Two weeks ago a friend of mine in Houston forwarded me a link to an ongoing discussion on the website of Dr. Vijay Mehta. Dr. Vijay Mehta is best known for the many appearances he makes at various South Asian conferences and gatherings such as SASA, Bhangra Blowout, etc., in an attempt to create a database of potential South Asian bone marrow donors. I myself have registered for the database.

In addition to the bone marrow drive, Dr. Mehta’s website tackles several other issues that are usually swept under the rug of South Asian American society. I encourage you all to visit the site for yourself. It is the first instance I have seen of a healthy discussion between first gen’s like many of our parents, and second generation young adults. The post that I was forwarded in particular was written by a young woman named Reena who lives in Texas.

Instead of reading the rest of my entry you should go here and read the full discussion. However, I will preview Reena’s letter for you below:

Hey Vijay Uncle,

I just wanted to say thanks! I got in touch with the Pratham people and they’re working with me to go to India next summer. I’m really excited because I finally get to go!!

I also wanted to propose another idea for the lectures you frequently give. You talk about being an ABCD and dating and mating and whatnot.

There is yet another concern that our Indian community needs to address. As I learned in the first lecture of yours that I had ever heard, we have the highest rate of binge drinking. Along with that comes many consequences. I am not going to say that I don’t drink and that I am not one of those statistics because in all honesty, I may not be drinking every weekend, but I do on occasion.

In the last year, I have driven at least two friends to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. Many people don’t even know how to tell if someone has alcohol poisoning. It is definitely something you should think about addressing. I don’t think telling people to drink less is going to make a difference, because no one does that, just maybe some tips on how to help out your friends in the situation.

Also, I know the last time we talked you asked me to consider speaking about sex at South Asian Students’ Alliance (SASA). I told you I wouldn’t be comfortable doing that because I feel that I am conservative about it, and there is a definite reason for that.

continued on website…

I realize that there are multiple issues in just the above excerpt. If you read the full thread of the post like I recommended, there are several other issues: mob mentality, the disrespecting of women, gangs, etc. I was hesitant about posting this on SM without a well-formed analysis, but after reading the discussion that followed the DRUM post, I thought I’d let the readers of SM analyze it if they wanted to. My main reaction was disappointment. By the time I graduated college I could already see the difference in those younger than my peers and I. The alcoholism was more rampant, and the group-think more pervasive. Are these side-effects of assimilation, or is it something else?