Re: Guess Who's Coming to Diwali
Muniya, I take it personally because I can truly sympathize with the questioner, and I didn't feel that the author was being condescending, I think her advice was misinterpreted. His parents do need to wake up and accept the girl that their son has apparently chosen as his life partner. I've been in this situation, we did everything according to Islam and yet more than 15 years later I still turn a blind eye to his parents insults. I understand that it is difficult for a parent to accept that their child will marry into a different race, but if you truly do not want that for your child, then you shouldn't settle outside of your own country, because if you do, that will always be a possibility. It is heartbreaking to be ostracized by your husband's parents, and to see your children being treated as lesser beings than their cousins - simply because you belong to another race.
Most white Americans (I am one) have no idea of the desi parents' proclivity towards threatening suicide when they don't get their way, so I can't imagine that this is what she meant. I personally was too mortified to EVER mention this threat to my own friends and family. A legitimate advise columnist would never joke about suicide.