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Motherhood is a highly valorized concept in the Indian context. Not only religion worships mother goddess, nation is gendered as motherland. It will not be an exaggeration to add that an Indian woman has been conditioned to find recognition and appreciation in her role of a mother. While there is infinite number of prose and poetry written in praise of mothers, she is mostly the object and rarely the subject of discussion. In short the mother’s perspective is rarely incorporated. This is also true of South Asian immigrant women’s literature available in the United States. While there is substantial amount of writings devoted to white and African American mothers, South Asian immigrant mother’s perspective is missing. There are valuable studies by scholars reflecting disempowerment of Indian women in domestic violence and health issues but few that dare to defy their stereotype image of powerless victims from underdeveloped countries. Her role of a mother that simultaneously challenges and empowers her is central to the existence of an Indian woman. Through this blog I wish to invite all those that mother and have been mothered to share those coping strategies and mothering skills that they have employed or seen others to employ while negotiating thresholds of multiple cultures as immigrants from India in the United States.
Unique social, cultural and religious prescriptions of motherhood constantly throw challenges at the mothering skills of Indian women. The task further complicates for immigrant mothers that raise their children balancing the identity of their own heritage while living and abiding by rules of the dominant American community. Often there are glaring contradictions between the two cultures that make it imperative to make difficult negotiations. Nevertheless, mothers continue to endeavor to make smooth transitions and minimize conflict in the lives of their children, families and communities. This blog is an attempt to make visible and recognize the dynamics and power of a work force that strives silently finding rewards in their efforts. They teach, discipline, cook, nurse, counsel, arbitrate and are confidantes and spiritual guides relentlessly working 24 hours a day and seven days a week in the best interest of their children. The purpose of this blog is to carve a niche and find a platform to express, share and learn from coping skills and unique strategies employed by immigrant Indian mothers across the continent of North America without the fear of being judged. In short this is an attempt to celebrate mothers and their unsung skills and I invite you to contribute, share and become a part of a force to be recognised.
This is not only a thread to a discussion but an attempt to make visible and empower the attempts of millions of mothers out there.
Please visit the blog and post your valuable comments.
Blog address: www.indianmothersinus.blogspot.com
URL: www.indianmothersinus.blogspot.com
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