Comments on: Heritage Camps for adopted Indian children

By: south asian adoptive family

south asian adoptive family — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:40:45 +0000

I didn't have a chance to read all of the comments. Two of the posts did catch my eye. There is one post from suarav from July 2006 that states that we have to be careful about choosing to participate in heritage camps for adoptive families as some people believe that Hinduism equals Indian meaning that to be Indian means to be Hindu. I have to agree that in adoptive family circles, that some families believe that Hinduism is Indian identity and in fact, one can come across white Americans who have converted to Hinduism or who feel compelled to take their children to Hindu temples for services, etc. I wanted to point out that India is a very diverse religious country and that South Asia, in particular, is extremely diverse. Hinduism is a majority religion in India but is not the only ancient religion in India or South Asia. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism have been in India before the Portuguese and other westerners brought their forms of Christianity to India. You will also find many other distinct and important religions. It is true that adoptive forums with regards to India love to talk about Hinduism topics but other religions rarely get noticed even when events are posted. In our area, the Catholic diocese actually includes two to three different Indian groups on their cultural diversity team. There are other country groups in South Asia also represented on the Catholic diocese cultural diversity team as well. We also have in our area other Christian churches who are totally Indian, but are not Catholic. Why not study the history of other religions in India if one is to learn to recognize the Hindu gods, for example?

Raju from August 2006 misses the point by not realizing that there are many NRI, OCI card holders, and others who are neither but are South Asian and part of the overall diaspora are adopting from India and other South Asian countries. Citizens in India and Sri Lanka are also adopting. It is easy to dismiss these adoptees as not being within the overall community of adoptees because they have an easier time of blending in with their families even if only one parent is from South Asia or is of South Asian ancestry. I even saw on another forum two adoptees exchanging posts - both were adopted from India to the USA, one to a NRI/OCI family and the other to a white family. The one who was adopted into a white family saw the one adopted into the NRI/OCI family as not quite American as someone born into an Indian family as if that adoptee had lived his life in India, but the reality was that that adoptee had lived his life in New York, the USA, not India. The adoptees who are part of Indian and South Asian families probably are not likely to attend heritage camps since they are living in a family with parents of South Asian heritage. Don't discount this other group who are members of the diaspora who adopt both within India and South Asia and outside of the region.

By: Raju

Raju — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 21:55:25 +0000

which part is unbearable?

By: Lobot

Lobot — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 21:47:56 +0000

I can bring up topics about this subject all day.

Please don't. Your ignorance is unbearable in anything more than small doses.

By: Raju

Raju — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 21:42:02 +0000

I am not against adoption of Indians by white or any other Americans. But has anybody ever questioned why the Indian government HAD been so willing to get rid of there orphans (problem) by liberally sending these children overseas instead of dealing with the problem at home? The loss of culture that Desi adoptees have experienced is similiar to what the African slaves experienced in the U.S. in respect to loss of culture. The black American culture is something that has been created because they have been stripped of the culture of their ancestors. Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, black Americans are still treated unequally. They have another culture to deal with this injustice (i will not say sub culture) What does an adoptee have American and in most cases white American culture. (how does that work?) You can claim that you are all American, but this place it not a melting pot only a salad bowl. Everyone here has some kind of culture.

I can bring up topics about this subject all day. How about Indian citizenship. I know that’s been discussed on SM alot. I was born an Indian citizen. I never chose to become an American citizen, but I am. I never took an oath to the U.S., but I’m an American citizen. No one is going to take my American citizenship away from me. To get my Indian citizenship back I would have to become an OCI and then live in India for a year and then beg the Indian government back for something that was unjustly taken away from me.

I am not Bittu, but this is a part of his story.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2004121200440400.htm&date=2004/12/12/&prd=mag&

By: acdc

acdc — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 18:13:18 +0000

“yes, I know of a desi couple who adopted a white baby” Where did they find a white baby to adopt? Supply has not met demand since the 1950s. Since the late 60s, at which time it became ok for the mothers to keep illegitimate children, there have been few white babies up for adoption. The only recent source has been Eastern Europe (a lot of them suffering from their birth parents being alcoholic) and, oddly Brazil. Israelis looking for adoptable kids got more or less white-looking babies from Braizl. One objection raised to interracial adoptions is that the kids are “second choice”. Whether that is true or not, it is difficult to disprove, the demographics being what they are.

By: Jai

Jai — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 13:05:56 +0000

DesiDancer,

A belated kudos to you for getting involved in these activities (apologies for the delay, I was sidetracked by some of the ‘excitement’ elsewhere on this blog during the past few days).

It sounds like you’re doing a great job — well done. Is there no limit to your talents ?

Very inspiring. DD gets the prize again for being the nicest person on SM this week.

By: EPWR

EPWR — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 10:17:24 +0000

dude gautam, Its telugu and not telegu (You’ve used the wrong spelling like a hundred times

By: Yeti

Yeti — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 00:27:55 +0000

BrooklynBrown: I love my people. My primary marathi knowledge comes from the proud tradition of Marathi Verbal Abuse: nirlijja, nalayak, halcat, etc etc. Recently went to MAIYTRA in Chicago, had a nice bonding moment over that with the other Marathi folks whom I so rarely see. I think we can teach our kids to feign ignorance when necessary and still be able to dis Gujjus in their native tongue when needed.

By: BrooklynBrown

BrooklynBrown — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 22:23:43 +0000

For Yeti, mishgmm, JOAT: (about 100 comments back)

As always, I’m late to the comments, but let’s be real here, folks: we Maharashtrans all know that after the age of 25, married Marathi-speakers know one word and only one word, laganaa, which they use on their single friends with increasing frequency. Do our kids really need to learn more words than that? Better for them to feign ignorance about the language so when asked,”Arre, tusa lagana kemaa honaar?” they can think the nice mami or atya is asking them if they want tea and sweets, right?

my apologies for transliteration errors.

By: DesiDancer

DesiDancer — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 20:15:47 +0000

yes, I know of a desi couple who adopted a white baby. I don’t find it to be very common, for many of the reasons mentioned up-thread…