Here in Canada, (and I suspect in the US, maybe Europe) we've had 2 major waves of Indian immigration ... one in the 60s 70s, then a pause, and now a resurgence. I'm particularly aware of South Indian as that's my crowd, but it's probably fair to assume that other regions, including that huge diaspora, parallel that, in a general way.
The children of that first generation are the ones that may have been lost. Why? There were no temples, and the temple is a key component of keeping the culture alive and thriving. The elders did build the new temples, yes, but in the meantime, the children had none to go to. Nothing to balance out that bombardment of western culture, and hence many, (but not all) became very westernised. They found new religions, married into other faiths, got materialistic, and for all intents and purposes have nothing about them that remains Hindu, other than being one by birth.
Now it's different. Urban communities have temples, and kids born here now go, right from birth. They get their samskaras, they hear the music, mothers and grandmothers show them the Gods, they see others, and it gives them a bit more of a balance.
These are just my observations over the last 40 years watching it, and as usual, i could be dead wrong.
Thoughts?
The children of that first generation are the ones that may have been lost. Why? There were no temples, and the temple is a key component of keeping the culture alive and thriving. The elders did build the new temples, yes, but in the meantime, the children had none to go to. Nothing to balance out that bombardment of western culture, and hence many, (but not all) became very westernised. They found new religions, married into other faiths, got materialistic, and for all intents and purposes have nothing about them that remains Hindu, other than being one by birth.
Now it's different. Urban communities have temples, and kids born here now go, right from birth. They get their samskaras, they hear the music, mothers and grandmothers show them the Gods, they see others, and it gives them a bit more of a balance.
These are just my observations over the last 40 years watching it, and as usual, i could be dead wrong.
Thoughts?