Product Description

Product Description
Provides an overview of the life and culture of East Indian Americans and presents some information on India. Includes a recipe for spinach and cheese curry. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Chinese American, Asian American, Filipino American, Family of Barack Obama, Indian American, Nicole Scherzinger, Japanese American, B.j. Penn, Vietnamese American, Military History of Asian Americans, List of Asian American Medal of Honor Recipients, Pakistani American, List of Asian American Jurists, Korean American, Taiwanese American, Hmong American, Education Outcomes in the United States by Race and Other Classifications, Cassie, Marié Digby, Tibetan American, Amerasian, Carmit Bachar, Asian American History, Ben Henderson, Mongolian American, Sikhism in the United States, Jimmy Wang, Thai American, Bangladeshi American, Betty Liu, Laotian American, Raj Mukherji, Dante Basco, Edwin Ushiro, Indonesian American, Sri Lankan American, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, Carl Choi, Brenda Shaughnessy, Patricia A. Shiu, Kirk Acevedo, Xi Kappa, Victoria Chang, Austin St. John, Biju Viswanath, Greater Washington Area Asian American Demographics, Aamir Ali, Tabitha Yim, Nguyễn Phúc Bửu Chánh, Index of Asian American-Related Articles, Asian Pacific American, Madame Nguyen Cao Ky, Mike Relm, Red Guard Party, China Chow, Asian Professional Exchange, Kit Dezolt, Eunice Yoon, Jeff Chan, Jimmy Tsai, Joel de La Fuente, Tran Van Khiem, Allen Evangelista, Thomas Chung, Laotian Chinese American, Madame Nguyen Van Thieu, Galen Yuen, Lillian Lim, Claudine Wong, Macel Leilani Wilson, I Wor Kuen, Derek Basco, Dion Basco, Paul Gallo, Darion Basco. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 229. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Commonly Asian languages and English Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. In popular American consciousness, the term generally refers to persons with ancestry from East Asia, which includes Chinese, Korean and Japanese Americans, though in defini...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=148898 ... Read more

Product Description
What does race have to do with religion? According to Khyati Y. Joshi, quite a bit. In this compelling look at the ways that second generation Indian Americans develop and change their sense of ethnic identity, she reveals how race and religion interact, intersect, and affect each other in a myriad of complex ways. In a society where Christianity and whiteness are the norm, most Indian Americans are both racial and religious minorities. At the same time—perceived as neither black nor white—they are a racially ambiguous population. One result of these factors is the racialization of religion, on which Joshi offers important insights in the wake of 9/11 and the intensified backlash against Americans who look Middle Eastern and South Asian.

Drawing on case studies and in-depth interviews with forty-one second-generation Indian Americans, Joshi analyzes their experiences involving religion, race, and ethnicity from elementary school to adulthood.She shows how their identity has developed differently from their parents’ and their non-Indian peers’, and how religion often exerted a dramatic effect.She maps the many crossroads that they encounter as they navigate between home and religious community, family obligations and school, and a hope to retain their ethnic identity while also feeling disconnected from their parents’ generation.

Through her candid insights into the internal conflicts that contemporary Indian Americans face as they negotiate this pastiche of experiences, and the religious and racial discrimination they encounter, Joshi provides a timely window into the ways that race, religion, and ethnicity coincide in day-to-day life. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Timely & fascinating look at the ethnic identity of 2nd gen. Indian Americans
For her book "New Roots in America's Sacred Ground", Dr. Khyati Joshi interviewed over 40 second-generation Indian Americans, asking questions about their youth and adolescence in this country and about their experiences with religion throughout their lives.In the process, she elicits thoughtful, introspective answers that reveal much about the beliefs and perceptions of this population.

She explores how deeply intertwined religion is with race and ethnic identity for these second-generation immigrants, specifically in the context of a society that is largely defined by Christian normative values.Joshi looks at a broad array of topics through the eyes of her research participants, including their experiences of discrimination, the myth of the model minority, and the impact of their trips back to India; but the common thread is how Indian Americans experience and interpret religion in their lives and the impact this has on their identity.

What struck me about the book was how heart-wrenching and moving many of her participants stories were: stories that detail discrimination, feelings of isolation, and cultural confusion.As a second-generation Indian American myself, I couldn't put the book down, perhaps seeing a lot of my childhood and adolescence in these shared experiences. Joshi, whose academic background is in theology, social justice, and education, is adept at navigating these rich narratives, charting out their complex themes, and presenting them for her readers in a lucid and compelling manner.In the end, "New Roots" is a one-of-a-kind and commendable work that I would recommend to anyone interested in learning more about the Indian American experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Perfect for any elementary-level collection
The 'New Americans' series offers 80-page books for grades 3-5, with each book offering narrowed surveys of different immigrant experiences. Gail Weiss' AMERICANS FROM RUSSIA AND EASTERN EUROPE, Alan Wachtel's SOUTHEAST ASIAN AMERICANS, Joseph Gustaitis' CHINESE AMERICANS, Ken Park's AMERICANS FROM INDIA AND OTHER SOUTH ASIAN COUNTRIES, Jayne Keedle's WEST AFRICAN AMERICANS, AMERICANS AND THE CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AMERICA and Mexican AMERICANS and William David Thomas' KOREAN AMERICANS all provide fine stories of assimilation and cultural challenges perfect for any elementary-level collection. ... Read more

Product Description
This book redefines the concepts of the city and civilization in the Harappan and early historic south Asia, using archaeological data and ancient Indian texts. In contrast to previous studies, it approaches texts not as sources of factual information, but as sources of abstract ideas that can be used in the analyses of archaeological data. The main themes discussed throughout the book are: the use of ancient texts in the analysis of archaeological data; the ideas of the city and a complex society in ancient Indian literature; and the ideas of the city and civilization in the Harappan and Gangetic south Asia. Important to all interested in ancient south Asia, this book revisits controversial issues, such as the historicity of ancient Indian literature, the idea of the ancient Indian civilization and the continuity between the Harappan and Ganges cultures. The book is illustrated with plans of ancient south Asian cities and photos of some archaeological sites. ... Read more

Product Description
For decades they have remained close, sharing treasured recipes, honored customs, and the challenges of women shaped by ancient ways yet living modern lives. They are the Hindi-Bindi Club, a nickname given by their American daughters to the mothers who left India to start anew—daughters now grown and facing struggles of their own.

For Kiran, Preity, and Rani, adulthood bears the indelible stamp of their upbringing, from the ways they tweak their mothers’ cooking to suit their Western lifestyles to the ways they reject their mothers’ most fervent beliefs. Now, bearing the disappointments and successes of their chosen paths, these daughters are drawn inexorably home.

Kiran, divorced, will seek a new beginning—this time requesting the aid of an ancient tradition she once dismissed. Preity will confront an old heartbreak—and a hidden shame. And Rani will face her demons as an artist and a wife. All will question whether they have the courage of the Hindi-Bindi Club, to hold on to their dreams—or to create new ones.

An elegant tapestry of East and West, peppered with food and ceremony, wisdom and sensuality, this luminous novel breathes new life into timeless themes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (44)

Disappointing
The Hindi-Bindi club was very disappointing compared to it's Indian-American chick-lit peers. The book jacket compared it to the Joy Luck Club, but Pradhan lacks the writing and storytelling abilities of Amy Tan. And Hindi-Bindi actually suffers from one of Joy Luck's major flaws, a lack of positive representations of same-ethnicity romantic relationships. All the daughters in the book exclusively date white American men. I found this both boring and unlikely. Meanwhile, the mothers' marriages all appear deeply flawed, except the one mom married to an Irish-Italian man. Some of the descriptions of these idealized, ultra-sensitive yet manly American men were truly cringeworthy.

None of relationships, positive or negative, had much depth, nuance or interesting surprises. But then, neither did any of the characters. This book felt like the author was trying really really hard to write a book that would be interesting to both her clueless non-Indian sorority sister and her mom's book club. I think she would have been more successful if she stopped thinking about the audience and simply wrote what was meaningful to her without trying to use the characters as a literal explanation of her ideas. It started off well, but by the end I was rushing to finish. I hope Pradhan tries again because there were tiny kernels of possibility in this book.

Very good!
This book was excellent!The characters were so alive I thought they could jump out of the page.The only thing I have to say is that I skipped most of Saroj's parts.They're tedious and boring.

Good Vacation Book
I was traveling to India, so thought this would be a cute book for the long trip over.You know, to set the mood.The book is a very fast read, predictable -- right down to the love interest, and also knowing that everyone would "live happily ever after".All the strings get sewn up at the end, even the dad is on board.As a bonus in this book, lots of recipes at the end of every chapter.If there was somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, that is where this book would end up.It was CUTE.That is the best word to describe it.

A perfect blend of culture and characters
I recently read this book again because it was a selection for my bookclub.I enjoyed it just as much the second time.The story focuses on mothers and daughters, mothers who were Indian immigrants and daughters who were raised in America.The characters each have a unique experience to share, but they are all connected beautifully.I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about the immigrant experience, as well as those who love stories about the relationships between mothers and their daughters.

Lacking Depth
The Hindi-Bindi Club started off alright, kind of an Indian version of The Joy Luck Club, which I thoroughly enjoyed.I was really expecting more depth to the characters.The stories started off very intriguing, such as Kiran's estrangement with her parents and I thought the stories of the mothers' early years were great, but I would have liked the author to expand more on the characters' present lives.For example, we are told Saroj Auntie is having an affair, but only a page and a half is devoted to that.I wish the author had spent more time developing that, as obviously it's a huge deal, not just a sidenote to be swept under the rug.Furthermore, we only know a little of Kiran's estrangement from her family, which is due to her first marriage which her parents didn't agree with.But why didn't they approve and what happened in the marriage?Obviously the book is trying to connect the lives of 6 women, but along the way, there are too many "rabbit trails" that just jump off somewhere and don't connect.I couldn't understand why Preity couldn't get over her first love, I couldn't connect at all with Rani, and I wanted to know more about Kiran's past.I just felt the author didn't spend enough time developing the daughters at all.Finally, the end of the story, where the focus is on Kiran and John, the story was just too fragmented.I couldn't keep up with whether we were at the Sangeet, the wedding or even India!

I do have to say, the receipes definately looked mouth watering and I want to try them, but the story itself was really lacking. ... Read more

Product Description
Submissive, docile, exotic... These are the images of South Asian women living in the USA that are created and perpetuated by society and the media--images that define and limit the boundaries of identity formation for these women. This book enables them to speak out as they redefine themselves, their families, and their communities in their journey of exploration and growth and in forging a biocultural identity. Written by South Asian immigrant gender specialists, this collection of original essays explores women's experiences with immigration. The chapters span different generational, religious, and regional points of view and at the same time cover women's varied and often conflicting roles as mothers, homemakers, and professionals. Among aspects covered are whether the experiences of South Asian women differ from other women, they way in which their experiences are different from those of male immigrants, the impact of home culture on gender role expectation, and their way of dealing with these conflicting pressures. A significant and timely book on an important but under-researched phenomenon. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

new perspective from second generation
Emerging voices provided a glimpse into the experience and voice of the second generation of Asian Indian women.Each chapter introduced us toviews and beliefs that challenged the stereotypes we see elsewhere.This book was an excellent update to perspectives on the matters that impactwomen every day: marriage, dating, divorce, remarriage. ... Read more

Product Description
This book grows out of the question, "What is South Asian American writing and what insights can it offer us about living in the world at this particular moment of tense geopolitics and inter-linked economies?" South Asian American literature, with its focus on the multiple geographies and histories of the global dispersal of South Asians, pulls back from a close-up view of the United States to reveal a wider landscape of many nations and peoples.

Drawing on the cosmopolitan sensibility of scholars like Anthony Appiah, Vinay Dharwadker, Martha Nussbaum, Bruce Robbins, and Amartya Sen, this book argues that to read the body of South Asian American literature justly, one must engage with the urgencies of places as diverse as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Burma, Pakistan, and Trinidad. Poets, novelists, and playwrights like Indran Amirthanayagam, Meena Alexander, Amitav Ghosh, Michael Ondaatje, Shani Mootoo, Amitava Kumar, Tahira Naqvi, and Sharbari Ahmed exhort North American residents to envision connectedness with inhabitants of other lands. These writers' significant contribution to American literature and to the American imagination is to depict the nation as simultaneously discrete and entwined within the fold of other nations. The world out there arrives next door. ... Read more

Product Description
Since the 1960s the number of Indian immigrants and their descendants living in the United States has grown dramatically. During the same period, the make-up of this community has also changed-the highly educated professional elite who came to this country from the subcontinent in the 1960s has given way to a population encompassing many from the working and middle classes. In her fascinating account of Indian immigrants in New York City, Madhulika S. Khandelwal explores the ways in which their world has evolved over four decades.

How did this highly diverse ethnic group form an identity and community? Drawing on her extensive interviews with immigrants, Khandelwal examines the transplanting of Indian culture onto the Manhattan and Queens landscapes. She considers festivals and media, food and dress, religious activities of followers of different faiths, work and class, gender and generational differences, and the emergence of a variety of associations.

Khandelwal analyzes how this growing ethnic community has gradually become "more Indian," with a stronger religious focus, larger family networks, and increasingly traditional marriage patterns. She discusses as well the ways in which the American experience has altered the lives of her subjects. ... Read more

Product Description
Horses in Warfare. Saddle, Stirrup, Horse Artillery, History of the Horse in South Asia, Horses in East Asian warfare, Horses in the Middle Ages, Horses in the Napoleonic Wars, American Indian Wars, Cavalry (United States), Cavalry in the American Civil War, Cavalry, Horses in World War I, Horses in World War II, Mounted Police, Mounted Search and Rescue ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Hawaii International Film Festival, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Chinatown Film Festival, Visual Communications, Vietnamese International Film Festival, New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest, New York Asian Film Festival, San Diego Asian Film Festival, San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, New York Korean Film Festival, Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, Chicago Palestine Film Festival, New York Filipino Film Festival, Silk Screen Asian American Film Festival, Boston Palestine Film Festival, Asian Animation Film Festival, Boston Asian American Independent Film Festival, Korea Studies in Media Arts. Excerpt:The Asian Animation Film Festival (AAFF) is a festival held in Chicago for one year in 2006. Founded by the Center for Asian Arts and Media at Columbia College Chicago , AAFF is a unique four day festival devoted to Pan-Asian artists and animation. By presenting films that are either related to the topics of Asian culture or involving an artist of Asian descent, AAFF hopes to introduce audiences to a broader range of Asian animation while allowing artists to express the vast and diverse Pan-Asian experience. Websites (URLs online) A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at The Boston Asian American Independent Film Festival (BAAIFF) is a rising student-run film festival in the U.S. region of New England that showcases Asian American independent films . The first BAAIFF, "Silkscreens," was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts and ran on September 24-25, 2004. The opening ceremony included a keynote speech by Greg Pak , best known for writing and directing Robot Stories . Websites (URLs online) A hyperlinked version of this chapter is at The Boston Pale... ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

A broader picture of an invisible minority
Over all this book is based on two historic frameworks, viz., American melting pot (salad bowl, assimliation, etc.), and canadian 'unity in diversity' (the famous phrase Nehru is attributed to).

Contents: Indians in North America; Independence and Conflict;
Immigration to North America; Making a New Life; Keeping the Culture Alive; Human Smuggling and Worker Exploitation; Future Immigration; Famous Indian Americans/Canadians; Glossary;
Further Reading; Internet Resources; Index.

About the book: An overview of immigration from India to the United States and Canada since the 1960s, and particularly since the technology boom of the 1990s when highly skilled professionals came seeking better incomes and opportunities than they could find in their homeland.An overview of immigration from India to the United States and Canada since the 1960s, and particularly since the technology boom of the 1990s when highly skilled professionals came seeking better incomes and opportunities than they could find in their homeland (source publisher).

The strength of the book is in its coverage, which is (by and large) credible, authentic, and from a neutral perspective, by way of illustrating how a community is striking a balance in a foreign, but adapted, home. The contents, in short portray two rays: a) major faiths that have Asian-Indian colors; and b) experiences of people, in their struggle, pains, labor, success (example, IT boomers, technology exporters, or Indian teachers, p. 52) and failure (human smuggling, the picture of an illegal immigrant in American jail on p. 86).

The weakness of the book is it tries to cover too much in a small space, about an immigrant population that is the second largest in the continent. In this sense it is a research work, but useful to a school student. It cannot be taken as a reference work for advanced study.

History and historiography needs facts and figures, which can be corroborated, NOT by way of gossip. An issue relates to few textual / contextual matters. For instance, a picture carries a note of the burnt train that led to the Gujarat riots of 2002, and the note states the train was bombed by a mob (p. 29). A word about the bombing is pertinent. No worthy source has used the word `bombed,' in reporting this riot. There are theories of burning the train from inside, or from outside, NONE says about bombing. This subject is sub-judicial as of this date, and interests all human watchers.

In trying to be neutral, the book however does not highlight the neutral contributors in the North American Mosaic. Many secular and democratic efforts, by educated and enlightened Indians, continue to contribute their might in making the ends meet. The utility of the book would have been enhanced, if it had separate chapters on US and Canadian narratives-because the twain are not identical in many respects, such as, laws, opportunities, treatment towards Multifaith multicultural and multilingual communities, etc. A socio-pysco-lignuist, searching in this book for accent, acculturation, adaptability, and so on, will have to look elsewhere. Vegetarians will be happy to find some food for thought, but Halal foods for Muslims, and Jhatka food for Sikhs is absent. Further, in this book, Canada gets less than 20% coverage. And in cataloging Canadian contributions, missing content includes first, Haroon Siddiqi (the award winning journalist, editor Emiratus Toronto Star); second, Rohinton Mistry is a writer who makes up a part of the Indian diaspora

A misnomer is the title, per se. In America, Indians are natives who are the real Americans (or call them local inhabitants of the continent), and NOT immigrants. The title of the book could be Asian Indians, Immigrants from India-to be precise and communicative-a title not just for publicity stunt.

As a Fulbrighter, and who has worked in identifying bridges across Indo-American cultures for over a decade, my book, Indian Contribution to American Studies (co-author: Dr. Mohammed Burhanuddin. Delhi: Anmol, 1997), has much more to offer in understanding how Indians--even if these Indians do not land in America-are, nevertheless, contributors to the glory that is and the grandeur that is emerging in the West.

Furthermore, Amazon.com offers an excellent opportunity to compile bibliographies. My Listmania (or bibliography), on "Immigrants" is a useful list of books for those who are looking for similar titles): www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/listmania/list-browse/-/D0GU65VVJ6CO/ref=cm_aya_av.lm_more/002-0928635-8893604

See my other lists: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/cm/member-fil/-/AF9SY5YLN3JDX/ref=cm_aya_bb_lm/102-6017208-1038532
... Read more

Product Description
Indians in America have emerged as one of the most dynamic immigrant communities in the American mosaic.

This book narrates their diasporic saga covering pre-1950 stream, and two waves (post-1965, and 1980), and profiles the three generations. It examines the gaps in the perceptions and priorities of the first generation parents, their second-generation children, and the elderly on the basis of empirical data. It also examines the complex relationship pattern of the emerging new Indian woman in the family as well as the latent phenomenon of domestic violence.

It documents the increasing role and influence of Indians in American political process, and the emergence of a group of hi-tech entrepreneurs, physicians, and motel model. A useful book for those interested in the issues of identity and cultural assimilation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Insigntful Work
The book on 'Indians in America' was so interesting that without doing my important work, I first finished reading it. The book covers all aspects of Asian Indians with anecdotes as well as analytical frame. Achievements, cultural, historical, economic aspects of Asian Americans are documented. It succinctly profiles the elderly, first and second generations of Indian origin. I have published four books on Gujarati community in the USA in English and Gujarati, as well as a book on Gujarati community in England. But if I were to write again, I can benefit from useful insights this book provides. CHANDRAKANT PATEL, Bristol, TN, USA (Retired professor in History, Book Author and a Columnist)

One Stream, Two Waves, Three Generatioons of Indians in Amer
ONE STREAM, TWO WAVES, THREE GENERATIONS OF INDIANS IN AMERICA: Author- Pravin Sheth

Published by : Rawat Publications Satyam Apts, Sector 3, Jain Temple road,Jawahar Nagar, JAIPUR - 4 Rajasthan, India Price : Rs. 795-or $ 40

Book Review: By Batuk Vora - Asian Indians living in America always lived a low-profile life through most part of the 20th century. They were never known to be assimilative or assertive and they even tended to surrender to all kinds of discriminatory or racist treatment whenever they were confronted with. Such a discreet existence has not ended quite entirely at this time for most of the older generations living there. But for a community as a whole, it is altogether a different story now.

Despite a great success, Indo-Americans have not yet replaced Jews as politically topmost influential community, nor they could do so in near future. But they have placed themselves in frontline as the most successful minority community contributing a lot to the American economy and American high technology. However, their contribution to the developing economy of India leave much to be desired.

What has brought about such a qualitative change? Simply the number? Latest census 2000 indicates a rise of its population to 1.5 million from less than a million before. But the rise happened in the cases of other Asian minorities too. Why then only the Indians came to the fore?

Is it because of increased election campaign funding by the Asian Indians to both the Democrats and Republicans? May be not, as such funding pour in the coffers of two main parties from other minorities too- from Vietnamese, Chinese, Philipinos, Mexicans or Hispanics, etc. Moreover, most of the time the funds given to politicians do not attract any special advantage to the giver community or their homeland, so far as the American system is concerned. Administration is dominated by Caucasians and minorities feel only proud to be obliged when some small positions are distributed to them.

Actually, Indo-Americans have lately evoked a worldwide attention, mainly because of their well recognised leading role in the information technology in general and computer software in particular. Secondly, former president Bill Clinton, most likely because of the moral pressure from his wife Hilary Rotham, took a new turn in his policy on India-Pakistan in the last few weeks of his 8-year long two terms. Of course, geo-political and economic factors played their role and Clinton could no longer resist the need of reshaping his South Asia policy which smacked of totally wrong assessment through all his earlier period. He always equated India with Pakistan. But no more now and the George Bush junior administration is too glad to build even the "strategic relations" with India, rather than with Pakistan as a part of its new thrust of hegemony in the world.

In retrospect, Gujarati scholar Pravin Sheth has come out with a very timely book that for the first time covers three generations of Indo-Americans in all their colours. Former head of the department of political science at Gujarat University, Pravin Sheth also worked as Charles Wallace Trust Senior Fellow, University of Hall, U.K. and once studied / researched at theUniversity of Pensylvania, Philadelphia U.S.A. He now lives in California. He is well respected and recognised in Gujarat as a scholar.

One of the hallmarks of this book is his attempt to narrate the diasporic saga covering pre-1950 stream andtwo waves of immigrant Indians - post-1965 and 1980. Sheth also profiles the three generations including the elderly's with a kind of kaleidoscopic pattern. On women, the book deals with both stereotypes and beyond. It's not an easy job for a writer to encompass such a vast panorama on a community that is diverse, colourful and multi-lingual loaded with both live and dead values of ancientculture. Obviously, the writer seems little reluctant to critically deal with the negative features of so called "ethico-cultural movements" (chapter 6) that includes both religious, ethnic and cultural legacies sought to be deligently preserved for posterity.

Among the religious or "identity" movements the book devotes more than enough space are Swaminarayan Sect, Chinmoy Mission, Swadhyaya Parivar, SaiBaba Parivar, Gita Study Centres, etc. The author relates in threadbare detail various aspects of Swadhyaya "movement" of Dada Pandurang Athvale. Being Gujarati himself, he could not possibly free himself from its influence. Those Gujarati and Maharashtrian Indians who have joined this movement in America have perhaps never been told, nor the author has mentioned in this 20-page long narration that Athavale's preaching perpetrates the Chaturvarna Brahminic order. It should have been mentioned that a large section of Indians were either winking their eyes or ignored such a preaching for their own sake. Such "dhyan" movements were dubbed as a "sheer waste of time and energy" by none other than late J.Krishnamurthy, another well known philosopher, who spent much of his life in America and preached his doctrine of"psychological revolution."

However, the writer deserves appreciation for making critical comments on Swaminarayan cult practice ofkeeping women in separate enclosures during their religious congregations. Such preaching and practices have aroused strong protests and reservation among many enlightened women and men of Indian origin in America itself- leave alone those "materialist" Western people. Their same conservative practice refers to the saffron-clad swamis (ascetics) enjoying their meals many times at their devotees' homes butbanning those same housewives who cooked the food from their homes while swamis devoured that food. This reviewer has personally watched them doing this in America.

Swaminarayan Parivar's main activity of building grand and costly temples in foreign lands (built 33 temples abroad so far- a Guinea's world record ! )seeks to perpetrate a cult of an individual and establish the cultist devotion as an essential middle agency to reach God or attain the salvation.

One of the facts well observed and noted in the book is about "major representative organizations" (chapter 8) of Indo-Americans. Only three influential and well run organizations out of the dozens of associations have rightly been mentioned:organization of Asian Indian physicians (AAPI), of hotel-motel owners (AAHOA) and of Indian entrepreneurs (TiE). Laborious and detailed account of these three important bodies has been well given.

At the same time, the author has collected and described the facts about Sangh Parivar organizations wedded to so called Hindutva ideology, built on sectarian principals, primarily to serve their India-based Hindu fanatic mother bodies, the author has collected and narrated interesting facts. Similar story about Islamic Jehadis would have further enriched the book. A fact that needs to be added is that these Hindu organizations basically provide the financial and ideological support to the Sangh Parivar in India and works to consolidate sectional and partisan spirit among vulnerable Hindus aborad. Unfortunately, some of the community organizations like Federation of Indian Associations and National Federation of Indian Associations have undergone several splits mainly because of the push and pull of various self-serving leaders and certain misguided ideological motivations on the part of some of those fanatics.

A fact clearly coming out fromthe book is that most Indo-Americans live for, by and of their own community by avoiding close contacts with fellow Americans. This book itself gives many interesting examples of Indians who have been carrying on the same semi-feudal lifestyle (like wife-beating) or traditional conservative mode of life bringing all the conceptual garbage from India with them. It would have been more interesting to know some opinions of fellow Americans about their Indian neighbours or about those Hindu temple commotions and noisy activities.

Finally, it is chapter 14 of "Reviews and Reflections" that mirrors the fast changing psychology of Indo-Americans as the third generation of high-tech kids emerges on top by overtaking all the older lot. We are told how the new breed of women show their independent orientation and actively seek freedom against domestic violence, building their own hotline to help out other women in distress. Organizations like Maitri, Sakhi, Manvi, Trikone, Samakami, SALGA and Masala have been attempting to chalk out a new path, breaking old stereotype image of Indians. Some of them go further and signal the surfacing of the undercurrents of radical social and sexual behaviour of a section of the youth.

Most outstanding of the new generation is the networked diaspora, as the author rightly notes. Indian Americans widely use the web for commerce, professional pursuits, to access the India news and infotainment. Creation of a global Indian dot-com community (dot kaum too!) has had the dual impact of allowing the Indians to access t

Just outstanding
Well put-together. Hard to find such comprehensive book on the subject. It shatters a lot of cobwebs about the "Culture in the lime lights" It can be read even in "cracks of time"! I would highly recommend it.

Many facets converge
Each immigrant community in the US has its unique amalgam of cross cultural ethos. Prof. Pravin Sheth lucidly captures the multiple strands of the Indian Diaspora in the United States in his study: "Indians in America: One Stream, Two Waves, Three Generations." (Jaipur and New Delhi: Rawat Publications, 2001. 457 pp. )Comprehensive in approach, well researched, and insightful, the study is a rich resource of information and a thought provoking catalyst revealing new directions. Besides getting a historical overview of Indian immigration, various factions of the Indian Diaspora can use the work to self-examine one's identity, individual and collective, to find a new course of leadership for continual expansion. Ranging from the issues pertaining to minority status and its ramifications to enviable accomplishments in fields such as medicine, hospitality industry, and above all computers in mere two decades may be a known story carved in the heart of every Indian immigrant as (s)he proudly reviews the Indian Americans' achievements.Sheth's study offers a balanced analysis, with ample stories of individuals and groups, of the process, as he helps the reader wade through "one stream and two waves"' to help the three generations understand each other. Be they the confused teenagers, or hard working parents, or displaced elderly making a new home in the US, all get a view of the Others. Some are happy stories, others not so gentle. Personally or professionally, like any other community, the Indian Americans have their tales of wealth and woe, success and failure. It is the judicious analysis of social and cultural conflicts and integration as well as the challenges of the professional world that makes Sheth's study a valuable contribution sharpening our perception of the incredible success of this ethnic group in a remarkably short time in its land of adoption.Most outstanding is the analysis of the emerging Indian woman in the new world. Moving from patriarchy and traditionalism, where the woman has held traditions intact, into the new awareness of her identity, the Indian woman evolves a distinct femininity from her western counterpart. Sheth's analysis of gender roles and psyche to counteract new responsibilities and culture is discerning and imaginative. His admiration and admonition of the new womanhood, where it falls into mere imitative mode, is striking. Despite his long academic association, Sheth is a virtual third generation, a new comer to this land. This makes the astuteness of his perceptions and analytical insight even more commendable. Perhaps Sheth is what it takes: the wise outsider who knows and can speak the truth about the "emperor's clothes." I highly recommend this book: a must for any who wants to view one ethnic community with internal variety so diffuse that it sees little in common besides the label "Indian American." All generations of both genders within each group may begin to glimpse their multiple identities, their roles, and dreams - and their often forgotten, or unnoticed, commonalities. They may begin to envision where they go from here. ... Read more

Product Description
Explores postcolonial discourse from the standpoint of feminism and writers in minority languages. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description

First Darling of the Morning is the powerful and poignant memoir of bestselling author Thrity Umrigar, tracing the arc of her Bombay childhood and adolescence from her earliest memories to her eventual departure for the United States at age twenty-one. It is an evocative, emotionally charged story of a young life steeped in paradox; of a middle-class Parsi girl attending Catholic school in a predominantly Hindu city; of a guilt-ridden stranger in her own land, an affluent child in a country mired in abysmal poverty. She reveals intimate secrets and offers an unflinching look at family issues once considered unspeakable as she interweaves two fascinating coming-of-age stories—one of a small child, and one of a nation.

Customer Reviews (10)

Memoir of Difficult Family Life in Bombay
The author's memories of her childhood and adolescence, including both a painful family life and her developing intellectual and artistic character, this book seems a bit disjointed, much like life.Physical and emotional abuse by her mother is never dealt with or resolved; the death of a favorite uncle is also painful.The author's determination to get away from her loving but constantly fighting family by going to school in America is impressive.I can't wait to read the next installment of her autobiography, even though this one was a hard read for such a short book.

You can't judge a book by its...author?
In First Darling of the Morning, memoirist Thritima "Thrity" Umrigar tells of her life of relative wealth and privilege growing up as a Bombayite. Surrounded by the poor, with servants staffing their home, the family is well aware of how the other half lives. Her father, uncle (Babu), and spinster aunt (Mehroo), work in the same lumber factory and are her biggest sources of love and support. Her mother, a cruel, calculating woman that abuses some of the neighborhood children she's hired to tutor, is a thorn in her side.

The woman can write, and I love the honest feel of her memories, especially the self-deprecating, warts-and-all aspect of its telling. Unfortunately, it's those very warts that trouble me. Having been raised in a relatively strict, lower middle-class household by parents of German descent, I just can't help but be irritated by her spoiled-bratty behavior and entitled-seeming attitude, especially considering she is not that much older than I. On a special family outing to the Hanging Gardens, she throws a fit over a melted chocolate bar, ruining the day for everyone. She feels remorse, but in describing her effort to hold back her emotions, she writes (p 19), "My eyes fill with tears but I blink them away, not wanting to draw attention to myself." I'm thinking - what about the part where you threw the silly tantrum? Lacking self-restraint, she ruins an important, expensive item in spite of the knowledge of its value. She behaves badly towards some of (nun) schoolteachers, one of whom she ridicules about her looks and another that she seems intent on murdering. And when she eventually decides to treat the help with a bit of respect (reverting from the usual term "Ganga" for one particular house servant to the more respectful "Auntie," and accompanying her on a family outing), it feels as "too little too late" as her intent in choosing the words for this book's title. In summary, overprivileged, underappreciative girl transforms into skilled-writer adult. Better: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller and Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt.

Beautiful and Soaring
Unbelievably beautiful novel of a childhood I can relate to, even 10,000 miles away.Her unique, almost effortless descriptions send emotions soaring.

From S. Krishna's Books
First Darling of the Morning is a series of glimpses into author Thrity Umrigar's childhood, growing up in Bombay at a time when the country of India was still new and unstable. The stories start at a very young age with some of Umrigar's earliest memories and continue until she is twenty years old and leaving India for the great uncertainty of the United States.

This isn't a solid memoir, though; there are gaps in between each story, sometimes of a few days, sometimes of a few years. It allows the author to pick and choose which of her memories she wants to share with the reader. Sometimes they are humorous and sometimes they are incredibly painful. Each is a part of a larger story: the tale of Umrigar's coming of age in an uncertain time.

Though First Darling of the Morning is a memoir, it reads like literary fiction. This is the perfect book for those people who want to read more nonfiction but have trouble with writing styles or pacing. The book itself is relatively short and the words flow like a smoothly moving water; Umrigar's writing is simply beautiful. She writes with such longing, in some ways desperate to once again be the child she left behind, to correct all those mistakes she made. However, there is also wisdom behind her words, the realization that she can never return.

Her words also hold great passion. Umrigar portrays what it was to be a conflicted youth in Bombay at a time of unrest. There is no preaching here about what India was or what it has become; it is simply memories, thoughts and observations from someone who lived at a turbulent time. In some ways, India was coming of age at the same time that Umrigar was. And that's what this is at its core: a coming-of-age story. It has all the pain of what it is to grow up, to be a teenager. Anyone of any culture will recognize Umrigar's self-doubt and inner turbulence. You don't need to be Indian to sympathize with her and understand her plight; it is a story that has been told again and again since the beginning of time in a thousand different ways.

However, it is those Indian elements that make First Darling of the Morning special, in many ways Umrigar's tribute to her heritage, to where she came from. It is her signal that she will never forget and never push it aside in shame. She writes proudly with her head held high.

Between the poignancy of the stories and the gravitas and beauty of Umrigar's writing, First Darling of the Morning is a gem that is absolutely not to be missed. I can't recommend it highly enough; I only wish there was more to read. For now, though, readers must settle for this small but satisfying look at one girl's journey to adulthood.

[...]

A book that must be owned and treasured!
I picked this book up at our local library, intrigued by the author's name and by the location, Mumbai, birthplace of our precious grandchildren. I decided I should read more and sat down to read for thirty minutes. HOURS later, I looked at the clock amazed by how much time had passed while I had been transported to Mumbai in my mind through the gift of the author, Thrity Umrigar. I loved this book completely! It is a treasure to be owned. I may have to buy a second book, just so I have one to loan to my friends. It's THAT terrific.
This author is not only a master of words and language, she is also adeeply perceptive human being who captures the essence of human relationships in ways that inspire and uplift the reader.
If you take the time to buy and read this book,
you won't regret it. Give yourself this gift!
We are so lucky to have access to her work!
Thank you Thrity. My life is enriched by your work.


... Read more