Comments on: The Good Girl http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/ For the modern South Asian. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:52:35 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Shikha http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/comment-page-1/#comment-22137 Shikha Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:30:43 +0000 http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/#comment-22137 Hi, First of all i love the site, i have been for so long looking for a site which catered to the south asian western community and this is perfect... now to this article...the "good indian girl." I totally understand what everyone is saying, however i must admit i was a little offended... i am a second generation Australian Punjabi and I admit growing up my paretns dreamed of me in med school…however they never enforced this… some may say that “luckily” for them i choose to do law....however I refute this…i had wanted to be a lawyer since i was 13 years old...NOT because of what mum and dad said, and not because i had seen such a stereotype in my community... i was brought up as an independent head strong Punjabi girl in a world where women can do anything just as good if not better then men...whether is be in the legal field or fashion... i understand there are still communities who lean towards the engineer, doctor, lawyer stereotype...however i believe that at the end of the day we ourselves whether we are first, second or 3rd generation now have the power to do what we want... and we are doing a bloody good job in doing so successfully… i'm a lawyer by choice and i refuse to accept that it was because or my parents or community that i am... gone are the days where a child’s educational status are the talk of the town, anyone can be successful in whatever they chose to do and a “good” Indian girl is the girl who chooses to fulfil her own destiny and succeed… Hi,
First of all i love the site, i have been for so long looking for a site which catered to the south asian western community and this is perfect…

now to this article…the “good indian girl.” I totally understand what everyone is saying, however i must admit i was a little offended…

i am a second generation Australian Punjabi and I admit growing up my paretns dreamed of me in med school…however they never enforced this…

some may say that “luckily” for them i choose to do law….however I refute this…i had wanted to be a lawyer since i was 13 years old…NOT because of what mum and dad said, and not because i had seen such a stereotype in my community… i was brought up as an independent head strong Punjabi girl in a world where women can do anything just as good if not better then men…whether is be in the legal field or fashion…

i understand there are still communities who lean towards the engineer, doctor, lawyer stereotype…however i believe that at the end of the day we ourselves whether we are first, second or 3rd generation now have the power to do what we want… and we are doing a bloody good job in doing so successfully…

i’m a lawyer by choice and i refuse to accept that it was because or my parents or community that i am…

gone are the days where a child’s educational status are the talk of the town, anyone can be successful in whatever they chose to do and a “good” Indian girl is the girl who chooses to fulfil her own destiny and succeed…

]]> By: Studies http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/comment-page-1/#comment-22066 Studies Sat, 05 Apr 2008 23:07:44 +0000 http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/#comment-22066 That's a good blog. I'm a 3rd Gen American and I love your blog. I wonder if I should? Just kidding. :) That’s a good blog. I’m a 3rd Gen American and I love your blog. I wonder if I should?
Just kidding. :)

]]> By: Nadia http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/comment-page-1/#comment-88 Nadia Mon, 06 Nov 2006 20:23:55 +0000 http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/#comment-88 Hajra - apologies! Hajra – apologies!

]]> By: Hajra http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/comment-page-1/#comment-70 Hajra Sat, 28 Oct 2006 19:53:48 +0000 http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/#comment-70 Nadia, thanks for the explanation. I am well aware. Yes, my grandparents were born in Canada. Nadia, thanks for the explanation. I am well aware. Yes, my grandparents were born in Canada.

]]> By: Nadia http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/comment-page-1/#comment-69 Nadia Fri, 27 Oct 2006 19:42:16 +0000 http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/#comment-69 This is getting off topic, but just wanted to point out a common misnomer... first generation refers to the first generation born in the US...so if someone is third generation American, that means their grandparents were born in the US. This is getting off topic, but just wanted to point out a common misnomer… first generation refers to the first generation born in the US…so if someone is third generation American, that means their grandparents were born in the US.

]]> By: Sarah http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/comment-page-1/#comment-68 Sarah Fri, 27 Oct 2006 07:41:05 +0000 http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/#comment-68 That you're a third-gen is great, but it doesn't negate the fact that second-gens are still battling the doctor-engineer paradigm. You're very lucky that your family is so supportive of the arts; I would posit that among desi families here, the arts might be appreciated, but often parents don't want their kids to pursue them. That you’re a third-gen is great, but it doesn’t negate the fact that second-gens are still battling the doctor-engineer paradigm. You’re very lucky that your family is so supportive of the arts; I would posit that among desi families here, the arts might be appreciated, but often parents don’t want their kids to pursue them.

]]> By: Hajra http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Hajra Fri, 27 Oct 2006 04:07:17 +0000 http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/#comment-67 Well actually, I am a third generation American (there's not that many, but I am one). Well actually, I am a third generation American (there’s not that many, but I am one).

]]> By: Sarah http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/comment-page-1/#comment-65 Sarah Wed, 25 Oct 2006 09:35:33 +0000 http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/#comment-65 I see what you're saying, Hajra, since my family is also from Lahore, and I agree the arts community is certainly appreciated and quite vibrant there. But I think this article and Tiffany's experiences are more aimed at second-generation South Asian Americans and Canadians, who are still rarely encouraged to actively pursue the arts, for a variety of reasons. So, in fact, it is very rare (though growing) to find desis pursuing artistic and creative fields here in North America. If you look at the career choices of second-gen South Asians, you'll see them overwhelmingly skewed toward engineering, medicine and law. I see what you’re saying, Hajra, since my family is also from Lahore, and I agree the arts community is certainly appreciated and quite vibrant there. But I think this article and Tiffany’s experiences are more aimed at second-generation South Asian Americans and Canadians, who are still rarely encouraged to actively pursue the arts, for a variety of reasons. So, in fact, it is very rare (though growing) to find desis pursuing artistic and creative fields here in North America. If you look at the career choices of second-gen South Asians, you’ll see them overwhelmingly skewed toward engineering, medicine and law.

]]> By: Hajra http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/comment-page-1/#comment-63 Hajra Tue, 24 Oct 2006 22:36:43 +0000 http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/#comment-63 My point was not negative. I just don't like generalizations. My family is a family of artists and I don't feel that it is something new or something that is discouraged. In fact, from where I am in Pakistan the art community is much stronger than any medical field (in Lahore). For example, there are MANY more art colleges a nd programs (that are internationally recognized) than medical schools that are internationally recognized. Our culture cannot exist without the arts, and this has not existed without this necessity for generations and generations. It makes me sad that some families have replaced this artistic culture with other fields of study and thus lead lives where art is discouraged. My point was not negative. I just don’t like generalizations. My family is a family of artists and I don’t feel that it is something new or something that is discouraged. In fact, from where I am in Pakistan the art community is much stronger than any medical field (in Lahore). For example, there are MANY more art colleges a nd programs (that are internationally recognized) than medical schools that are internationally recognized. Our culture cannot exist without the arts, and this has not existed without this necessity for generations and generations. It makes me sad that some families have replaced this artistic culture with other fields of study and thus lead lives where art is discouraged.

]]> By: Preeti http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/comment-page-1/#comment-61 Preeti Sat, 21 Oct 2006 00:13:04 +0000 http://niralimagazine.com/2006/10/the-good-girl/#comment-61 my bad--now you should have the correct email address. sorry about that! my bad–now you should have the correct email address. sorry about that!

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