logo
It is okay to be a 'foreign' Indian

It is okay to be a 'foreign' Indian

Business Mayor25-04-2025

US Vice President JD Vance is well known for making acerbic comments. But during his recent four-day visit to India, he narrated an anecdote in Jaipur that warmed the cockles of many Indian hearts. After dining on some really delicious food at the most famous address in Delhi, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, and chatting with its prime occupant, seven-year-old Ewan Vance apparently said, 'Dad, I think I can live in India.' The rider, however, would also sound familiar to Indians.It seems that after a few hours of sweaty sightseeing around Jaipur, young Ewan eventually decided that moving to England might be a better idea. Those conflicting emotions must go through the minds of the offspring of even the most optimistic Indian (or half-Indian) families when visiting India, especially at any time other than that magical two-month winter window. They arrive full of excitement, expectations and enthusiasm but often leave with mixed feelings.
The fact is, much of the Indian diaspora is now like their Irish, Scottish, Polish, Italian and other peripatetic counterparts, with their idea of a homeland no longer coinciding with their ethnicity anymore. Generations of ethnic Indians have been born in and lived out their lives in other countries. They are culturally attuned to different rhythms, so expecting them to warm to Indian beats with any more alacrity than other visitors who have no Indian parentage at all, is naive.
Nevertheless, many desi relatives feel a twinge of sadness that their visiting NRI or mixed-race family seem more 'foreign' than Indian. That they respond to what they see, hear, taste or feel on visits 'home' in the same way as Norwegian or Nigerian visitors of similar age, background and passports. Yes, many ethnic Indians do not feel any instinctive affinity to India, but many do come to love it, albeit more in the way other foreigners fall for India rather than as 'desis'. Read More Making personal data fit the bill
Coinciding with India's rising world profile, the Indian-origin diaspora now seems more willing to acknowledge, learn about and relate to their desi background, no matter how many generations remote. Yet it is too much to expect that they will feel a natural empathy for all things Indian, from customs and weather to food and idiosyncrasies. Despite ethnic ties, desi notions of privacy, relationships, personal space and hospitality can seem odd or mystifying to many of them.
Their detachment or unfamiliarity should not surprise, much less offend, resident Indians. After all, resident Irish or Poles rarely take umbrage if their diasporic tourists do not have the faintest idea about local cultures beyond, say, the stereotypical leprechauns and pierogies. India is now 'the land of techies and chess geniuses' so it is alright if foreign-born ethnic Indians come 'home' expecting to see those everywhere instead of the proverbial snake charmers and tigers.The Vances had to tread a fine line between their official position as America's Second Family and their Indian link on this visit 'home'. The three children wore Indian outfits but the Telugu-origin, US-born-and-bred Second Lady Usha Vance did not wear a saree, or even a kurta set like former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murty wore during their G20 visit. Murty grew up in India and remains an Indian national, so it was natural. Usha Vance is American.Many ethnic-Indian or part-Indian foreigners who no longer have any relatives in India tread a fine line too, as they often do not feel any special pull towards this 'homeland'. They regard India with the same way as any foreigner sees a land of great antiquity, modern relevance, philosophical and spiritual depth, business opportunities, and, yes, touristic value. Like Ewan Vance, they may love some things, change their minds about many other things. That's totally okay.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Gaza-bound ‘Freedom Flotilla Coalition' boat carrying Greta Thunberg boarded by Israeli forces
Gaza-bound ‘Freedom Flotilla Coalition' boat carrying Greta Thunberg boarded by Israeli forces

New York Post

time4 hours ago

  • New York Post

Gaza-bound ‘Freedom Flotilla Coalition' boat carrying Greta Thunberg boarded by Israeli forces

An aid vessel launched by Greta Thunberg and other international activists headed for Gaza was boarded by Israeli forces on Sunday, mere hours after Israeli officials demanded they 'turn back,' the coalition announced in a Telegram post. The Madleen ship, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, set sail on June 1 with 12 activists onboard, including Thunberg, a Swedish peace and climate campaigner, and Irish actor Liam Cunningham. 5 The Madleen aid vessel is manned by 12 activists, including Greta Thunberg and Irish actor Liam Cunningham. Getty Images 'The ship was unlawfully boarded, its unarmed civilian crew abducted, and its life-saving cargo — including baby formula, food and medical supplies — confiscated,' the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said in a statement. Earlier on Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the crew to abandon their aid mission and called the group 'antisemitic' in a pointed jab. 'To the antisemitic Greta and her fellow Hamas propagandists — I will say this clearly: You should turn back, because you will not make it to Gaza,' Katz warned. 'Israel will act decisively against any attempt to break the blockade or support terrorist organizations, whether by sea, air or land.' 5 The ship is part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which has organized aid missions to Gaza for more than a decade. Getty Images Thunberg, 22, has been banned from entering Israel because of her stances and statements regarding the Israel-Hamas War. Shortly before the crew issued its statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry posted a video on X showing the Israeli Navy using a loudspeaker to reach the Madleen. 5 The crew first set sail on June 1. Getty Images 'The maritime zone off the coast of Gaza is closed to naval traffic as part of a legal naval blockade. If you wish to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, you are able to do so through the [Israeli] port of Ashdod,' a soldier said, according to the video. The group aboard the charity ship aims to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza's refugees, including much-needed baby formula and simple nutrition like rice. They were expected to reach the coast by Sunday after a week-long trip from Sicily, but have faced threats from Israeli officials and issues with jamming devices messing up their online tracker. 5 The crew claims to have had their communications jammed by Israeli forces. Freedom Flotilla Coalition Many residents in Gaza have been starving as a result of Israel's blockades, which have been in place throughout the Strip since 2007. The UN's reports warned that Gaza's two million refugees are at risk of an outright famine if aid is not permitted soon. 5 The crew said they were 'abducted' by the Israeli forces who boarded their ship. In early May, a separate aid ship for the same international non-governmental organization was attacked by drones off the coast of Malta. All 30 passengers onboard were safely evacuated and the coalition blamed the strike on the Israeli government. Israel didn't comment on the attack at the time. In 2010, another coalition ship on an aid mission was stopped and boarded by Israeli troops. Nine activists aboard the ship were killed and dozens more injured. A spokesperson for the IDF said that the troops were attacked after boarding the ship, claiming they acted in self defense. With Post wires

The President Is Playing With Fire, Which Is Just How He Likes It
The President Is Playing With Fire, Which Is Just How He Likes It

New York Times

time5 hours ago

  • New York Times

The President Is Playing With Fire, Which Is Just How He Likes It

It's hard to avoid the conclusion that the Trump administration is spoiling for a fight on America's streets. On Saturday, after a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests degenerated into violence, the administration reacted as if the country were on the brink of war. The violence was unacceptable. Civil disobedience is honorable; violence is beyond the pale. But so far, thankfully, the violence has been localized and, crucially, well within the capacity of state and city officials to manage. But don't tell that to the Trump administration. Its language was out of control. Stephen Miller, one of President Trump's closest advisers and the single most important architect (aside from Trump himself) of the administration's immigration policies, posted one word: 'Insurrection.' Vice President JD Vance wrote on X, 'One of the main technical issues in the immigration judicial battles is whether Biden's border crisis counted as an 'invasion.'' That statement set the stage. He wants courts to believe we're facing an invasion, and any disturbance will do to make his point. 'So now,' Vance continued, 'we have foreign nationals with no legal right to be in the country waving foreign flags and assaulting law enforcement. If only we had a good word for that …' Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense, posted his own screed on X, declaring that the Department of Defense 'is mobilizing the National Guard IMMEDIATELY to support federal law enforcement in Los Angeles. And, if violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert.' Trump posted on Truth Social, 'If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs, which everyone knows they can't, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

Here's what an ABC News correspondent said about President Trump that got him suspended
Here's what an ABC News correspondent said about President Trump that got him suspended

Yahoo

time6 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Here's what an ABC News correspondent said about President Trump that got him suspended

ABC News has suspended Senior National Correspondent Terry Moran after he wrote in a social media post that President Donald Trump is 'a world-class hater,' according to The New York Times. The now-deleted post, which was shared shortly after midnight on Sunday, was primarily critical of Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. Miller is 'a man who is richly endowed with the capacity for hatred,' Moran wrote. Vice President JD Vance and others have shared screenshots of the post on social media. The vice president criticized Moran in his own social media post, writing that it is an 'absolutely vile smear of Stephen Miller' that's 'dripping with hatred.' 'As it happens, I know Stephen quite well. And he's motivated by love of country,' Vance wrote. Vance also called on ABC News to apologize to Miller. Moran 'has been suspended pending further evaluation,' an ABC News spokeswoman said Sunday, according to The New York Times. 'ABC News stands for objectivity and impartiality in its news coverage and does not condone subjective personal attacks on others,' the network said in a statement to the newspaper. 'The post does not reflect the views of ABC News and violated our standards.' Moran could not immediately be reached for comment, the Times reported. In April, he interviewed President Trump in the Oval Office. He joined ABC News in 1997. Last year, ABC News agreed to pay $16 million to settle a defamation suit President Trump filed against the network over comments Anchor George Stephanopoulos made on-air, the Times reported. Commentators at the time viewed the settlement as a surprising concession for a network to make to a politician who often accuses journalists of anti-conservative bias. Miller is considered the 'mastermind of the administration's crackdown on immigration' and is among the president's 'most powerful' aides, the Times reported. Most recently, he's emphatically defended raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles and criticized those protesting federal immigration enforcement in the city. Mass. weather: Air quality alert issued amid high heat, wildfire smoke and storms Mass. weather: Heat wave brings wildfire smoke, hazy skies Civil rights leader Talbert Swan II claims racist threats from musician Read the original article on MassLive.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store