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Indian immigrant to US here (non IIT, but Brahmin). Although I personally haven't seen or noticed casteism in the Indian community here or back in India for tha
by bobosha 6y ago
Indian immigrant to US here (non IIT, but Brahmin). Although I personally haven't seen or noticed casteism in the Indian community here or back in India for that matter. Although there were just a few idiots ... but it could very well have been my brahmin privilege or perhaps my urban upbringing.
I did notice a bit of persecution complex within Brahmins about "reservations" (India's affirmative action). But more alarmingly, nowadays anti-Muslim feelings are widespread and it's distressing to see that even in my immediate family.
To my fellow Indian-Americans : we need to be adults and stop being so defensive about anything critical about our community. While we can be justifiably be proud of our community's success, but also need to be aware that we are also eminently capable of folly, and alert to some of the disturbing undercurrents in our community. I feel we absolutely need to take these charges seriously, just as we would sexism or racism in America.
- okpatil 6y agoNon-brahmin here. First question asked by my every new brahmin acquaintance was my surname. I think there were more than just a few idiots.
- DisjointedHunt 6y ago>Although I personally haven't seen or noticed casteism in the Indian community here or back in India for that matter. Have you not seen a single matrimonial advertisement in the US for members of the Indian community or back home in India? I find the statement perplexing having lived in India for a while and having professional relationships with many from the region.
- bobosha 6y agoMatrimonials is a curious thing in India, it's not just caste, but it's the sub-sub-sub-caste that's often used as a filter. Most Indian marriages are arranged as you know... However, I didn't see any overt casteism, I would play and be best buds with people of other castes. With caste being somewhat akin to how Americans think of ancestry. AFAIK my parents and their colleagues never once brought caste into any of our interactions. But it could very well be my upper middle-class and urban upbringing and not representative.
- known 6y agoPerhaps you can ask your parents why they're not inter-caste
- higerordermap 6y agoTo be fair, arranged marriages depend on even more things. Sub-sub-sub-caste as other poster mentioned, and gotra (which excludes certain members of same caste). That's just too foreign thing for a western mindset.