YOUTH
The Critical Search for Identity
Two
essays on what it means to be a Hindu and an American
The
Hindu American Foundation conducted its annual essay contest in which young
writers were asked how the following quote by Swami Vivekananda inspired them
to be Hindu American advocates: “The intensest love that humanity has ever
known has come from religion, and the most diabolical hatred that humanity has
known has also come from religion. Nothing makes us so cruel as religion, and
nothing makes us so tender as religion.” To see other winning essays visit
their website at bit.ly/hafessays
I Am Proud to Be a Hindu
(BY ANTARA DATTAGUPTA)
MATA, PITA, GURU AND DEVAM ARE THE FOUR WORDS THAT MY GURUJI
RAISED ME WITH.
Always
respecting my mother, father, teacher and God is a belief that has been
inculcated in me from a young age. From going to Balavihar classes on
Sunday to shloka classes on Wednesday, Hinduism has been with me every
step of the way. My guruji would always end the class with, “Be proud of who
you are; be proud to be a Hindu.” Growing up in a strong Christian city where
there are churches every half mile, I am often faced with difficult situations
that only my faith has helped to overcome. From my classmates demeaning my
fourth grade Kathak dance at our school’s talent show to the look of
disgust when I tell them that I do not eat beef—a staple food eaten by most
Texans—I have become stronger as a Hindu throughout each and every obstacle.
I
have seen throughout my lifetime how religion has changed people, broken
friendships and ultimately made others feel insecure of their lifestyle. My
childhood friends whom I used to see at shloka class now call themselves
atheists in an attempt to fit in at our high school. When I inquired about the
reason for such a drastic conversion, they said they could not take the isolation
anymore. At that moment, I realized I have been blessed with a rare and
accepting group of friends who have never imposed their faith on me. They have
come to the temple with me for celebrations such as Holi and Diwali and
constantly want to know more about Saraswati, Ganesha and the other Gods that
they see at my house. Because of my friends, for these past few years I have
been oblivious to the outside world where many people are not so accepting of
other religions.
On
December 14, 2012, we organized an Indian day at school. Hindi music played
through the intercom, people of different races wore kurtis and churidars
borrowed from their Indian friends, and after school we had samosas and chaat
for those who participated. This was a proud day for many of us Hindus, because
we were able to show our culture to others in our school.
Religion
should not be something that separates people but rather something that
inspires others, different and alike, to come together and learn more about
each other. In the twelve grade levels of school there are two grades, sixth
and tenth, where we learn about the main world religions. I noticed that both
times we spent a week on Christianity, four days on Islam, three days on
Judaism and Buddhism, and only one day on Hinduism. On that one day of
Hinduism, we watched a 50-minute video that focused only on the caste system.
While watching that video, I realized that this is where people base their
views of Hinduism, in an obsolete caste system that is denounced by most Hindus.
With such inadequate and biased knowledge, when my classmates even confuse
Hinduism and Islam, I cannot blame them.
After
watching the video again in tenth grade, I talked to my teacher about spending
another day learning about the real aspects of Hinduism that are still in
practice today. To my surprise, she assigned a project to all of the students
the following day which focused on India’s many ancient discoveries. I was able
to pick and present both the inner and outer discoveries made by Hindus. I was
able to tell my classmates how the concepts of karma and dharma are essential
to Hinduism as well as the ideas behind reincarnation and moksha.
Hinduism
impacts the everyday choices we make in life through verses in the Vedas.
Sayings like those found in the Taittiriya Upanishad, Yajur Veda, such
as “Satyam vada,” meaning “speak the truth,” and “Athithi devo bhava,”
meaning “let your guests receive from you hospitality like a God,” are beliefs
that Hindus follow daily.
After
reading Swami Vivekananda’s quote, I have been inspired to initiate more Indian
days and other events to spread the knowledge about true Hinduism. By dancing
at events for the past few years such as the Brazos Valley World Fest and CRY
India (Child Rights and You), I have been able to share with the community my
culture and religion. Now as I go into my junior year at school, I wake up
every morning, get dressed, and just before I leave my house I put vibhuti on
my forehead and go to school. Initially people would tell me I had “white
stuff” on my forehead, but after explaining to them that I am fully aware of it
and that it is part of my religion, the questions eventually stopped.
As I grow up, my friends will change, my schools
will change and my future may change; however, my religion will never change. I
will always be able to say, “I am proud to be a Hindu.”
(ANTARA DATTAGUPTA,
17, is a junior at A&M Consolidated High School in College Station, Texas.
Raised under the teachings of her Guruji, Anu Shamugam, she is a proud supporter
of HAF)
Will We Forget the Hindu American Voice?
(BY SADHNA GUPTA)
A
BOUT
A YEAR AGO, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE Swami Vivekananda’s words in a
very personal way. I spent a portion of my summer traveling to communities
across the East Coast, interviewing recently settled Bhutanese refugees from
Nepal. I wished to better understand the role of religion in the resettlement
of Hindu refugees. At the time, I also began to reexamine my own views of
religious tolerance and pluralism. For the first time, I understood the
importance of being a Hindu American advocate.
I
went to the homes of dozens of Bhutanese families, asking them to open up to me
about their life experiences. These families were forced to flee their birth
country of Bhutan due to religious and ethnic persecution in the early 1990s.
They lived in Nepal’s refugee camps, many for more than 20 years, before the
United States government (and other countries) granted them citizenship and a
chance for a new life. They endured this suffering largely to preserve their
religious freedom and maintain pride in their identity. Yet now, after moving
to America, some have given up their Hindu practices or even converted to other
religions. This was shocking to me. I needed to understand the cause of this
conversion.
A
27-year-old I spoke with in Massachusetts shed some light on this issue. He
explained, “Some of the churches, but not all, provide old furniture and
clothing for the new arrivals, and it is helpful. People go to the church just
to get the furniture and whatever they need, but they do not think about
conversion. But, after some time, the people at the church indirectly convert
the Bhutanese people.”
This
is exactly the tension that Swami Vivekananda describes—the power of religion
to simultaneously be a remarkably helpful and equally destructive force. In
this instance, the church community is doing good by providing necessities to
the Bhutanese and helping them to acclimate to their new environment. At the
same time, however, their actions could also be seen as coercive and unethical
because the group may have ulterior motives for providing help.
My
immediate reaction was to feel angry towards these outside groups for targeting
vulnerable Hindus. Soon, however, I realized I needed to take a closer look at
my own actions and those of our community. Was there more we could have done to
prevent it?
The
underlying beauty and purity of Hinduism comes from teachings such as Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam, “We are all one family,” and Ekam sat vipraha bahudha
vadanti, “Truth is one, the wise call it by many names.” We are incredibly
lucky to be part of a faith that is so fundamentally accepting and progressive.
Yet, in practice, religious tolerance and pluralism can only thrive when
complemented by strong faith and advocacy. What do I mean by that? It is
certainly against our Hindu principles to coerce others and provide assistance
conditional on religious affiliation; and this is honestly one of the reasons I
am most proud to be a Hindu. But it is also against our faith to be passive and
not advocate or intervene when it is required. The general absence of our
community in the resettlement of Hindu Bhutanese refugees in America is an
illustration of this reality.
After
learning of the hardships facing Hindu Bhutanese in my local community, I was
inspired to make a difference, but I was not sure how to begin. I took small
steps on my own. I educated students and faculty at my university about the
issue, and I volunteered with a group of Bhutanese youth to teach SAT classes,
create a library of study materials and organize college tours in Boston. Yet
in the large scheme of things, I did not address the root cause of the problem.
When
you see injustice against members of the Hindu community, whom do you turn to
for help? What do you do to stop it from happening? These were the questions I
grappled with, and I quickly realized that most Hindu Americans, including
myself, do not know how to answer these questions. As a community, we often
fail to collectively organize and advocate for our beliefs.
By
forming a stronger coalition of Hindu American advocates and by supporting
groups like the Hindu American Foundation, we will have the power to do so much
more. We could lobby local lawmakers to provide stricter oversight over
conversion in government-funded resettlement agencies. We could pressure local
school boards to teach Hinduism more comprehensively, rather than just focusing
on cows and the caste system. And looking back, we could have shown much more
solidarity with the victims of the 2012 Sikh Gurudwara shooting in Wisconsin.
Advocacy is the main avenue through which we can
play a bigger hand in shaping the broader society we live in. Throughout the
United States, there are countless religious groups that spend significant time
and money to ensure that their opinions and values are heard. While we can
never forget to be respectful of all those around us, we must also learn to
speak up and ensure that our Hindu American voice is not forgotten. We cannot
allow our open-mindedness and tolerance to be confused for ambivalence or a
lack of steadfast faith in our Hindu principles.
(SADHNA GUPTA, 22, is a
business consultant at Corporate Executive Board in Washington DC. Having
graduated from Duke University in May, 2013, with degrees in public policy,
global health and economics, she plans to become a community organizer and
development practitioner.)
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(Continued...)
(My humble salutations to Sadguru Sri Sivaya Subramuniyaswami
ji, Satguru Bodhianatha Velayanswami ji, Hinduism
Today and Articles writers for the collection)
(The Blog is reverently for all the seekers of truth,
lovers of wisdom and to share the Hindu Dharma with others on the
spiritual path and also this is purely a non-commercial blog)
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