Vidyadhar, Some 5,000 years ago, we Indians wrote the manual on how to discriminate, so it is ironic when we complain about the discrimination practiced by others.
However, I have noticed that young Indians in urban areas are marrying "ouside the group" in growing numbers, which probably reflects developments in education, westernization and globalization. However prejudices remain strong as the recent "honor killing" of a young Punjabi girl by her father because she was determined to marry a Caucasian boy in British Columbia in Canada demonstrates. A similar incident was reported out of England recently. The issue of preferences based on skin color is a curious cultural phenomenon based on the notion that lighter skinned people "look better" than darker skinned people. In the US, where many blacks have lighter skins due to cultural blending over the years, the lighter skinned blacks are socially prejudiced against the darker skinned blacks. I think the lesson is that discrimination is a part of human nature and requires mental and social conditioning and a constant and conscious effort to avoid. --- Vidyadhar Gadgil <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I personally would agree with the view that when it > comes to marriage, > Indians in general (and this includes all castes and > creeds) are among > the most prejudiced of all people. Even using the > examples Fred gives > (Gujrati with Punjabi etc.), there are very few > people who marry outside > their own group, usually their own little sub-caste. > > To some extent, the view that, if blacks were > affluent etc. people would > be willing, is true, but forget about queuing up. > Most feel that their > own little sub-caste is superior to all, and will > not consider marrying > outside it. > > > > >I have asked this question before. > > >How many Goans are married to Negroes/Blacks? > > >As compared to Goans married to Caucasians or > Mongoloids? > > >(I hope I'm using the correct racial terms- but > you know what I mean) > > >Does say something about our prejudices doesn't > it? > > >Cecil > > > > Of course, who says we Goans don't have a racist > tinge to our > > attitudes? > > > > On the other hand, if Blacks (negroes is > pejorative in many parts of > > the > > planet) were very affluent, and defined what > beauty meant, I guess a > > lot > > of us would be queueing up for matrimonial > alliances ;-) > > > > FN > -- > Question everything - Karl Marx > > >