A South Asian friend of mine (who doesn't want to be named) studied sciences as much as she possibly could, and despite her best efforts, was unable to complete her studies. She complained frequently throughout the first two or three years of university that she actually wanted to run her own business. George advises those in such a dilemma to undergo "an analysis where you're deciding if this is your strength and/or weakness and if you want to do it."

Do we not have the right to expect that success should also include happiness?

That contentment can often be lost. Our attempts to please our parents often contribute to the image of the family, the same image that is projected into the South Asian community. Indeed, the image of a family whose child has become a doctor, lawyer, or accountant is seen as extremely favorable. A certain value is then placed on that particular family, and the family now ha

Second generation South Asians often find it's second nature to turn to the shelter and protection of a group. We can immerse ourselves in the image of a crowd that stands out so visibly, and use that image as a shield to assert who we are. Through our family structure, we've become accustomed to thinking in terms of a 'collective consciousness.

In the same manner as our family structure, we are also expected to behave and act in a particular way among our social structure. Among our South Asian friends and peers, we are expected to be 'brown'. That behaviour and image acts to continually identify and define the group as a whole.

Mohan has had more than one negative experience with her peer group on this issue. She recalls a time when she and her sister were labeled 'white-washed' because they chose not to patronize a video store, in spite of its low prices, because service there was terrible. Mohan says her choice set her apart because of a mentality that brown people are supposed to be 'cheap', and shop for the best deal. The criticism, she says, is that for brown people, customer service should be irrelevant.

Some common words found in the essay are:
South Asians, South Asian, North Americans, George Identity, Usha George, Sundays Mohan, North American, , Alberta Edmonton, Smirnoff Dad, south asian, south asians, brown people, we've grown, north american, can't escape, behaviour image, according usha george, discrimination racism, according usha, brown friends, generation south asians,
Approximate Word count = 1576
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)