I read an interesting article by Jhumpa Lahiri about the issues of immigrants. I myself am a 2nd generation immigrant. By 2nd generation, I do not mean in the conventional sense. My father was an immigrant and I am an immigrant too. I am not just a son of an immigrant!
But I think my father must have faced more challenges and novelty when he came to Delhi from Kerala rather than my migration(?) from Delhi to USA. That is because growing up in Delhi, I have had exposure to American culture first from Television and then through internet. Such an exposure of the culture of Delhi would not have been there for my father when he grew up in the village (avittathur).
But the history of humankind is one of movement. Ofcourse the nomads were the first immigrants and then there have been regular pattern of migration recorded and unrecorded at all times. But the fastest immigration must have been those of ideas. Ah, I digress!
In essence, immigration is not a new phenomena but what has changed is that now I think it has become easier to immigrate. Infact, in a century almost everyone living at that time will have be an immigrant once his life.
My last posts have been so intellectual. I guess this phase is very strong over me right now. So let me write about something which is so absurd but yet so intellectual. Dada is(was) a movement started in post world war I Europe. I just came across this term but eventhough I do not know much about its history but I felt an instant connection to its ideals. It is intellectual anarchism at its highest and I simply love it.
If the idea of Dada was not there then I would have invented it. But I guess to get a concrete idea of something like this you must have a group of people feeling the same way. So that interacting, exchanging ideas will help solidify your arguments and crystallise the thing in your brain.
For more information on Dada go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dada
Six degrees of Separation
Another thought provoking concept. It was suggested by someone that each person is connected to every other person by at most six intermediaries. For instance, I may know someone and he may know someone and so on to reach every other person. But this number is at the most six. Not very clear explanation but hope u got the hang of it.
It has never been proved absolutely but I guess it is a result of the exponential increase of multiplication.
Another gruelling week ahead full of assignments, research, procrastination(!) and a very important job.
And after that Florida becons!
Adios
3 comments:
"Infact, in a century almost everyone living at that time will have be an immigrant once his life."... hmm well said... its a good observation on your part tht you analyzed, the seeds of which would have been sown in your own immigration.
Yep I fully agree that it would get easier and easier to cross the cultural, language, adaptation issue barriers as the time would progress... but how many ppl would have resources for the same would be another issue.
that "dada" thing looks really interesting and really like the term "intellectual anarchism" u used... creates such a respectful picture in mind of the thing....
and that "six degrees of separation" no better example that orkut!
didnt know kerala-to-delhi counted as immigration! I thought it was to be between different countries :-)
hehe..yeah its perhaps a bit of mixup in words. I was emphasizing on the novelty of new place, new culture etc and contrasting with ppl who (for various reason) prefer to stay back and live where they have been brought up. Maybe I am just feeling homesick :) and intellectualizing it away.
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