Hell-Heaven

I would like to assume that the person reading this would have read The unaccustomed earth by jhumpa lahiri. Though this fragment of writing has no direct relation to that masterpiece collection of short stories by the much acclaimed writer, nor do these two or so paragraphs have the poise and the strength of prose that is possessed by the author of that novel.
This piece however draws parallels from Hell and Heaven, a story belonging to that collection. Hell and Heaven describes the experience of Indian diaspora in USA. The story spans three generations beginning in 1970s and culminating in the present time. It shows how people who came to America from India in 1970s were much attached to their roots . For them finding an Indian family and that too belonging to their hometown is sometimes a catalyst that enables them stay to on as for them, beyond the realms of intellectual and monetary pursuits, a thread that connects them to their roots gives them a much stronger sense of being at home than going to home itself. In contrast the progeny of such individuals who are born and raised in America are much closer to American culture. They adopt the American way of life, are educated in american ways and embrace the american culture in more ways than their parents have or ever will. They cannot eat the home cooked indian food for it is too spicy, bu they will gorge all day on the chemical mac and cheese and other such foods, smoking joints, booze etc is all so cool and so is 'hanging out' and 'making out'; terms that were unheard of when their parents were students.
But there is something more to it. Something more ominous as pointed out by the author in ever so scuttle manner that is so characteristic of her. The fact that the first generation diaspora that came here back then deserted their parents in their old age even though the indian system of values taught them otherwise, they now face a clear and present danger of being relegated to old age homes in an alien country when their end days come. For their children who are alien to indian value system cannot be expected to take care of their parents. This i believe is life's way of coming full circle. What the first generation indians did to their parents back then will happen to them in their old age. And it is worse for them for their parents at least died in the motherland; they face dying alone in a country not theirs.

After reading that short story, i have come to realize that Hell and heaven as described in the context of that story have blurred out in the present time. The present generation of students who move to US to pursue higher studies are a different breed all together than the previous generations. Quite a sizable percentage of them are from affluent families with private school English medium education and hence a set of values with a more occidental hue. The concept of dating isn't alien to them and so isn't drinking or smoking. Quite a few of them have had close encounters of 'that' kind and some of them are very open about their boyfriends/ girlfriends even with their parents. For such individuals, the culture shock is not as rude as it used be for their previous generations. America on its part has also changed since 1970s. There are a lot many Indian restaurants than there used to be back then and thus food is no more a concern as it was for the protagonist of that story. The non existent social life in college and university campuses back then as described in that work has also translated into something very colorful. Many American universities have hundreds of indian students. Coming from different parts of India, they are neatly organized into into indian student associations across various universities. These organizations give a vibrant and family like atmosphere to thousands of students coming from India. These groups enable fostering of strong bonds among people sharing same homeland in an alien land. Some of these bonds even last a lifetime.
So have heaven and hell merged into one singular state? Is the American experience mostly trouble free now as apposed to what it was back then? The answer is no. While Jhumpa lahiri focussed on issues that were more prominent back then, at this point from where i see, issues are different. For all the education and forward thinking, modern india is more divided on the lines of region now than it was then. This chasm is seen in a new light in indian diaspora in american campuses and beyond. People tend to flock with people of their own region. With a mass exodus of indians to american universities as students, being an indian is not enough. you have to belong to the same university of same city or same state at least if you are going to hang out together. The balancing of indian side and american side by the current lot is also shaky. While on one hand i have met people who say that 'Indians are not the best people to hang out with' to people who would have a strong opinion about democrats and republicans and dirty Indians within one year of being here and on the other hand there are those who still don't touch meat or liquor clinging on to their age old beliefs. So in this scenario what is heaven or what is hell? In the times when occident is learning a trick or two from orient and orient is adopting things that occident is slowly phasing out from its way of life there is no hell or heaven.