I looked at my calendar and realized that I hadn't updated this blog in over a month. Apologies to my readers and the Spanish Inquisition (Monty Python anyone?). Anyway, personally, I went through a rough time in my first midterm, but I came out alive and well.
Recently, my fellow blogger Mr. Nice Guy sent me an
article in regards to immigrant children are now more likely to marry within their own culture/race. I read through the article and Mr. Nice Guy and I proceeded to discuss it.
1. I proposed that it is only generations 4 and 5 that tend to start a mass-interracial marrying. The hypothesis is that those generations tend to have a less cultural involvement. This is no fault of the 2nd or 3rd generation, it is simply the integration that occurs the longer a family lives in a newly adopted home.
2. Being a 3rd generation (okay, 2.5, but I round up like the banks) Indian American, I see no problem in interracial marriage based on two ideas
- Interracial marriages theoretically open the gene pool up to new traits and possibly increases the genetic strength of progeny.
- Interracial marriages help rid the existing racism that still exists in our world.
As for losing family and cultural traditions, I firmly believe it is the responsibility of the parents to teach and explain their respective cultures. For my potential children, I will try to make it a point to expose them to Indian culture and then explaining the point or reasoning behind certain cultural horizons.
Referring to the article, it states that many young "immigrant Americans" are seeing comfort in marrying people's of similar cultural backgrounds. As excellent as that is, I feel slightly jaded by that notion. I have been around Indians my entire life, and I have no maleficence toward Indian women, but I feel much more drawn to non-Indian women. I can't really explain why, but I will hypothesize that relationships outside of my race and culture will be much more interesting, rewarding and will expose me to whole new facet to my personal horizons.
Yes, marrying within my culture will be easy and may provide for an even easier familial situation. But I always try to bring everyone down to the same level: No one is any better than anyone and therefore, all women will be the same, regardless of race, culture or creed. So, same problems/rewards regardless of skin color and cultural differences.
An interesting fact: Arranged marriage was the dominant form of marriage until the introduction of "modern courtship" introduced by Western culture in the 1900's. The argument still exists: Who gets to choose who I a marry, my parents or me?
As I get older; I'll be 23 years old in a month, I find that I am starting to think about marriage and when I will get to that point. I think about how my father was already married when he was my age. It is slightly incomprehensible how one generation later, I will probably be 5-15 years older than when my father was married! I am not sure if it will arranged or the traditional Western idea of marriage. Even the prospect of marriage is sometimes off putting. I feel as if I haven't dated enough and that there may be something that I am missing if I get married too early. At the same time, I might miss out on something if I get married too late. It's a conundrum that many in my generation have to face.
In conclusion, love, arranged or interracial marriage are enough options to leave any person bewildered and confused. Luckily, we have those options. I think the best option right now is to grow up some more and wait and see. Perhaps increased maturity will make the choice more clear, or just make us even more lost.
Good luck everyone! Hopefully the juice is worth the squeeze.
P.S. If you are a female, with high aspirations in life, I am a 22 year old Aries. I like long walks on the beach, star gazing, trips to the museum and/or art galleries, followed up with a pleasant evening at an interesting restaurant and dancing. I am totally up for most new experiences :) (No, really, just leave me alone with my medical school books. I NEED TO STUDY!)
