What else should they take back to claim ownership of the faith? This recent story (via a friend's Facebook posting) in CNN's Belief section caught my eye due to its proximity to my home. The opinions expressed in the article by young American Hindus of Houston appear mildly paranoid and parochial to me. But then I am not a practitioner and religious identity never meant much to me. Many Hindus like other religious conservatives, are steeped in beliefs and rituals that define and delineate them from followers of other theological and philosophical dogma; that in itself is not remarkable. What struck me as more interesting is that the attitude of the young Hindus quoted here is being characterized as "Americanization." Perhaps there is some truth to it. Or would "Texanization" be more accurate?
Driving to lunch recently at a strip mall Indian buffet, he spoke of trying to forge a distinctly American Hindu identity that’s more tightly woven into the national fabric.
“The immigrant generation is focused on India, on the home country,” he said, noting that the TV in his parents’ house is often turned to a Hindi-language channel beamed in from the subcontinent. “I’m focused on the United States, which is my home country.”
That helps explain why a national group he’s involved with, the Hindu American Foundation, recently launched a Take Back Yoga campaign, aimed at raising awareness about the practice’s Hindu roots and values among non-Hindus.
And it's why Bhutada testified at the Capitol in Austin last year against a statewide school curriculum that calls Hinduism a polytheistic religion, a characterization many Hindus reject.
And it's why one area temple has begun placing copies of the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu scripture, in thousands of Texas hotel rooms, right next to the Gideon Bible.
The developments speak to a new, publicly assertive stance that’s shared by many first-generation American Hindus across Houston, home to one of the country’s largest and fastest growing Indian enclaves, and by many young Hindus across the nation.
The article notes correctly that Hinduism is not a proselytizing faith. Why then the Gita next to the Gideon's Bible in hotel rooms and who are the competitors for the "Americanization" efforts?
Some young Hindus are envious of the attention that American Muslims and Mormons have received in recent years – even if not all of the attention has been positive – and are trying to raise Hinduism’s national profile.
The goal seems to be for Hindus to become more vocal, assertive and un-selfconscious about their beliefs in public. The approach appears to have somewhat of an evangelical flavor. Sujatha wondered, as did I, whether the demonstrative devoutness of other religious communities in Texas including evangelical Christians, has rubbed off on the local Hindus who find themselves surrounded by public religiosity. The Christian right of the Lone Star State after all, works tirelessly to put a stamp of its faith on matters of the state including public school curricula.
The BAPS Swaminarayan Temple featured on this page and in the CNN report, is on a good day, almost walking distance from my house. It is a beautiful structure and I have taken many visitors there to have a look around. I also go there occasionally to buy the excellent and freshly prepared Indian desserts sold on the premises. I don't participate in the religious activities but did note with interest that the main evening prayer session at the temple is segregated by gender. Women sit in the back cordoned off from the men. A sign near the cut off area reads, "No Ladies Allowed Beyond This Point." No one seems to mind.
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