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Children of immigrants must make difficult decisions every day regarding their identity, lifestyles, and values—are they to reflect the cultures of their parents’ homelands, the country in which they were born and/or raised, or both? How are they to stay true to their heritage and ‘fit in’ at home all at once? Which aspects of both cultures are truly valuable, and which are not? Ideas about the self, the family, and the community are ever present, molding and shaping the lives of these first generation Americans, and the struggle to incorporate different cultures into a whole person is constant. One means of tying oneself to culture and heritage is religion, especially organized religion. It allows for a gathering of people with similar values, backgrounds, and cultures to come together; often youth are encouraged to learn about the religion and participate in services, allowing for an important link between generations and cultures. For Hindu children, the situation is often different than it is for Jewish, Muslim, or Christian children. There are rarely regular days of prayer; there is no central text that everyone follows; there are many different aspects, gods, interpretations, and representations, not to mention regional differences. Often, in my experience, first generation Hindu-Americans tend to emphasize and embrace their South Asian identity and not their Hindu identity. Those that do turn to Hinduism often focus on one or a few aspects of Hinduism—music, dance, learning about texts, and so forth. For my research, I chose to examine how the Ganapati Temple in Flushing, New York helps youth learn about and understand Hinduism and incorporate it into their lives and identities. I was interested in learning about the growth of young South Asians, especially their spiritual and cultural growth, including how they learn to embrace their culture and their Hindu identity. Because Hinduism is so broad in scope, without a fixed set of rules or one major text which everyone follows, it seems it is more difficult to transmit ethics, values, and principles in a way that young Hindus living in the United States can embrace and to which they can relate. For this reason, temples play vital roles in creating a strong foundation for diasporic youth who are trying to find ways to incorporate a Hindu identity into their complex persona. Vijay Prashad, Diana Eck, and Johanna Lessinger all give examples of young South Asians and Hindus and the struggles they face, especially when it comes to understanding their own identities. Prashad speaks about the difficulties young South Asians encounter when trying to incorporate their South Asian culture into their American lifestyles. “Reverse assimilation” is widespread, where youth reject their heritage during the teen years and embrace it in their college years (Prashad 123). The term ABCD—American Born Confused Desi—is commonly known and used (Prashad 131), and Prashad states, “many young people go in search of their culture as a trait,” (Prashad 131). My interest in studying youth in the Ganapti Temple stems from these points—how do these young people incorporate both their South Asian identity and Hindu identity into their lives? How can first generation South Asian Americans incorporate their culture into their lives so that it is something inherent, something that encompasses their entire being, rather than simply being a ‘trait’ or one-dimensional aspect of their personas? Diana Eck illuminates a different perspective—the young South Asian Hindu that is entirely connected to the religion and culture, be it children who participate enthusiastically in temple activities and camps or college students active in their university’s Hindu community. Eck describes the scene at the opening of a temple in Massachusetts and the role of young girls: About fifteen of them, dressed in their best outfits, had taken the morning off from school. They entered the sanctuary and after five minutes emerged again, excited and pleased, each bearing the prasad …. Priti, a twelve-year-old, told me that she was going to write about the event for her fifth-grade class in Lexington. As they posed for photographs, it was clear that all of these girls would long remember this day and their roles in opening the temple. (Eck 91)
An enthusiastic student in her Hindu Myth and Image class attended a Hindu summer camp in the Poconos (Eck 12), and she describes a Navratri festival organized by the Hindu group at Harvard, Dharma; the students led ceremonies, recited Sanskrit verses, sang bhajans and conducted an aarti, without assistance from elders or pandits (Eck 17). I was interested in investigating what causes these young people to feel so tied to their religion, and whether the Ganapati Temple facilitates such emotions. Additionally, each activity that Eck describes is unique and different, yet each seems to elicit the same response within the individual of genuine pride, interest, and appreciation. Are these feelings present in the youth at the Ganapati Temple, and if so, what activities and events cause these feelings to arise? Background There are many reasons for choosing the Ganapati Temple in Queens as the site of this study, one of the most obvious being its long and important tie to the community. It is “one of the largest and oldest Indian religious institutions in New York City,” (Lessinger 49) and was founded in 1977. Over the years, the temple has grown and added other buildings which include wedding halls, performance halls, and a canteen and gift shop. Its contribution to the Hindu community is immense and it allowed the Hindu community in the New York metropolitan area to grow and flourish. The Ganapati Temple also has made notable efforts to reach out to first generation South Asian Americans, through language classes, dance and music classes and performances, and the Youth Club. The club was founded in 1996 and meets every other Saturday; the second Saturday of the month is used to discuss and plan events, and on the fourth Saturday, they invite someone to talk about religious or cultural events. Members perform at large events, including college and borough/city shows, at venues such as City Hall. Fifty young people attend, from age six into the early twenties. I will first examine the classes offered in the temple, and then examine the youth group; the reason for this split is simply that I feel they are two different types of activities and opportunities. Classes suggest a sense of explicit education; though there are certainly social components involved, an individual comes to the class primarily to learn something—whether it is learning how to play the veena or learning how to read Sanskrit. Similarly, the youth group has its own distinct purpose: as a social setting in which children and adolescents can gather, share, discuss, learn, celebrate, and appreciate. Though there are opportunities for learning to occur, the primary reason an individual would attend the youth group is to take part in a social group geared towards others similar to him/herself. Youth in the temple: dance, music, and language classes Upon entering the Ganapati Temple, each time I went I noticed a dance or music class in progress. Indian Classical Dance classes included about 3-7 young girls, with parents hovering in the background, sitting on chairs, quietly talking amongst themselves or observing their children. The girls, meanwhile, intently watched their teacher, a striking woman by the name of Madi, demonstrate complex moves and facial expressions. Wearing anything from the traditional Indian salwar kameez to a casual pair of Nike sweatpants and a t-shirt, the students practiced, laughed, and learned about the dance forms and the religion. One of the older students, who I met in the temple canteen, had been learning Bharatanatyam for many years at the temple, expressed the countless number of ways dance has helped her relate to Hinduism: Without dance, I would know very little about my religion. Though my parents are somewhat religious, we don’t make a habit of going to the temple, and we don’t talk about Hinduism too much. People are so busy in their lives here, sometimes it’s easy to forget about the things that don’t really play that much of a role in our everyday lives. But once I started dancing, I began learning all the stories, myths, roles of the gods, and everything like that. I would be able to walk into the temple and know who each god was without reading the labels, just by what they were holding in their hands or what animal was accompanying them. I wanted to talk to my parents about it, what they thought of the stories. And since I had class at the temple, after dancing about one of the gods, it felt so nice to be able to go upstairs and pray to them. It made a huge difference that the classes were actually in the temple. (Personal interview, March 30, 2005)
Through dance, young Hindu Americans have found a way to learn and appreciate their religion, and holding classes in the temple itself allows them to relate to their religion in a holistic manner—for students such as the one mentioned above, classes were not only a way to learn about Hinduism but a reason to come to the temple as well. Another member of the temple, a young woman from the area, comes to the Ganapati temple regularly for veena classes. She noticed the amount and variety of classes offered as well, commenting on the Bharatanatyam lessons she often sees, and that the children always seem to “look very happy.” This young woman attended one or two other temples regularly, but especially appreciated the sense of community at the Ganapati Temple and the classes available. In addition to dance and music, there are six different Indian language, yoga, Veda, and SAT prep classes. Most are offered once a week, usually on weekends. Damodar Reddy, the coordinator of the gift shop, explained, “Classes are a way for children to be educated in a number of things, and there are volunteers who teach like in the SAT classes. It brings a sense of community for both children and volunteers. Although we are living here, far away, it feels like a little India [in the temple].” (personal interview, March 30, 2005). Besides the actual classes, the volunteers who teach are instrumental in the experience an individual has in the temple, and how he or she feels about the community in general. I spoke to a high school student, born and raised in Queens, who attended Tamil classes, and he mentioned that although at first he was reluctant to join, the guidance of a teacher captivated him and drew him into the community: When my parents first approached me about going to Tamil class, I really didn’t want to go. I was in 7th grade and at that time I just wanted to fit in with everyone else, you know? But my parents really pushed me, they really wanted me to be more involved, more ‘Indian.’ So I went, to get them off my back I guess. At first I really didn’t like it, I thought it was boring. Then one day, my teacher, a volunteer who was also a doctor at a local hospital, heard me complaining about coming to class. He said to me, ‘Don’t you know—this language of ours is like a sacred monument. It is ancient, holy, and beautiful. It is like a secret that only those privileged enough are able to hear. Be proud, or else leave my class.’ It took a few more classes for the words to really sink in, but I started taking a lot more pride in my heritage … I started feeling like I had a whole other world opened to me, my ‘Indian’ side I guess you could say. I explored the opportunities in the temple more, became more involved. I am even thinking about helping teach a Tamil class when I finish all the ones offered here. (personal interview, March 30, 2005)
Uma Mysorekar, the president of the temple, elaborated on the fact that classes are not offered simply to educate about the subject, but to allow youth a way into the temple. While it is important that they learn about certain subjects in which they take interest, it is equally important that they have the opportunity to experience the temple and all its offerings. She stated, The patasala is another way for the community to come to the temple. It is for the greater benefit, it is not that the children do not learn from school. But it allows for involvement in a small place where they can broaden their horizons and thinking. Slowly they may become interested in other activities, [having] the freedom to be with their own people, who think like themselves. They may one day decide to go into the praying area, or to eat in the canteen, or to look at something in the gift shop. Just by coming to one class, they have a whole community open to them. (personal interview, March 30, 2005)
Classes, therefore, are not just a means to learn about the subject; rather, they provide another avenue into the community of the Ganapati Temple, and often facilitate a deeper sense of interest and curiosity. Simply through involvement in a Tamil class or SAT prep, young people are able to interact with peers similar to themselves and have the freedom to explore the temple and its community. In some cases, they inform the student about Hinduism, such as in the Veda or dance classes, but whatever type of class it is, it provides another way to become comfortable with the temple and the opportunities it provides. Youth in the Ganapti Temple: Youth Club Comprised of about fifty members, the youth club was formed in 1996 as a means of providing a community for the youth. Participants range from ages six to 24. There are eight coordinators, all of whom are college students in New York City, and three to four consultants—older adults who are also very involved in the running of the temple. Activities include dance performances, culture shows, spelling bees, essay contests, religious and non-religious lectures by guest speakers, and anything else that comes along and pertains to youth culture. Although they try to meet twice a month, weather, schedules, and temple festivals often hinder smooth schedules, yet the group remains close-knit, as I observed during my visits with the club. My first encounter with the youth club was in February, during their first real meeting of the year. When I entered the room, a group of about 15-20 students, mainly in middle school, high school, or college, were clustered around a long table. All of them were wearing ‘American’ clothes—jeans, sweaters, sneakers. When Mansi, one of the coordinators, introduced me, I was greeted with enthusiastic smiles and a slew of friendly jokes about other members in the group, which I mentioned in my fieldnotes: ‘See that boy over there? We think he acts like a girl!’ ‘The girl in the pink sweater has a HUGE crush on one of the other coordinators.’ ‘That one over there on the sofa, she is six and our youngest member,’ (February 19, 2005) and so on. Throughout the course of the meeting, members would make sure to catch me up on any gossip or general information that they felt I should know in order to better understand the current conversation or decision making process. They had recently put on a tsunami benefit show, in which members from many different communities came to the temple to perform. Sumanth, a coordinator who has been active in the club since its early days in 1996, stated, “The tsunami benefit show was the first time in the temple’s history that different ethnic groups performed under this roof. The youth club is great because not only do we learn so much from the temple, we are also able to give back and expand its horizons in the same way it expands ours’.” (personal interview, February 19, 2005). Members are keenly aware of how much they gain from the temple and from the community, and are eager to do whatever they can to “give back” as well. The meeting I attended in February was mainly to plan the rest of the year’s activities, especially the ones in the near future, which included a performance at City Hall. There was much discussion about what song to dance to, who would perform, what it would be like, etc. Throughout the meeting, there was plenty of joking and laughing, as I noted in my fieldnotes: One of the coordinators constantly teased a high school member of the group about having a romantic interest in another coordinator. Jokes about who would get to be his partner, giving out his America Online instant messenger screen name, and past (slightly embarrassing) encounters between the two were sprinkled throughout the session. All thirteen members present took some part in these occurrences, laughing and joking with one another. Although they were discussing serious issues, such as how to spread their culture through the community, the tone was lighthearted, friendly, warm, and comfortable. It was like a big group of friends getting together and having a good time—the sense of community was clear and strong. (February 19, 2005)
Additionally, another coordinator explained upcoming events, such as a spelling bee, and all members present gave input on ideas for others that could take place throughout the year. Later, one of the consultants came in to discuss the future events as well. He explained how important it was to be prominent in the city and boroughs, so as to slowly progress to state and national levels in terms of performances, shows, and contests. Stressing collaboration, he mentioned a few programs, such as one in the Botanical Gardens, which would incorporate a number of different groups and cultures. Another meeting I attended in March included a guest speaker who talked about college admissions. There seemed to have been a festival earlier in the day, because unlike the last time I had visited, a few of the members were wearing traditional dress. Though many of the members there were not high school age, everyone sat and listened quietly and respectfully, though it took much coaxing to get them into the room to begin the session. Before the meeting, all the members sat together in the canteen waiting for the event to begin, and in my fieldnotes I wrote: The group, comprised of about 15-20 youth from ages 6-23, sat together and talked amongst themselves. Topics included school and the recent performance at City Hall, temple activities, and other general small talk. Many of them remembered me from the last meeting and talked to me easily and openly. All expressed their enthusiasm for the club and the temple, though most were unenthusiastic about the current speaker. They stated that although some activities were more fun than others, they loved coming to the club because of the feeling of community and togetherness. (March 30, 2005)
I also noted that I had seen a few of the members upstairs in the praying area when I arrived; one of them had just gotten off a shift in the canteen where he was a volunteer at the checkout desk, and another stated that he would be unable to attend this week’s meeting because his shift was going on during it. In this way, the members seemed very involved in not only the youth club, but in other activities and events as well; they were truly full participants in the temple. During an interview with one of the coordinators, I gained much insight into the purpose and goals of the youth group. Mansi, a college student born and raised in India but in the US for college, has been a coordinator for the past few years. Besides simply reaching out to youth in the temple community, she mentioned another important goal: reaching out to youth outside the community as well, “It’s important to collaborate with other groups, such as the Gurudwara that is close by, and also the Gujrati temple a few blocks down. Queens is a very diverse place, and we should expose everyone to the South Asian culture and Hinduism.” (Personal interview, April 5, 2005.) In addition, they are always looking out for other youth clubs with whom to work. It was clear that the group was very proud of the work they did for the tsunami benefit, and especially that they brought other ethnic groups into the temple for the first time, and it seemed that they viewed collaborations such as these as a major way in which they could give back to the temple and the greater Queens community. Additionally, the group strives to allow its members to understand, appreciate, and feel comfortable with their South Asian identities. Mansi stressed that although an integral part of the group was learning about Hinduism, they never wanted to force too much religion into the group, especially because they have a few non-Hindu members as well, which I found especially interesting. Despite this fact, they do want the members to learn about Hinduism and respect and appreciate it. The coordinators and consultants also recognize that most of their members were born in the US, and so they attempt to find ways to educate as well as to allow South Asia and Hinduism to fit comfortably into the lives of these children and adolescents. Mansi stated, “When kids are born and raised here, they don’t always know much about India and Hinduism. We try to explain [to] them more about their identities, we have religious and non religious lectures, culture shows, dramas about epics like Shakuntala and Ramayana, and just generally try to get them involved in the community.” (Personal interview, April 5, 2005.) She also explained that they encourage members to attend religious festivals in the temple, which sparks discussion at their meetings about the festivals: “Kids share thoughts and their own findings, they talk to other people such as their family, and when kids listen to friends and coordinators, we all learn and we learn new and different things.” (Personal interview, April 5, 2005.) In this sense, the social structure of the group is an integral component in the transmission of knowledge, understanding, and appreciation. It is not simply the occurrence of certain events that allows youth members to become comfortable with their identities, but also the facilitation of discussion and a shared community of learning, in which all members participate equally in the growth of one another—in religious, intellectual, cultural, and social ways alike. Through my observations and interviews, it is clear that the youth club provides many ways for its members not only to become comfortable with their own identities, but also to create a space where they can help one another understand and appreciate the role South Asia and Hinduism plays in their lives. As Sumanth stated, “It’s like a community within a community within a community: the youth club within the temple within Queens.” (personal interview, February 19, 2005) Upon closer examination, this type of group—one nestled within many other communities—not only has strength and solidity as its own entity, but also has the foundation, cushioning, and opportunities of others around it. In this way, members have many resources and people to whom they can turn when navigating through the complex maze of identity and belonging. Concluding thoughts Youth leave their mark all over the temple, whether it is by performing at temple festivals, teaching in classes, volunteering in the canteen, or bringing together other ethnic groups for a benefit show. Something truly dynamic is occurring at the Ganapati Temple: the temple provides youth with a foundation and resources to explore, learn, and grow, and the youth in turn use what they acquire at the temple to give back—they offer time out of their busy schedules, creativity, and that boundless enthusiasm so common to children and adolescents who are passionate about something that means much to them. Another important place I did not deeply venture into in this paper is the temple canteen—young people are everywhere, and in fact, most of my interviews were conducted in this location. Although most flock to this area of the temple, which is in its own building in the ‘basement’ or lowest level, for the mouth-watering food, there are a number of other activities that take place here as well. A large television screen constantly airs religious serials or dramas, and I found it interesting that despite the largely South-Indian population, most of these are in Hindi. A few times, I noticed some people only watching the videos, glued to the screen. The gift shop is located in the canteen as well, and youth often volunteer there as well as at the checkout counter where people pay for food. Additionally, the youth group meets in a small room which is part of the canteen and often holds lectures, spelling bees, and other events in that area. Just as the classes, groups, and other activities are a means of providing an avenue into the community, the canteen is also a way in which people—especially young people—can mix, exchange ideas, learn, and simply be a part of the community. The Ganapati Temple is truly a unique space for community, praying, devotion, learning, and growth. Simply by examining the spaces in the temple, it becomes clear that the Ganapati Temple is not only a place for worship, but a place to create and foster community. There is a balance between space for praying and space for learning and for social interaction, such as the patasala and canteen. For the youth, there a number of programs and opportunities, appealing to a wide variety of interests: dance, music, academia, yoga, social, prayer and worship, or simply eating a scrumptious meal in the canteen. It is evident that these programs allow for various modes of outreach from the temple to the youth in the community, and in this way, they are able to find comfortable ways to fit Hinduism into their lives. By simply visiting the temple, young people are able to foster a sense of appreciation and understanding. The warmth and openness of the community provides a psychological sense of comfort and a place to call one’s own. As Dr. Mysorekar stated, in a community as rich and diverse as Flushing, having a place for one’s own people and community is indispensable, and it is important for this place to provide people with a variety of activities and opportunities. Additionally, in the multitudinous ethnic, religious, and cultural communities of Flushing, it is equally important to be able to share one’s own values, beliefs, and traditions with others in order to foster a larger, more global sense of community. Dr. Mysorekar, other administrators, and the young people in the temple and youth group all seem to understand the critical importance of this concept, evident in the various modes of outreach described in this paper, such as the tsunami benefit show. It is especially crucial that a community such as the Ganapati Temple understand the role of the youth and in instilling a sense of belonging, passion, and appreciation. Though I did not spend extensive amounts of time with any of the young people I met at the temple, the love and dedication they shared for their culture and for keeping it alive was evident in their actions and words—be it in a youth club meeting, a dance practice, or while serving dosas in the canteen. Through classes, clubs, and the fostering of a strong, rich, diverse community, the Ganapati Temple truly allows youth to connect with and understand Hinduism and find a place for it in their lives and identities. References Eck, Diana.
A New Religious America. New York:
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. 2001.
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