The problem for many Indians is that Americans compare us to Native Americans. That is hard to believe, but it is true! They also are biased against the Indian custom of arranged marriage. They believe that it is wrong because they think that Indians are not even allowed to see the other person before the wedding. However, the reality is that now a person can choose his or her mate, but both sets of parents must still approve of the relationship. The child can also say yes or no to the proposal. In our opinion, people in arranged marriages are better off than those in love marriages. In fact, we believe that arranged marriages are much less likely to end in divorce than marriages based on romantic love.
Many people who come to the U.S. from India do not understand the way Americans talk. Their accents are very confusing to us. In India, our educational system is similar to the British way, so we learn English with a British accent. Our spelling rules are also different. For example, we add a “u” to words ending in “or” like “colour.” That is why newcomers from India often do not understand Americans.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|
1997: 38,048
2006: 61,369