In this edition of my column, I've decided to switch gears for a change. Instead of highlighting differences between life here and life back in India, I'm going to focus on a similarity, or rather a similarity through differences. It sounds complicated, doesn't it? Well, just read on and let me explain.
Aside from being large nations made up of different states, the United States and India have another feature in common: Both countries were colonized in the past by the British. There have also been parts of India that belonged to Portugal, Holland and France. Apart from just being colonies, both nations have also attracted huge influxes of immigrants — the United States in the late 19th century and the 20th century, and India in more recent years, especially since the opening of the economy in the 1990s. As a result of these various factors (the size of the country, the distribution into states — 50 and 28, respectively, the influence of colonial powers and the influx of immigrants), India and the United States are both countries that have inherent diversity, a variety of different lifestyles, cultures and worlds within their borders.
Looking at India first, the immediate divide that comes to mind for many is that of the north and the south. The people who are native to the north are ethnically Aryan and related to Persians. Dravidians are natives of the south and traditionally have a slightly darker skin tone. Food in the north features more butter and other dairy−based products, whereas southern food has rice as the staple and centers on using tamarind and tomato a lot more. People in the north are more likely to want to know how many cars your family has, whereas those from the south will ask how many Indian Institutes of Technology you've gotten into. For more on the north/south differences, read "2 States: The Story of My Marriage" (2009) by ChetanBhagat.
But there are more differences and inherent contradictions within India than just those that divide the north and the south. Each state or group of states has its own separate culture in terms of clothing, festivals, food and language. There are about 2,000 dialects spoken across India, and I don't think there exists a person who can boast of knowing even half of those.
The United States is similar in this respect, and from speaking to people here at Tufts, and just from my own observations, there are different lifestyles and different people from different states — regardless of how close they may be — as well as differences based on geographical area. If we take New York, for example, it has a "vibe of purpose" that is very different from Boston's more relaxed atmosphere. With all the hustle and bustle of the world's business capital, people are more efficient and thus in more of a hurry. The West Coast, on the other hand, is characterized as being more laidback than the East, and people are seldom in a hurry and work on their own time. You have the more conservative South, which is perhaps not as diverse as the Northeast. You also have Florida, which was described as more "private" than "personable" by a good friend of mine from the area. There are festivals celebrated only in certain parts of the country, and food only consumed in other parts. The attitudes of the people vary based on where you are, and thus the way life is varied. ... Just like in India.
Ultimately, the fact that these countries have so much diversity within their borders makes living there such a diverse experience. But at least for me, the real question is, does the similarity in the difference make it feel like home?
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