I plan to write about the St. Thomas India Catholic Mission Detroit Inauguration Program from Aug. 5, 1995. I am interested in the adoption of Catholicism within the Indian community and whether it was done as a result of assimilation within the United States or as the result of mission work in India. Thus, I would like to address the role that Catholicism, and maybe Christianity in general, plays in South Asian American history and in the lives of South Asian Americans by contextualizing the program this way. I would also like to address the content of the program that it outlines, specifically, its cultural program and how the mission chooses to fuse Catholic and Indian tradition and what that fusion suggests for South Asian Americans and
Professor and poet Deborah A. Miranda, pieces together the past and uncovers and presents us with a story--a Californian story--in her memoir, “Bad Indians.” Her use of the Christian Novena, “Novena to Bad Indians,” illustrates the irony of using the form of her oppressors as a call out for help, not to God, but to her past ancestors. We tend to think of religion as a form of salvation and redemption of our lives here on Earth, in which we bare down and ask for forgiveness. But by challenging this common discourse using theological allegories and satirical terminology, Miranda turns her attention away from a Deity to call the reader out for help. It is crucial to recognize the struggles that the Native community currently face. Californian Indians are often not given recognition for their identity and their heritage, and are also repeatedly stereotyped as abusive, alcoholic, uncivilized, and “freeloaders” of the United States government. Such generalizations root back from European colonization, nevertheless still linger in our contemporary society. Miranda has taken the first step forward in characterizing few of these stereotypes in her Novena, but she’s given her story. Now what are we going to do with ours? It’s up to us to create our
A girl from Sarajevo Bosnia settled in Florida along with her family after escaping Bosnia as war refugees. Since her aunt lived in Florida, she helped facilitate the proper paper work for acceptance into America. In the interview we discussed, gender roles, spiritual beliefs, food, in addition to the benefits and disadvantages of being part of this cultural group. It was a fascinating experience to learn about her family, history and culture.
Deloria, with his analytical survey, Indians in Unexpected Places, recounts the synthesis of western white expectations, and American Indians. The book takes its title from the general thesis, which explores not only the relationship between Indians and their introduction into an alien culture, but also the expectations that we have of Indians and how they “should” interact with our white western culture. According to Deloria, the common notion is that, “Indian people, corralled on isolated and impoverished reservations, missed out on modernity- indeed, almost missed out of history itself.” (Deloria p. 6) This falsified expectation that we have of the Native American peoples causes us to balk at the anomalies of an Indian when combined with Western culture.
The first understanding of India arrived in America through commercial and missionary activity. The finding of America itself was a mistake, as explorers were searching for a shorter route to India. At the time India was known for its great wealth, kingdoms and exotic mysteries (Charles Lippy & Peter Williams). Based on religious perspective India was thought to have an “ancient wisdom”, which rest upon a philosophy with the oldest religious scriptures. Prior to the twentieth century Americans knew little about Hinduism, therefore conceived it as inferior, pagan, and probably idolatrous (Charles Lippy & Peter Williams). Sadly this will not be the first of or last time America will have made quick and inaccurate decision on a diverse world religion. Even though Hinduism may have had difficulty establishing itself earlier in America, it has grown exponentially over the years.
Bartolomé de Las Casas was a sixteenth century Dominican friar, who was best known for his detailed accounts on the initial stages of colonization of the West Indies by the Spanish Empire. His most famous work, entitled A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, outlined the numerous atrocities committed against the native population by Spanish colonizers. Las Casas’s letter was written to King Charles I of Spain with the purpose of informing him of these wrong doings. Additionally, Las Casas hoped that Charles I would remedy the situation before Spain fell victim to God’s wrath. The Catholic Reformation of the sixteenth century, also called the Counter Reformation, was the Catholic Church response to the Protestant Reformation. It’s primary mission was to purify, revitalize, and expand Christianity. Many new religious orders and sects began to form in the wake of the reformation. The most prominent of these new orders was Society of Jesus, which was founded in 1540 and was led by Ignatius Loyola. Jesuits took vows of obedience, poverty, and chastity. They are also well known for their loyalty to the Pope and some Jesuits elected to devote themselves to God as missionaries at the Pope’s request. Francis Xavier, who was a founding member of the Society of Jesus, was one of the first Jesuit missionaries to travel to Asia and he was particularly renowned for his missionary accomplishments in Japan. In 1552, Saint Francis Xavier wrote a letter entitled Missionaries in Japan, wherein he described the cultural norms of Japanese society and the daily lives of the Jesuit missionaries. His writings provided insight into how Roman Catholicism was spread throughout Asia as well as the difficulties these missionaries faced. These acc...
California Baptist University (CBU) is located in Riverside, California on a 142 acre campus. There is a population of 7,957 students with a 100% Christian faculty and staff. On average, 35% of students are men and 65% women. There are 150 undergraduate majors offered, and 45 graduate majors. Some majors offered that I am interested in are in the College of Architecture and Visual Art and Design, as well as a Pre-Physical Therapy and Kinesiology. I have a strong interest in both graphic design type fields, as well as a science and fitness interest in physical therapy.
The novel ‘Interpreter of Maladies’ by Jhumpa Lahiri is comprised of many short stories including ‘This Blessed House’ and ‘The Third and Final Continent’. ‘This Blessed House’ is centered on a newlywed Indian couple moving into their house and finding Christian trinkets all over the house. ‘The Third and Final Continent’ is about another newlywed couple and their move to America. Both short stories are told from the point of view of the husband and have the recurring element of tradition, therefore the effects of tradition and culture on the daily lives and relationships of newlywed couples are highlighted.
that sin also” (Eliot and Mayhew, 18,19). In order for these Indians to be accepted into society,
The nonfiction story written by Zitkala Sa, “The Soft-Hearted Sioux “is significant for me. The story relates not only to Indians; it includes immigrants too. As a Pakistani immigrant, I face with cultural conflicts and beliefs every day. my parent’s resistance to assimilate American culture because they think speaking English and wearing American outfits at home make us forget our culture and concerned about us becoming more American. When I am home I have to follow Pakistani culture and when I am out in school or with friends I have to be an American. I am liberal person that doesn’t make me a lesser Pakistani but my parents do not understand thus making me question my identity. In the story, the man grows up as an Indian then coverts to Christian and then becomes Indian again. He is fighting for his
Chapter 16 in the book Tradition & Encounter: A Global Perspective on the Past written by Jerry H. Bentley and Herbert F. Ziegler is mainly about Islam and Hindu kingdoms, and the meetings of their traditions, production and trade in the Indian Ocean Basin, and the influence of Indian society in Southeast Asia.
Mukherjee compares her experiences in Indian culture, Canadian culture, and finally American culture in her quest to describe “American.” In India, she was a part of a primarily “…Hindu, Bengali-speaking, a...
It’s implausible that this house became a cultural center for Buddhist, especially being incorporated in a Roman Catholic and Christian community, but there is such thing as a diverse community, especially within El Paso. Throughout the week, the Buddhist house engages in meditation
As previously stated, religion is a large influencer in the acculturation process. This is evidently seen in certain cultures such as in the Catholic community. The Catholic faith teaches women’s primary role as mothers and caregivers. This may lead to women under the Catholic faith to avoid being active in public or non-family tasks and activities (Koeske). The restrictions set on certain individuals, by religion, limits them from fusing the new culture with their traditions from home, ultimately disallowing the individual from growing and learning. Now that we know that the acculturation process affects all members in an immigrant family, we can see that the youth in these families struggle to become independent. These feelings are brought on by the youth feeling obligated to help their families while the American society is pushing for independence. This can lead to confusion among the youth in every family and can cause issues relating to their self-identity. While the youth continue to feel obligated to care for their families, they will find it more difficult to become independent and much harder to integrate the new culture into their lives when their family is promoting old
Each of the authors assigned to the class approached a specific element of India from a particular direction, with some authors touching on the same issues from very different angles. For example, Octavio Paz and Margaret Trawick touched on Indian culture, but from two different angles. Paz approached northern India as an ambassador to India focusing on the history and philosophy of India in shaping culture. Trawick, on the other hand, approached southern India as an anthropologist focusing on the construction of families and gender in India. The two images of India and culture presented by the to authors were rather different, however, looking at the two together allowed for a more comprehensive approach to India and the construction of Indian culture. The result between those two authors, as well as in looking at the rest of the authors, was a more complete image of what India is, as opposed to the dreams of a few from one narrow angle.
To fully understand Indian culture and customs, India’s long history is used as a foundation. Numerous religions were founded in India. These religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Other religions have also played influences in shaping Indian culture such as Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Henceforth, religion is intertwined with customs and traditions. Therefore, this discussion will defer to religions as the main factor of cultural diversity and sensitively addressing issues.