So,
this Labor Day weekend I attended the World Gujarati Conference in New Jersey.
This Biennial 3 day event brings Gujarat to America. Not that we don’t have
Gujaratism during the other 727 days, but this 3 days feels like we are ‘in’ the
heartland of Gujarat.
Gujarat,
Gujarati, Gujaratism…From the auto-rickshaws to the recreation of pols (small streets in old city areas),
from stalls selling street foods to the hustle and bustle of Gujaratis bargaining
for Chania choli, from the Ras Garbas to the Dayro’s, from Ubhi chavi, Aadi
chaavi (crosswords) to the kakko
Barakhadi (Gujarati alphabets). It was all there. And of course there were
Gujarati celebrities, including astronaut Sunita Williams from International
Space Station thru a live feed from NASA. Gujarat was in the air, here on
planet Earth and in Space.
During
one of the speeches (there weren’t a lot of them!!) I started thinking about my
roots in Gujarat and my present in America.
Gujarat showed
me how to create an opportunity, no matter how bad a situation may be.
America gave me
the hope and promise.My Gujarati parents and culture guided me to believe in myself and dare to dream.
America gave me the opportunities to make those dreams turn into reality.
Gujaratism taught me how to create my own identity with hard work and perseverance.
America taught
me to be Proud and to standup for what I believe in and fight for it.
If
we think about it, Gujarat and America are not that different, both believe in
the power of people, freedom of speech, comingling of cultures, respecting
history and creating future. They both strive to provide Equal opportunities for all, but don’t
guarantee equal outcomes. This is what great societies and economies are
built upon. To be there for needy ones and let the able ones operate on their
ability. This is how a true market economy and great cultural societies can co-exist
and create bright future for all its citizenries.
I
always thought myself as a proud Indian-American, but watching the shows and
the history of the creation of a great state and the progress that it has made,
for this three days, I felt more proud to be a Guajarati-American than and an Indian-American…
Jai Jai Garvi
Gujarati
