--- "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Its surprising that although a greater percentage > of GNs live and raise their kids overseas, there is > almost no discussion on how we can keep our > Goan culture and Goaness alive and preserve it for > the next generation. How do we raise children to > be part of that culture? Do we even want to? > Mario observes: > Helga, Is keeping our "Goaness" alive really important for those who have emigrated irrevocably and are putting down roots in another country and culture? However, it probably should be for those who plan to return to Goa some day - though you can probably forget about their kids. > It's hard enough keeping our gonads intact if you know what I mean, especially in "Goanada":-)) > The "Do we even want to?" is the crux of the matter, isn't it, and who gets to make that decision? You, or your progeny? Secondly, how far do we go? > The question is are we emotionally Goans first or Gonadians or Gomericans or Gossies or GoZeas or whatever our new nationalities are? > Aren't the essentially "immigrant populated countries" named above different in terms of ease of assimilation when compared to the traditional countries? From my personal American experience, I think they are, while they also allow those that choose to to not assimilate, which I consider a tremendous burden on the future generations and their almost certain multi-cultural blood lines. > Those that work so hard to continue to be what they used to be tend to also be those who complain the most about not being accepted within their new environments. I honestly don't think one can have it both ways without paying some kind of price. > The traditional Caucasian immigrants to the immigrant populated countries don't think of themselves in terms of their country of origin. Even those who can trace their multi-cultural origins after a few generations mention it as a matter of fact and not of cultural or national identification. > Most American and Canadian Caucasians whose families emigrated three or four generations ago are just as proudly a fraction of this and a fraction of that, but primarily proudly American or Canadian. One can't tell a second generation African-American apart from an African-American whose ancestors were slaves. It seems like mostly those of Latin and Asian descent carry the separatist sentimental baggage, the defiantly split loyalties and identities. Why is this? > Does the sour Indian-African experience of fierce refusal to assimilate that led to severe resentment by the locals and eventual eviction, at least from Uganda, have a lesson in there somewhere? > The Carribean Indians and the South African Indians know intellectually that they are descended from Indians, but they don't identify emotionally with India. > What about our children? Do we want to impose our own sentimental baggage on them and make them feel even more "different" than they are already, most trying to assimilate into their new environments and the totally different cultural mores and expectations? > Why did we emigrate and put down roots somewhere else if we wanted to be the same as we always were? > Are we kidding ourselves that our second and third generation American and Canadian descendants are "Goans" and/or "Indians" in their hearts and minds? What happens after we're gone? > I know one thing for sure. The third generation American Goveias are already Indo-Europeans by bloodline, and in another couple of generations the American Goveias will be a fraction of this and a fraction of that just like any other Americans, and with some luck know that some of their ancestors once came from a beautiful piece of heaven on earth called Goa. > That's just the way it is with us. How about you? >
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