Hi Cornel and Mario, You guys and others can continue to stick to the academic model which you have built about Goans and continue to expand on the discrimination in our society. But I would agree with Cornel that, Goans (including me) can certainly improve on our intermingling skills beyond our small circle of same-old-friends. In fact we need it badly - between caste and within the caste strata. Outside my own immediate family, I can count on one hand the number of Goan boys and girls in the USA who are BORN IN THE DIASPORAS and who are married to other Goans. Mario can perhaps share with us his experience. This massive 'out-marriage' is something we have never seen in prior Goan diasporas. This is what Goan academics, sociologists, futurists and writers should talk and write about, rather than the outdated past. I would like to hear what is going on in other diasporas to their first generation. Are our kids looking at the parents and saying, "No way am I going to marry another Goan" irrespective of caste? Or are the parents reluctant to introduce their kids to other Goans for what ever preconceived notions? I hope I have not touched a raw nerve. To those wondering, yes my kid, nephews and nieces are married ... to Goans.
Now my solution to fight discrimination in Goan society is to use what has worked well (not perfectly) in US society. In my New York state and Mario's Ohio, there are Poles, Irish, Anglo-Saxons, Germans, Dutch, Slavs, Lebanese etc etc. These groups at one time (30-50 years ago) looked down on each other and historically were hostile to each other. In the USA, each of these groups had their own Catholic seminaries to meet the social needs- that is a whole different discussion. They had derogatory words like WASP, WAP, Pollack etc etc. and Catholics had a 'bad' name (papist). Remember Kennedy running for President? The greatest animosity was among those in the lower educational and social-economic strata of the different groups. My experience in London in the 1970s was the same, and this may be universal. Today the animosity is not there. These ethnic groups have not eliminated their identity. They maintained their cultural heritage. They have shared it with and educated others. In the process have enriched themselves and others with that approach. This is reflected in their cuisine, writings, social contacts (Italian feast, October feast, St. Paddy's Day etc etc). At these events, all comers belong to the host community. Now they even inter-marry. I would like to see the same be done across Goan society as we move forward. To begin with, I wish someone could even tell us what proportion of Goan society belong to the various Varnas. As a sociologist would you not want to see these basic statistics, Cornel? Each of these Varnas have their history and their festivals. Those who laugh about this are actually displaying their ignorance and conceit. Lift the poor, uneducated, the 'lower caste' (what ever that means) up - not by accusing others (including the Goa Bishop) of sins they have not committed unless you can clearly show it. There is no guilt by association or extension which is what you are doing. Sing the praises and the worthy contributions of the poor like Mother Teresa did. All of us in society have contributed. Including in America and UK the coal miners, steel workers, textile workers. In fact I don't even know which are the lower caste occupations in Goa. Do you? Is it the toddy-taper, the feni- brewer, the fisher-folks. That should not be too difficult to have and attend their festival or build a school for them. It will help their business. :=)) And that will be more productive that writting an academic paper for perhaps the casteists.:=)) In the Diasporas, the WGDs are all inclusive. So Diaspora Goans today cannot complain that they are 'kept out' becasue of caste. It is true that this is once a year. For more frequent events, the Diaspora Goan who thinks there is a caste problem can have a social function and invite all, instead of complaining or talking about the problem. For amchem bagarachem Goem, are our 'problem-solving journalists' reading this so that they can provide the publicity to the across-the-caste festivities and the solutions?:=)) Regards, GL