Mixed or Unmixed Environment?

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My question is, is it better to live with your own type of people (same in religion and background) or to live in a mixed environment ( all different religions and backgrounds)?

Wanting to live with your own type of people, doesn’t mean you disrespect others. Just that you want YOUR environment, society, language and religion to influence you and nothing else. Basically, make it easier on yourself. Children will be more directly connected to their roots, rather than “trying to find themselves” in a mixed environment. I say connected to their roots, because it’s hard to ignore the society you live in and especially that from which your parents come.

Living in a mixed environment, means you interact with a wide range of people from different backgrounds, cultures, and religions. You can continue being who you are, and maybe add any positive things you learn from others around you. If you live in a mixed environment, you DO have to work harder to truly know who you are and not go off path. But working that much harder to stick to your roots means you could experience and understand things about your culture/ religion which you may have never experienced before, if you were living with your own type of people.

So what do you think? Is it better to live with your own people or live in a mixed environment.

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Re: Mixed or Unmixed Environment?

People preferring to live with their own kind tend to be more tunnel-visioned with little acceptance for different perspectives. This is not to say the multicultural environment is perfect, but it helps foster a better view of others and where they are coming from, makes a person more tolerant and possibly less judemental. Although, it can breed resentment among those who end up being at the bottom end of the economic/social totem pole from other races or ethinicities.

ps. that's it, I have used up my quota to respond to Gaia's thread for today.

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Re: Mixed or Unmixed Environment?

From my experience, growing up in a "mixed enviroment" was an asset, not a detriment. My parents never "shielded" us from the big, bad outside world. My father read to us from the Bhagavad Gita, Old Testament, New Testament, Torah etc so that we would not only understand another religion's point of view, but also be able to explain/defend our own faith accurately. I am from the Deep South, the heart of the "Bible Belt", there were all of oh, maybe 4 brown families when my parents landed in 1972. We did not have the conveniences and safety nets that established desi/muslim communites now enjoy. And I cannot be more grateful! I am a very adventurous person, I love to try new things, go to new places, learn new languages, religions etc. It's easy to tolerate differences when you've been exposed to diversity.

I am using this practice with my own kids. I do not discourage them from befriending children of other faiths/backgrounds because I am confident in the upbringing at home and the morals/values that my husband and I teach them. As they get older, I want my house to be "the fun house" where all their friends are welcomed, that way they can have their friends, and I can keep a watch on what they are doing/saying without the fear of "sending them out".

It actually disheartens me a great deal when I see families who have immigrated here in the last 10-15 years or so..they came into built up, established communites and refuse to leave their comfort zones. Assimilation does not mean abandoning your roots/faith/culture. It means broadening your horizons and embracing a learning opportunity.

I realize in this post 9/11 world, things have changed a little in the US,however, I still firmly maintain that "tunnel vision" and sticking to "our own kind" is doing a disservice to our Muslim community.

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Re: Mixed or Unmixed Environment?

Living in mixed environments is good but not for Pakistanis because wherever we go we tend to create our own little communities and confine our social lives within them.

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Re: Mixed or Unmixed Environment?

The only drawback I see to living in a mixed environment is, it's much easier to fall off track. Track of your religion or culture. Than who are you following if you're not following your roots?

That is true. And I think, we really hold our self back from the possible experiences all that are out there.

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Re: Mixed or Unmixed Environment?

These days I'm starting to think a mixed environment is not for everyone. I'm seeing a family completely fall apart since about a year now. These are young children 14-21 who are just going right off path of their culture and religion while their parents have no clue how to bring them back and are actually contemplating moving back to Pakistan.

So in that type of situation, would it make sense to move from a mixed environment to unmixed?

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Re: Mixed or Unmixed Environment?

14-21 are not "young children"!

As for taking them back to Pakistan: "How can you keep them down on the farm, after they've seen Paree?" (That's Paree as in Paris...A line from a song from WW2, I think.)