About – The Original Intent

So what is this blog all about?

As the title suggests, this blog is about the life and experiences of a 1.5 Generation Indian.  I don’t intend to talk about the superficial.  I intend to talk about the generally private domain of our thoughts and personal lives, with a simple twist.  I will start by focusing on issues that deal with migration (who am I, where am I from, why am I different from others?), assimilation, and acculturation.  I will use that as a starting point to talk about other topics that naturally extend from this.  I will talk about my own personal life and I hope you will come forward and become a regular contributor and share your life experiences and stories.

The Twist
There are two reasons my views are unique:  I am a 1.5GI and I am now also a returning NRI (RNRI).  I moved to the United States when I was in my early teenage years.  My views are colored by the fact that my experiences are different from 1GIs and 2GIs – I have similarities to both yet I am different from both.  Since I was not an adult moving to the United States nor someone born there, I call myself 1.5 Generation Indian (or 1.5GI, 1.5G Indian, 1.5Gen Indian).

Now I am back in India, which makes me an RNRI.  Actually, now I feel, and sometimes am made to feel by others, like I am an “immigrant” to India!

Depending on who I am interacting with, either I am too Indian or not Indian enough.  And to me, they are either too fobbish or too ABCD.  This situation leads to interesting relationships, as I will talk about.

What Will I Talk About?
This blog will be about the intersection between being an immigrant and a native to the US (and to India) and everything that goes along with that.  At a high level, my topics will cover the following issues related to 1.5GIs:

• the ways of thinking and behavior,
• the external and internal influences,
• the professional and personal opportunities,
• the professional and personal openness and restrictiveness,
• belonging, acceptance, and rejection,
• confusion and identity crisis,
• generational differences and dealing with 1Gs and 2Gs,
• being in two different worlds, in our minds, in physical space and in our hearts,
• our thinking and our belief systems,
• family ties and responsibilities,
• financial and emotional security,
• the present, the future, and the past, and
• much more!

Potential Audience and Desired/Expected Blogroll
Who is this blog aimed towards?  It’s partially aimed for no one – it is my way of writing and sharing my thoughts and feelings.  It is partially aimed at everyone – fellow 1.5GIs as well as FOBs and ABCDs.  We may even get an academic or two who has studied assimilation and socialization in South Asians and provides a more educated opinion.  The topics I expect to talk about are experienced by any immigrant.  The key differences are in how they experience it.

1.5GIs have a unique experience in comparison to 1GIs and 2GIs.  There are definite overlaps, of course, which is why I want 1GIs and 2GIs to join the discussion and write also.  Our interactions are incomplete unless we get their perspectives also.  While I hope many 1.5GIs join as regular contributors, I would love to have a large number of participants so that we can have valuable input and sharing of experiences.

Anonymous Optional
I am going to write this blog anonymously, maybe just for now.  The reasons may become clear as I write.  Those who want to become regular writers can also choose to be anonymous.  The reason I have decided to do it in this manner is so that we can say what we want to say, create a community that is open, supportive and direct, but also to make writers comfortable about sharing their stories.

Why 1.5GIs?
1.5GIs have a unique experience in comparison to 1GIs and 2GIs, each of whom also have their own experiences.  There are definite overlaps, of course, which is why I want 1GIs and 2GIs to join the discussion and write also.  Our understanding is incomplete unless we get everyone’s perspective.  While I hope many 1.5GIs join as regular contributors, I would love to have a large number of participants so that we can have valuable input and sharing of experiences.

Contribute AND Tell Your Friends
If you find my discussion of value, whether it be because you can identify with my experiences or whether you think I am correct or off my rocker, please contribute by writing comments of your own experiences. 

I know many of you will have lots of stories about the topics I listed above.  So why don’t you write about them?  Become a regular contributor.  Email me if you want to do that.

Viral marketing makes things happen.  Inform your friends of this community by sending them the link, sharing the link on your Facebook or Friendster or MySpace profiles, adding it to your signature on emails, or by giving them my email address!  Let’s talk and get to know each other and ourselves!