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Old 10-15-2011, 09:28 PM
 
Location: Philadelphia
3,404 posts, read 4,443,991 times
Reputation: 3271

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Quote:
Originally Posted by GasDoc View Post
but why not embrace American culture upon arriving here?
I'm posting(and bumping) in this thread again against my best judgement, but it makes me chuckle whenever someone says this. What exactly do you mean by embrace American culture? Should I change my religion, name, and diet? Become an entitled, pretentious hipster or pruppie like most people of the same socio-economic background in my age group? Have kids that I don't know about? I wanna know!!!

It's quite irrational to assume that individuals who are going about their own lives are going to measure up to or care about your own personal expectations of the way they should be.
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Old 10-15-2011, 09:40 PM
 
Location: Bergen County, NJ
41 posts, read 128,623 times
Reputation: 27
Quote:
Originally Posted by TylerJAX View Post
I'm posting(and bumping) in this thread again against my best judgement, but it makes me chuckle whenever someone says this. What exactly do you mean by embrace American culture? Should I change my religion, name, and diet? Become an entitled, pretentious hipster or pruppie like most people of the same socio-economic background in my age group? Have kids that I don't know about? I wanna know!!!

It's quite irrational to assume that individuals who are going about their own lives are going to measure up to or care about your own personal expectations of the way they should be.
You're looking too far into what I've typed. A majority of immigrants who have settled here in the United States have more or less assimilated into the "mainstream" culture. I'm just saying that when you move somewhere, you're less likely to be prejudiced against if you behave as if you were born there. It goes for anywhere.
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Old 10-15-2011, 10:23 PM
 
Location: New Jersey
293 posts, read 718,048 times
Reputation: 227
Quote:
Originally Posted by GasDoc View Post
You're looking too far into what I've typed. A majority of immigrants who have settled here in the United States have more or less assimilated into the "mainstream" culture. I'm just saying that when you move somewhere, you're less likely to be prejudiced against if you behave as if you were born there. It goes for anywhere.
Well, I have to agree with you in that assessment. As a matter of fact, I have practised that same idea since I'm an immigrant myself. Although born and raised in Venezuela, my grandparents were born and raised in Italy. During the late 1980's, and when it was obvious that the country would end up where it is now, I started contemplating other options. My grand-father who at the time was in his 70's, gave me a good piece of advice. He said " whichever country you chose to go to....do yourself a favor; eat what they eat, walk the way the walk, dress the way they dress, and laugh with them and not at them......and you'll be a succesful and happy man".

I have been succesful and also very happy in the 15 plus years in this country. However, I do undertsand that we are living through times in where the right is wrong and the wrong is right.

With that said, and in regards to Indians in America, all I can say is that I have found them to be a bunch of very peaceful, productive, and respectful individuals for the most part. They are very altruist and driven which is why you see them in every aspect of our social, economic, and soon enough in our political life as well. However, they have arrived in great amounts as of late. And the demographic change in many towns has been rather abrupt. You cannot blame the locals for feeling overwhelmed or threatened, specially in an economy like the one we are experiencing now, because at the end of the day we are a tribal driven species. So whether you are black, brown, or white, you will act upon change..that's just the way we are designed.
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Old 10-16-2011, 08:15 AM
 
Location: NJ
23,390 posts, read 17,061,069 times
Reputation: 17431
Whatever you look for you will find.
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Old 10-16-2011, 08:45 AM
 
686 posts, read 1,118,858 times
Reputation: 286
Indians are ok.
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Old 05-09-2012, 11:25 AM
 
2 posts, read 3,108 times
Reputation: 13
Hi

I am a member of a gym in the woodbridge area and I am Indian . They treated me with a discriminative attitute in a couple of occasions. I then told my friends about it and they had more things to say about the gym. Each one of them had undergone similar discriminations, but we all had kept quiet. Surprisingly a latino and an African american also said the same thing. I am sure there are lot of people out there who are silent. I am not able to sleep when I think about how they treated me. I feel like going back to India but I am stuck here due to financial constraints back home. I am from a poor family but I still have my self respect. Can anyone tell me where to make a complaint against the gym?? thanks
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Old 05-09-2012, 12:27 PM
 
Location: Elsewhere
88,224 posts, read 84,127,726 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biju2012 View Post
Hi

I am a member of a gym in the woodbridge area and I am Indian . They treated me with a discriminative attitute in a couple of occasions. I then told my friends about it and they had more things to say about the gym. Each one of them had undergone similar discriminations, but we all had kept quiet. Surprisingly a latino and an African american also said the same thing. I am sure there are lot of people out there who are silent. I am not able to sleep when I think about how they treated me. I feel like going back to India but I am stuck here due to financial constraints back home. I am from a poor family but I still have my self respect. Can anyone tell me where to make a complaint against the gym?? thanks
I'd write to the manager, or if it's a big chain (like NY Sports Clubs) write to the corporate headquarters.

I am surprised, because there are so many Indians in the Woodbridge area that you'd think they'd be past their prejudices by now.

You don't have to go home. You just have to learn to remember to value the many people in NJ who are NOT racist/prejudiced against people from India, and turn your back on the jerks.

One of my Indian coworkers is the nicest guy in the world. He gets along with everyone, but he was telling us of some racial encounters he had. He is a member of his condo board and one of the residents was calling him racist names at a meeting, and another time he was swimming with his kids and some guy KICKED him, and started calling him names because he is from India. What's wrong with these people? Anyway, the guy who kicked him was thrown out of the pool.
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Old 05-10-2012, 07:17 AM
 
2 posts, read 3,108 times
Reputation: 13
thank you very much. you really made my day. Now I dont feel like complaining against them. Also my son takes a couple of classes in the club at woodbridge and I dont want to make his life hell. If I complained then they might not like my son.

You are right there are some americans who like us. My neighbor, a 77 year old lady, she makes pudding for every christmas and easter . She shares it with us. We also give her and her grandchildren, gifts on christmas. When I think about her and you, I realize life is good. thanks again and god bless you.

Last edited by Biju2012; 05-10-2012 at 07:34 AM..
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Old 05-10-2012, 09:56 PM
 
Location: Jersey City, NJ
638 posts, read 2,236,780 times
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Where I live, the entire building is comprised of people from India. There are a few white folks like me and other groups, but its likely 80% Indian. In my 30 years I have lived amongst Mexicans, Peurto Ricans, and African Americans. While I do not wish to lump people together, I will say that my current neighbors from India are some of the kindest and most QUIET neighbors I have had lived around.

The building goes silent after 9PM. Its crazy. The children are polite too. And yes yes, I smell crazy cooking oders in the hall, but you know what?... Im just glad its peaceful at night. And that is the one thing I can say about my impression of people from India. They seem to be very peaceful and easy going. In this crazy world, who could ask for better neighbors?

I think where the racism and anger comes in is when some people look around their building, neighborhood, town, whatever, and see that they are the only white guy and now they are the minority in that little environment. It makes them feel like a stranger in their own country and that scares the hell out of them. Right or wrong, its fear that turns people into bigots. Indian Americans are not alone in this.
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Old 05-11-2012, 12:05 AM
 
10 posts, read 16,470 times
Reputation: 16
It can take a long time for the large majority in the U S to welcome ANY kind of change, especially when it comes to acceptance of different races and colors. Our progress is slow.

I agree with a previous poster, EVERY person is different. Can't lump people into groups. There are several of every kind, including my own, that get on my nerves at any given time. And many of the same I love.

Wish we were all more tolerant of differences.
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