About Indians not speaking their own language when they migrate to US, is one part of the american living.. I think it also depends who the parents are and where they live.. IF you have migrated to the East Coast say NJ/NY/CT/PA, I can say for sure the majority of them speak in their own language and teach their children the mother tongue too.. and I know many north indian family do. When it comes to Thamizh, there are a few families who might speak it and their children understand and answer the parents in English and they do learn the slokam and go to Balavihar etc,
When it came to our family, my mother in law lived with us and we all made sure that our children spoke in thamizh at home, of course, there were english words mixed as we also tend to do.. who speaks pure thamizh even in India
so all my children when they talk to me do speak in Thamizh, particularly my younger ones..
But what I have noticed is when Indians migrate to mid west states, where there is heavy prejudice and there are no Indians around for miles they are sort of trapped to change their life style, most times, this happens out of necessity living in a foreign land.. the children are looked upon differently and they have to fight to be in par with their peers.
It is very easy to judge from where you are but I sympathize at such families who have been cut off from their own culture, many here came as students and there was very less interaction among indians in those days because of the distance, unlike today, there are so many who come as computer programmers and I have seen a lot of salwar khameez ladies who speak thamizh or Thelugu.. but they speak to the children in English
The movie was done by a drama group in Northern California, they are excellent artists on stage, the guy who plays the husband is Maniram who wrote the play.. In fact Northern California has more activity with Indian community than southern California..
I do understand the sentiments, if language is preserved to an extent Culture will be preserved..
Things today are not all that bad, with music and dance is part of Indian tradition here, many children attend both, (mine did even in 30 plus years ago). they will be aware of the tradition but language in some ways might die.. I have to say even my son in laws know more than a few words in thamizh, since their wives have taught them..
opcorn:
