myself well ya, if my people knew that i was learning another
language instead of my own they would constantly criticize me, the wonders
of it all is that i have not forgotten who i am and where i come from,
my sister practically raise me since she was 8 years old, and yes i
listen to alot of cultural music that is not my own, i even dress like them
too, but i surely know my limits, but someone told me once, he said why
be someone your not, if you dont know who you are?..i didn`t know what
he meant by that when he said it to me, but today i`ve come to realise
how happy i am that an elder encouraged me to see from afar to my
future. -- polynesian , sindel_feva4eva@msn.com |
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i
belive the only best way to preserve our culture for the modern youths
e.g forieghners is to influence them by teaching them or giving them
lectures about our culture and religion........i my self was born and
raised in another country and later moved to US, but i didnt drop the
moral values of the sikh religion bec. my parents tought me about the sikh
culture and religion ...i think it is not dropping ur culture when u
try to dress like western ppl , try to listen to their music, act like
them , talk like them.....it is just a hobbie or thats the way u r that
cant stop u doing it........if u have the morals of ur own culture and u
know ur limits then u r fine even tough u do westernise stuffs
--rick gill JattDesiRomeo@aol.com -- rick , JattDesiRomeo@aol.com |
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i
was 6 when i came to usa,and there are no indians where i live. But i
pray at home, and know what our GURUS wanted us to be, and how we should
stand up for our believes. The ten GURUS said that yeah, u should pray,
but also have respect for people who are around u, and try to be
helpful and see GOD in everyone. I have always believe that whatever GOD
does, HE does it for good, so never be down if something doesn`t go ur way,
because there was something good in that. And also remember that never
hurt anyone because we are all GURUS children. -- Jaspreet , jaskgill@hotmail.com |
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Well, TO preserve our Sikh culture is a very difficult task. Why it is difficult? because this take effort from every Sikh family. Now every country is modernized as compare to late 50`s. As you probably know that India too is taking steps to become modernized like the western world. << |
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I think it`s really important to keep our culture and religion alive and the best way to do that is to educate younger generation. Because they are the ones who are going to be leaders of tomorrow. I think i know my culture and religion pretty well but there is so much more to explore and learn. It`s our duty to learn and follow the path of the gurus. As long as you are proud of who you are and where you from, i don`t think it`s hard to maintain religion and culture. It all depends on the individual, how much he or she is willing to learn. Satsriaka -- Deepi , jatti7@hotmail.com |
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We can only maintain and save our tradition and culture if we educate our youth. Panjabi`s need to especially focus on Religion and Language. We as a community need to teach or send our children to learn Panjabi (at Gurdware or Schools). At home parents need to explain and talk to their children and family about India, Sikhism and marriage ect. We need make our children proud of their identity and know about India and their religion. I stress that parents should keep their children`s KESH (hair)...and with that you need to explain why and what Sikhs do! Send children to the Gurdwara or Mandar or Mosque whatever religion you are. Make them feel a proud Sikh, Hindu or Muslim who will be able to pass their heritage and knowledge to the generations of the future. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh -- Manvir Singh Dhesi , dhesi1@lineone.net |
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In most cases for those of us living in the west, it`s not about maintaining our culture, but rather rediscovering it. Most of the punjabi diaspora (amongst our generation) have very little concept of what it is to be punjabi. We call ourselves punjabi in order to distinguish ourselves from others. We insist on bhangra, daru, dhol, etc. without really knowing anything else about punjab. I myself have set out to learn more. Like most of my college age friends, I`ve never seen punjab. Currently I`m working on teaching myself to read and write in order to open the door to punjabi literature. But, more importantly as soon as I`m ready I`ld like to live in punjab for a while to finally find out what being a "Punjabi" really is. I can dance their dance, I can sing their songs, but the question is: can I really understand them? -- Roop Singh , navroop@bu.edu |
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I think it`s entirely possible for individuals to practice cultural and religious traditions while assimilating into a Western environment. Personally, I do not value cultural practices as much as religious ones, but that`s due to the fact that I come from a country where the two are strongly intertwined. I think it`s important for us to know our history, for in many ways it offers a richer learning experience than that of Europe or most other parts of the world. When we alienate our own culture and diminish its value, how can we expect the Western world to respect it? -- Mohammad
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On the subject of inter racial relationships i think that race does not matter anymore, it is from the olden days when the race of a person determined his position in society, his calss, and the type of job he had. This is the past and now we can move on. On the subject of inter religion relationships i feel it is betraying the family. Punjabi culture is based a lot of the time on family. The close knit asian families love to se their sons and daughters get married in the traditional way. It is a family get together and a celebration. But when the wedding ceromony is not the same, tradition is changed and the family is hurt. The sikhs belive in an arranged marraige, nowadays the boy and girl can meet and make up their minds about the person they ma be marrying and in some cases the parents do not mind when you bring home someone you like that is of the same religion. Before though the arrangeed maarraige was just that, arranged. No meeetings, no decisions. You got married and tried to make it work. By giving a little freedom the chain is broken and family tradition no loger exists.. -- Anonymous , jassar@jassar.screaming.net |
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My name is kulraj singh. I have been in usa for about 9 years now. I read some of the comments and one thing was common in all of them. They talked about this religion and that religion. Are we forgetting what we are taught as a sikh- that GOD IS ONE. There is no difference between religions. It`s us that make the issue too complex for our own good. As far as i think on how to preserve "religion"- well it should be in our heart and in our mind. Marring someone from different race should be the least of our worries. We should worry about not forgetting where we come from and follow the teachings that we are familiar with- Ek noor te sab jug upjiya, kou phale kau mande. -- Kulraj Singh , kulraj.singh@worldnet.att.net |
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"What law have I broken? Is it wrong for me to love my own? Is it wicked for me because my skin is red? Because I am Lakota; because I was born where my father lived; because I would die for my people and my country?" Sitting Camel, 1877 (member of the Lakota tribe of North America). See guys, they had the same problems back then too. Sitting Camel was a wise man, perhaps even a prophet who could see things to come. Look at me, I`m a successful young man who holds on to his cultural heritage, so I KNOW it can be done. And guys, watch for the new jokes section of the website, it`s gonna be a blast! What do you get when you forget your religious and cultural heritage? You get Che Guevara humping the gorilla warfare. I`m serious. -- Ravi Mann , Poopjabi@aol.com |