Subject:
Death of a Society
It
was our Society's annual Norooz celebration event, a seemingly ordinary event
that has been taking place for the past few years in this town. As I was
standing in the back of the ballroom, I got so immersed in observing people
eat, dance, and talk that I completely blocked all the sounds around me.
Suddenly, a thought went through my mind that sent a shiver down my spine: "Next year, this event won't take place and these people won't be here. This will be the last time that these people gather for such occasion with the Society. The bonds that attach them together have been weakening gradually during the past few years, and is now at the threshold of detachment. This Society will be dead by next year!"
What
has gone wrong? Why has this Society, once active and strong, become such an
unwanted and unimportant group? Everyone has what they think is the reason:
change of interests, heavier responsibilities, lack of young blood, etc. These
reasons may have individually, or collectively contributed to this decay. No
matter what the reason though, the fact is that the Society is short of
manpower, enthusiasm, and acceptance. People who cared about and supported the
Society once, now seem to be ignoring it, as if it doesn't matter anymore.
As
an immigrant community, we have all worked hard to establish ourselves in this
country, despite its distant culture to our own. We have become successful,
well-respected, and independent individuals who make significant contributions
to our host community. However, let's not forget that one secret for our
success in this country has been the fact that we have held on to the roots of
our culture and heritage. We have achieved this by forming networks in our
community to remind us of our authenticity and to prevent us from dissolving in
"The Melting Pot."
However,
it seems like we are being distracted by our individual achievements and
starting to ignore our community identity. Stable jobs, circle of friends, and
raising our children have given us the false sensation of achievement. Let's
not forget that our community was a contributing factor to our success. By
ignoring our community identity, we deprive our children of taking advantage of
their culture and heritage to their benefit.
Is
this how we want the future of our children in this country to start?
Babak
March
16, 1996