Community Pressure to Marry
Jasbina Ahluwalia asks Sanjit Singh: author of Are You Indian? A Humorous Guide to Growing up Indian in America: Those listeners who have heard me speak or in person have likely heard the refrain that I like to mention that I feel that many Indian Americans experience growing up.
That is, “Don’t date. Don’t date. Don’t date. Okay, now get married.”
Your Finding a Mate chapter begins with the words, “Your parents will instantaneously switch from telling you that you cannot date to you must now mate.”
That really resonated.
What are the ways, in your opinion, that Indian parents may make it harder for their kids to find life partners?
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Sanjit Singh
I think you hit on one of them that was in the book.
Community Pressure to Marry, But You Cannot Date!
I found that to be a funny switch. “You cannot date. Now you must mate.” It’s such an abrupt change.
I think it would be nice to have more of a transition. I think sometimes Indian parents are too rigid about what they expect or demand in terms of your life partner.
That’s when it gets difficult. It makes things hard for the young single person. They may have totally different ideas.
At the end of the day, you find that they’re not that far apart. When there is conflict, it’s because one person is being a little inflexible.
That’s what I’ve found. That’s what my peers have told me. Now that I’m in my early forties, I’ve heard so many stories.
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Speaking of stories, do you have any funny parent, auntie or uncle stories that you’d like to share around this issue?
Sanjit Singh
Do you mean regarding pressure for marriage?
It could be anything. You hit on how you think that Indian parents may make it harder for their kids to find life partners.
Do you have any anecdotes that come to mind while you were compiling the book about this?
Sanjit Singh
Community Pressure to Marry: Meet Pitbull Auntie
There are so many funny stories that come to mind. I wrote about a lot of them in the book.
I think everyone has a character like this in their ecosystem of aunties. Everyone that I’ve talked to seems to have this one auntie who is particularly pushy about the issue of marriage.
I refer to her as the “Pitbull Auntie” as an archetype.
Respond with Wit to Community Pressure to Marry
One of the things that I’ll direct your listeners to if they read my book is all of the great responses that you can come back to the Pitbull Auntie with when she pressures you to get married.
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Give our listeners one of those responses.
Sanjit Singh
They may not necessarily want to use my responses.
Community Pressure to Marry – Throw Them Off
One that I like is, “I haven’t decided whether I like boys or girls yet.” That automatically creates an awkward silence.
Hopefully, it diffuses the Pitbull Auntie and she slithers away. Then you can smile to yourself and say, “I really got her back for grilling me. She’s probably never going to ask me questions again.”
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Tell Us:
We are sure the “Pitbull Auntie” has attacked some of you. What have been some of your responses to community pressure to marry? Has the community pressure to marry encouraged you to find the one? Share your experiences in the comments section below.
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The above is an excerpt from Jasbina’s interview with Sanjit Singh
The entire interview transcript is at: Sanjit Singh Interview – Are You Indian?
Listen to the entire interview on: Intersections Match Talk Radio – Jasbina’s Lifestyle Show
Listen to the entire interview on Blog Talk Radio: Conversation with Author, Sanjit Singh
Listen to the entire interview on iTunes
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