How to adjust to Indian culture after living abroad
The word culture has many definitions and can mean anything from a set of accepted behavior patterns, values, shared common experiences, practices, communication, behavior, etiquette, decision-making practices, and much more. Cultural differences vary from nation to nation throughout the world and understanding cultural differences requires understanding and acknowledging them before deciding to deal with them. India has a rich traditional culture dating back thousands of years. Indian culture has not undergone many changes in these years.
Many Indians in the US and those who work in Indian companies in the US are returning to India. These people have settled in the West for many years and have absorbed the Western culture into their lifestyle while retaining a part of the Indian culture. They are too proud to leave their roots behind and they made sure that Indian culture is taught to their children. While living in the US may be different, once these NRIs return to India for good, they find it a bit difficult to adjust to the Indian lifestyle in the initial months. With reverse migration becoming the mantra for many living abroad, most are preparing to adapt to Indian culture.
The first step in adjusting to Indian culture after living abroad would be to take it easy. It is important that you do not force your children to abandon their American culture overnight, but instead allow them to get used to Indian culture slowly at their own pace. This gives them the space and anything that is forced will only have bad repercussions.
It will be difficult for many overseas Indians who have been abroad their entire lives to adjust to the noise pollution, traffic chaos, dust, dirt and much more that India has to offer. India is a vast country with traditions and customs, languages, food, etc. which vary from state to state. You will find that the traditions in the northern parts of India are very different from those in the south. It takes a lot of understanding and adjustment to get used to the Indian culture. [http://www.imrti.com/].
Indian culture believes that elders in the family should be respected and this is something that people from abroad have to learn. Family functions are considered very important and almost all members are expected to attend. You can’t make excuses for missing your distant cousin’s wedding ceremony or any other celebration in the family.
For most major celebrations and festivals, all family members are expected to dress up in their traditional clothes and pay homage to the family elders and seek their blessings. It is considered vanity and misconduct if someone stops taking the blessings of the elders and falls at their feet. Learning all these little nuances about Indian culture will help you in your adjustment.
