America continues to be a land of opportunity for many people, and perhaps in this day and age, there is no better group of people for that old saying to apply to than South East Asian Indians, making the trek to California from Mumbai. Many people leave Mumbai to get away from ‘slum-like’ areas, where they can be treated poorly. California is a booming area for fields in technology, education, etc., and those wanting to leave Mumbai for a better life know they can get started in a place like California, and escape the lack of education and resources in slower-paced Mumbai.
However, that doesn’t always make the move, or the transition, the easiest thing in the world. With any big move, especially when it comes to an overall change in culture, there are personal drawbacks, and no matter how excited someone might be for a new location, and new opportunities, we tend to miss certain things about our homelands, no matter what. Cultural integration can be difficult for South East Asian Indians coming from Mumbai, because America is so starkly different.
Even if the person has a negative, or someone sullen opinion about Mumbai, it’s easy to just ‘miss home,’ because we tend to associate it with who we are. When someone leaves their country, no matter how anxious they might be to do it, they are leaving behind a lifetime of what they know; family, friends, locations, etc. Even if those locations aren’t necessarily appealing, they are what we consider to be ‘home,’ and that’s not always an easy thing to just ignore.
Plus, when you move to an area that is so drastically different, you have to learn to adapt to a new culture, and feel comfortable in your new space. This isn’t always easy to do, especially if you feel like the only person dealing with those type of issues. These kinds of feelings can happen when anyone makes a big move, especially to a different country. But for South East Asian Indians coming from Mumbai to California, looking for a new life, it can feel overwhelming at times. Luckily, aside from endless opportunities for continuing education, work, etc., the U.S. also has incredible resources that can help make it easier for people dealing with cultural integration.
One such resource is utilizing therapy, or even a life coach to deal with the transitioning process, and how to adapt to new surroundings. Harnessing excitement and using it to fuel a new lifestyle is a great way to get going, and a therapist or coach can really help to turn that fear, nervous energy, and maybe even feelings of disconnect into something more powerful, allowing the life being sought out to become a reality.
If you, yourself, have recently transitioned to California from Mumbai, or are thinking about making the change, know that there are resources available to make the process easier, more familiar, and better, so you can start living the life you’ve always dreamed of!
