The Brown Crowd

by Shruti Purhoit

Friday night-time to PARTY!  You have two options: 1) there is a “brown party” going on that you could go to. 2) Some of the people you are in class with (not brown) are having a party.  Which one do you choose?

Naturally people are drawn to those who are like them.  Many South Asian people tend to stick to their own crowd because it’s easier to be accepted and understand those around you.

“I think Indian people seem to be my comfort zone.  I never really talk about my personal life with my Non-Indian friends.  I think it’s easier to talk with Indian people because they can relate to what I am thinking because it has to do with my upbringing and my parents,” Meera Patel, a student at University of Texas, said.

Even though it is sometimes harder to explain yourself to those different than you, living in a country where things are so diverse, it is necessary to know about different kinds of people.

“I went to schools where there were barely any Indian people around.  In high school, there was probably only one Indian person in each grade,” Shivani Bhakta, a student at University of Houston, said.  That didn’t bother me though; I was used to it and I like having different kinds of friends.”

Many times parents influence the outcome of the social life of their kids.  Social events that are culturally related can influence people to stay surrounded by the same type of people as them.

“Growing up, going to Swadhyay and other religious events, helped me know more and more Indian people while growing up.  My parents never pushed me to just hang out with Indian people, but I don’t think they ever had to because I have always been surrounded by it,” Patel said.

Also, meeting family friends, friends of friends, and etc. makes the socializing with your “own” easier to do.

“I think it is good to push yourself to know different kinds of people, but it is also important to hang out with Indians.  You can’t ignore those uncles and aunties that helped your parents out for so many years,” Priya Das, a student at University of Texas, said.

Many times, parents find it easier for them to accept your friends when they know the background of the kids their children hang out with.

“In high school, my parents weren’t comfortable with me staying at people’s houses whose parents they didn’t know.  I never really did spend the night at a non-Indian friend’s house,” Das said.

Having the same kinds of friends around all the time can also hurt you in the end as well.  Sometimes you have to break out and see what other kind of people are out there.

“I feel diversity is awesome because we are going to encounter different types of people and it is important to know their culture and where they come from,” Bhakta said.  “By hanging out with only Indians-you’re limiting yourself.”

We live in a country which is considered to be one of greatest melting pots of the world.  Even though we all may not have been born and raised in South Asia, it is important to know where you come from.  On the other hand, it is also important to meet different kinds of people because sooner or later you will have to break out into the world.