We often hear stories here of Turqish and Maroc people, that their families hold on strictly to the traditioinal rules, the way they were raised and don’t grow with time. They say that their elders are more strict than the people in their countries who have evolved in time and the elders who came here 20/30 or more years ago are still stuck in that time zone from the period when they moved here and never could follow the changing in their own country.
Is that true for Pakistani people too? Are Pakistani’s living abroad more strict, living more according the old traditional rules than the majority of Pakistani’s living in Pakistan self?
well, the thing is what's your definition of modern?
We use cars, each member of my family like most American families has a car, we believe in electricity and use it too! We do not raise our own cotton, nor do we spin it, we buy our clothes at store but sewing is fun at time, i do want to take a sewing class, maybe sometime this summer, yes, we use toothpaste and dental floss, and deodorants, and we do not wear the traditional indian clothes, aye, aye, aye, too much cloth for me, it gets hot, we need to wear as little as possible---shorts and a halter top for the summer, even in the winter but only indoors! although my parents are extremely traditional and spiritual, and possibly religious, they believe in educating their daughters, ah as you can see they believe in letting the female child live---here i am! what else would you like to know bats her eyelashes innocently at Sadya let me know if i can enlighten you anymore on this issue. :)
lol, Munni, yes, one of the things, clothes. Like in my family up to today, still nobody wears western clothes, not even long sleeved shirts or wide jeans, it becomes an issue :-(
To tell you the truth Sadya. I think my dad would’ve been like your dad if we he had seen someone else forcing their kids to wear desi clothes but fortunately we were the only browies while growing up!!!
I think my dad became more conservative once moving to the States.
My dad used to dislike my sis and i wearing shorts when we were like 5 or 7, so we discontinued wearing shorts even around the house. High school, i remember lots of fights between my dad and I, ah the good ole days. He would always preach about being fully covered and I remember this one particular incidence. I was in 11th grade and I was wearing one of those cute little plaid skirts, u know, but being the smartass that i am, i wore dark hose with it so while I’m rushing past my father who is reading the Quran, he said that I should wear “bharke kapre pahenna” “u should wear covering clothes” , it really wasn’t the usual 2 hour :nono3:lectures but i was in 11th grade and by this time i had had enought! and I was like “Dad I’m covered head to toe”! which technically was correct, at least neck to toe as i didnt cover my hair. and just stormed out hehe. All those who have met me would never expect this from moi * innocent angel icon*.
yes, i agree with you, parents become “traditional” once they leave their homeland b/c now they are the only ones who will instill the culture and traditional values in us, we won’t obsorb it from the surrounding culture. I think if we lived in India we would end up dressing “modern” , wear skirts. But my dad has chilled over the years especially since we all left home for college. yeah, we’ve always worn American clothes and even those on the conservative side.
The other factor is that immigrants into new countires have an idealized version of what the native land was like. As if time and cross culture infiltration has had no impact on the lives of peole back home. They confuse obsolete traditions and practices as good and wholesome. They need to take the blinders off and realize that clothes do not make the man or woman.
Yes, that is true, if you have less people of your own kind, you pay less attention I guess. I’m not so interested in short clothes, that’s more a religious issue than cultural I think, I’ve seen women in Pakistan wear short sleeves or clothes of such material that you could see the bra’s (!!) and they weren’t covering that up, I was shocked to see that in Rawalpindi. Islam doesn’t forbid women to wear trousers and shirts or blouses, as long as they’re wide and covering. The reason in my family it becomes an issue, is tradition.
My Dad is still busy chilling, lol, I still get lectures, but then again I still need them.
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*Originally posted by roshnie: *
I think desi people living in west become more traditional once they have kids. Before that not so much.
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True! When we hear stories about our uncles or parents, what they were like in their younger years, we can't believe it's the same people.
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*Originally posted by Matsui: *
The other factor is that immigrants into new countires have an idealized version of what the native land was like. As if time and cross culture infiltration has had no impact on the lives of peole back home. They confuse obsolete traditions and practices as good and wholesome. They need to take the blinders off and realize that clothes do not make the man or woman.
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And when they return to their homeland after so many years, they are often suprised how much it has changed. When my parents went after so many years, they were kind off disappointed. My Dad often says that the mentality of Pakistani people isn't the same anymore, in old times people were less greedy and more open towards each other. I don't know since I've only been there once. But then again, older people always remember the good old days...
Re: are pakistani's living abroad less modern those living in Pakistan self?
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*Originally posted by sadya: *
Are Pakistani's living abroad more strict, living more according the old traditional rules than the majority of Pakistani's living in Pakistan self?
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A big NO.
As roshnie says they want to become more traditional once they have kids, specially grown female kids. Before they don't care.
It varies from family to family. Living in western society, many pakis try to hold on to their culture, because the chance if losing it in their children especially is much greater. In Pakistan, obviously things are taken for granted because the people live that life everyday. This will hold true for many traditional societies who have immigrated to the west.
