3 ms·
"...there is societal pressure for more money, higher status, fancier cars and bigger houses." And this doesn't exist in the US (and everywhere else)?
by michaelfairley 16y ago
"...there is societal pressure for more money, higher status, fancier cars and bigger houses."
And this doesn't exist in the US (and everywhere else)?
- jey 16y agoAs an "ABCD", i.e. American-born child of Indian immigrants, I can assure you that the pressure is distinctly different. Middle class Indians have a pretty rigid set of expectations for their kids, and there's hardly any room for individual expression. Everyone is expected to go for the prestigious-but-safe occupations of doctor, lawyer, or engineer (in that order). Meanwhile in American society we tolerate, and even encourage, experimentation and "following one's dream". Yes, everyone's still generally expected to get married, have kids, buy a house, etc... but there's usually no threat of being disowned for choosing to become an artist, or even teacher.
- michaelfairley 16y agoI feel like there's a lot more talk of "following one's dream" than there is actually approval of people who do so, outside of normal tolerances. Many of my friends at university were forced into engineering/pre-med by their parents. Also. outside of the Bay Area, telling people you want to do a startup gets responses of extreme confusion and discouragement.
- jey 16y agoYes, but the difference is that the "normal tolerances" are completely different in the two cases.
- plinkplonk 16y ago"As an "ABCD", i.e. American-born child of Indian immigrants, " the expansion of ABCD is "American Born Confused Desi" Where Desi == "Indian" :-)
- jey 16y agoYeah, but in my opinion the actually confused ones are the FOBs (first-generation immigrants)! Some of them appear to have been flash-frozen when they immigrated and long for an India that no longer exists. FOB = "Fresh Off [the] Boat"