Introduction

This project studies the cultural identity issues faced by children of Indian Diaspora. These children, referred as ABCD(American Born Confused Desi) are of Indian parentage and born in the United States. The parents of these children take pride in being American Residents/Citizens when the children sing the National Anthem and celebrate the fourth of July. They also try to teach Indian traditions and values to their children through everyday activities and special Sunday classes that they send their children to.

The Problem

When these children are young, they go along with their parents' wishes and attend the Sunday classes with gusto. As they grow up, they feel that are doing something different from their peers in school and participate in these activities with growing resentment. Like many children of immigrants, at times the child feels an outcast, rebelling against anything Indian and wondering which part of his culture he should retain, if at all.

Proposed Solution

This project will study why the traditional methods of classroom teaching fail to inspire the child of early teens to carry on the ideas of Indian traditions which he/she had so enthusiastically learnt when eight years old. The project attempts to design a space or artifact that will help bridge this disparity that the children experience.

The space I propose is one where children would interact with others and understand that they are not alone in their conflicted relationship to Indian culture. The interaction with their peers in the real world (Sunday schools) and the virtual world would strengthen the sense of community among the children, help the children express ways of bridging the two cultures and would enhance their experience. It would help them embrace their heritage as part of growing up.

User group

This project targets children aged 10-14 to help them smooth the transition between cultures. For this study, the South Indian population in the city of Atlanta who send their children to Sunday classes at the Hindu Temple at Riverdale, serves as the user group.

Deliverables