Finding Faith in a Salad Bowl

By Shakeel Rashed

I have a ritual on Saturday mornings during summer. I head early a.m. to Barton Springs, my happy place. A few laps in the cold, refreshing water brings in a smile for the rest of the weekend. This previous Saturday was special since it was the last weekend of the summer. It is also a weekend prior to my other yearly ritual.

Every year since 2008, at the end of summer, I meet a group of about 30+ close friends from my high school in a different city in the USA. Before you ask, No, I did not go to high school in this country. I studied in a Catholic-run all boys school in Hyderabad, India. Halfway across the world.

What brought us here? In the late 1980s, many Indian students came to the USA for their graduate degrees. This wave peaked in the mid-1990s, followed by a new wave of professionals coming here to work tech industry from the internet boom. 

Our close-knit group is part of these two waves from the 90s. There are engineers in various industries, from building cars in Detroit to chips and software in Silicon Valley. There is a rocket scientist, many doctors including specialists such as oncologists, department chairs of reputed medical schools, entrepreneurs, Certified Financial Advisors, college admissions advisors, tax planners, management gurus, and highly sought-after IT executives, including one who is responsible for payroll for a major US federal government branch.  

Apart from professional success, the group includes marathon runners, world travelers, entertainers, chefs, painters, writers, political junkies, yogis, and astrology enthusiasts. They are homeowners, responsible taxpayers, investors in local businesses from conservative real estate to innovative startups. Most are married with kids and are involved in their communities from PTAs to politics. They donate generously to charities and volunteer here and abroad.  

Now, let’s do some math. This is one class of one year from a school in Hyderabad. Even with conservative projections, there are at least 5 other schools of this caliber just in the city. (The CEOs of 2 of the largest software companies, Microsoft and Adobe, are both from Hyderabad). There are at least 10 major cities in India, and then there are many countries sending students and professionals from all over the world every year. You can imagine the numbers. Approximately 18 million people have become U.S. citizens through naturalization since year 2000. 

Every immigrant brings their own food, sports, faith, culture, and traditions. They want the best of both worlds. They love the freedom to enjoy their own culture and at the same time add to the fabric of America. We used to say America is a melting pot, and somewhere in the mid-90s, the metaphor changed to a colorful healthy salad bowl, which emphasizes cultural pluralism. Diverse groups maintain their distinct identities while coexisting within the broader society, like ingredients in a salad retaining their unique flavors. Go to Costco any weekend and you see the effect.  If you have seen the growth in the number of new temples, mosques, or diaspora churches, ethnic restaurants, or even the growth of soccer or cricket as a sport in metro areas, you know how they got here. 

Apart from the need to practice their own faith, immigrants are driven by making sure that our children have an appreciation and knowledge of the faith and culture, in the hope that they continue these practices. Of course, the new generation, who are just starting their professional lives as well-educated young men and women, will choose on their own. And that is America. They are free to choose.