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"The main purpose of life is to live rightly, think rightly, act rightly. The soul must languish when we give all our thought to the body."
M K Gandhi
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WESTERN MYTHS
The year is 1999. I walk into a local barber shop in a Mumbai suburb. It’s time for a hair cut. On this day, I am bombarded with curious questions about the land I am from, the United States of America. Among the many questions is an obvious one, “How much does a (men’s) haircut cost in America?” I replied around $20 dollars, which was, at that time, close to 1,000 Indian Rupees. The small shop erupted in utter amazement, as the cost of a haircut in India was only 20 Rupees. If one did the quick math, they would realize that they could give 50 haircuts in India to every 1 haircut in America. Needless to say, everyone was ready to secure a passport and a plane ticket and fly off to cut hair in America.
When I started to discuss the realities of cost of living, then that bubble began to lose air soon. Monthly rent/Mortgage $1000 (50,000 Rupees). Health Insurance $200 (10,000 Rupees). Food $400 (20,000 Rupees) Car Payment $350 (17,500 Rupees). And the list of expenses went on. The result was a feeling that India looked more and more like a better alternative and that brief dream of American riches was dismissed.
The United States. England. Canada. Australia. These are currently some of the top destinations in the world for people to immigrate, whether by legal means or by illegal methods. People are willing to pay huge sums of money to reach the shores of these countries and take up work in small shops, gas stations, fast food restaurants, all working under-wage and for 16 hours a day. They live in the ‘gray’ areas of society. There is a magnet within these and other Western Nations that seem to pull people. The influx of immigrants to countries around the world can perpetuate stereotypes, marginalize communities, as well as create a host of social issues within these Western nations. Questions to be considered are as follows:
Why does an individual leave behind their family and culture, as opposed to taking leadership roles in developing their own nation?
Please read the TGU – Volunteer contract.
What lies at the center of that magnetic pull towards the West (besides money)?
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