“The strong ties we have with family---the family values---are very important to pass on to our children. In India, it doesn’t matter how old we are, our elderly parents live with us and we take care of them. That’s one thing I miss here: not being able to take care of my parents. They still live in India because they like it there and are more comfortable in known surroundings. I make it a point to take the kids back during the summer holidays so that they have the experience of being with their grandparents and can know what life is like there.
“Both of my children were born here. I’m not really scared that they will lose their culture or their language, but I just feel that it’s a little difficult for them. My daughter is two years old and loves to wear Indian clothes, but my son is ten. He wants to fit in with his American friends because that's who he identifies with, but I cannot always empathize or put myself in his shoes. Even today, I wanted him to wear an Indian outfit, and he refused. I have to decide how hard to push because I don’t want him to say, ‘No, never.’ Maybe we make things too difficult for him because we want to celebrate all of the festivals. He has questions about everything we do, and sometimes I don’t have the answers. I didn’t question my own parents about why we did certain things. It was just a way of life.”
“Both of my children were born here. I’m not really scared that they will lose their culture or their language, but I just feel that it’s a little difficult for them. My daughter is two years old and loves to wear Indian clothes, but my son is ten. He wants to fit in with his American friends because that's who he identifies with, but I cannot always empathize or put myself in his shoes. Even today, I wanted him to wear an Indian outfit, and he refused. I have to decide how hard to push because I don’t want him to say, ‘No, never.’ Maybe we make things too difficult for him because we want to celebrate all of the festivals. He has questions about everything we do, and sometimes I don’t have the answers. I didn’t question my own parents about why we did certain things. It was just a way of life.”
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