Today i had rare ocassion to be with a family on dinner. My flatmates, relatives from LA were in the town. They invited Ali and myself for dinner in some Indian restaurant. As always, we recommended the India Place, basically the only Indian minitown, around La Jolla area. So myself and Ali drive to the place...
There I am introduced to his aunt of his, he was careful to mention that this was a far far far off related aunt, something like his fathers mothers, cousins daughter ... or something like that.. Well it was immediately clear to me why was Ali so specific about informing me about his relation to this aunt of his..
On my informing her about myself being a graduate student persuing degree in Physics, she impudently, asks me, why are u doing a PhD in physics ?? what will you do after a PhD, will become a teacher someplace?
Talking more to here, i came to know that shes a Math teacher in some high school in LA and has kids, one of whom is a Cardiologist and the other is electrical engineer.
Some how in her mind any one persuing sciences degree is a fool and for sure that person is not worthy of making money, I guess a measure of success that she grades peoples worth by.
I wonder how many like her exist, and how many possibly worthy intelligent kids, are being deprived of career in science.
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2 comments:
There will be tons like her. A lot of people have in-built biases that they believe in staunchly throughout their lives. Let us say that you had gone into Arts instead of opting the IIT way. You would have faced an equal number of questions about why you are sacrificing a good career to be a good-for-nothing arts graduate. 6 billion people on this planet may have 6 billion opinions. Don't take them too seriously.
I agree with Parth. But this bias is particularly strong in Indians. US folk dont care what u are studying. Desis on the other hand look down upon "Arts" and "Science" graduates bcos job chances later are quite slim.
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