Assimilation: a height of disconnect ?

A learned colleague and I landed up discussing the Immigration and assimilation. Of course, the context is The United States of America. The setting where this discussion took place was on a man-made Navy island in the deep south state of Mississippi.

It all started with a complement from my esteemed colleague (a 3^rd Generation European American) saying “Not many 1^st generation immigrants can communicate and articulate as well as you do”. My response was long but in short – "I had an opportunity to work for consulting industry where I had no choice but to engage with individuals from many parts of the world and many walks of life." 

As it goes – you become what you do (consume) and get exposed to.The abilities are result of one's exposure to the America and what they do. 

That triggered a common complaint “Immigrants should assimilate”.  The response was my story and then some, about the immigration and immigrants: here in a very summarized write-up:

I came to USA to make money, with a goal to go back in 2-3 years. With an early assumption, that there is no way this (money) can last and that, what else USA can offer beyond money. 

These two aspects of the thought process – 1. Goal to make more money and 2. “what else the America can offer more than my own country” defines majority of immigrants, at the beginning. Many continue with this exact same feeling even after multiple decades! :(

A primary objective of any immigrant as they land in USA is to get settled. It is easier to do so when you can communicate easily, and in many cases, preferably using your own language.

A human tendency is to do what is easier. That drives immigrants to communities where they find people from their own countries / regions. Italians to Brooklyn, Indians to Jackson Heights, Rich people to upper east side and so on. 

Point being “assimilation” is not even on their “To-Do”. That is not something that immigrants perceive of any value. Unless they must work in an industry like consulting, that some of us do.

I did shorten a longer debate that we had, but hoping that it could drive the point home, that “expectation of assimilation” is one very misplaced expectation and measure that is, in lack of better words, a “self-inflicted wound”.  Immigrants have no idea that locals expect assimilation and locals have no idea that assimilation is least of immigrant’s problems.

Unspoken / undefined expectation of  Assimilation by the natives and mostly oblivious immigrants about this expectation are something like these:

   

Having said that - Assimilation definitely has a value and should be nurtured. May be a better approach (or question) would be to think “What can WE, the natives of America, do, that help an immigrant value assimilation that they can benefit from." In turn we all will be happier and assimilated. 

Is there a solution? – yes, there are many: one idea that may help: every new immigrant (or Non-Immigrant) should be introduced to Volunteering. Introduce a requirement for all new residents of USA that they should spend 40 hours (as an example) in their first year, participating in any volunteer opportunity of their choice. Upon completion of doing so they should be celebrated and awarded somehow.

How? - Someone smarter than I, would sure have a solution or two.

Let us add Assimilation on OUR "To-Do". 

Relearning Indian Heritage by practicing Yoga

My wife has been practicing yoga (one may say an American Version) at a local Yoga Studio called Yoga Tribe for few years now. A local group, developed by a gentleman named Jason, who is trained by big names like Bikram Yoga.

It started as a gentler alternative to Boot-camp routine. Honestly, it took me a while to digest the idea of Caucasians teaching Yoga 😎. Finally, I managed to start few months ago.

My experience has been pleasant, humbling and most importantly learning.
Learning was not what I had expected or even sought. Yes, that was naive.

It is incredible how the teachers at this studio has embraced the yogic everything and have achieved an expertise where they, very successfully, are imparting a training for.

Purpose of this blog is to capture some of the learning, not in any particular order or connection.

• Almost every session starts with child pose or Corpse pose, and literally every session ends with Savasana. While I did not question it, our teacher today, Jenna (a flight attendant by profession) described it vividly. 
• Savasana is a representation of being dead. 
• Balasana is of being a child
• A symbolic representation of living a life (in that hour): From Death to Death, may be a representation of a belief of reincarnation. 
• OR a symbol of a one's life: from birth of a child to death, a circle of life.

• Once a session ends in Savasana, You wake up in fetal position (Parsva Savasana) a symbolic move of being 're-born'. 

• And finally you express gratitude for everything that you have and prepare for rest of the day. 

• It is like hitting a re-set and aligning yourself to the goodness of being a human.

Interestingly many of the reasons that take me back to a yoga session are the same reasons why I used to visit "Ramkrishna Ashram at Rajkot".

• Amazing positive energy.
• Celebration of individual and internal strength.
• Celebration of humans as we are.
• A strong foundation of "We are all same, equal". 
• An absolute rejection of ideas of comparison, material and anything evil. 

I am re-learning the heritage that I took it granted for and I have to thank my teachers at Yoga Tribe for. 🙏

A revelation, a re-learning :
Yoga is probably the strongest description of what is being a Hindu means. There is no "ism" in it, no rigid commandments, no directives, just one simple suggestion - Be Human.

Side note:
The main hall @ Ramkrishna Ashram, an incredible architecture to induce peace and calm.