Thank You - America

Greetings!

Thanks Giving Day in America is celebrated on the Fourth Thursday of November. That’s Re-Stating the fact. The First Official Thanks Giving Day in America, it seems, was celebrated in 1619 and the tradition has continued till this day. Though the event has been commercialized by the Business Houses, the emotional string around the “Thanks Giving Day” still runs thick among Americans.

The origin of “Thanks Giving” has got many accounts. But by far the most commonly cited is that of pilgrims, who landed in Virginia Colony, in extreme winter did not know how to cook food and also survive the winter. At this critical juncture, Squanto, an Indian, taught them how to catch eel, grow corn and who served as an interpreter for them (Squanto had learned English on a previous trip to Europe). Without Squanto's help the Pilgrims might not have survived in the new world. The Pilgrims set apart a day to celebrate at Plymouth immediately after their first harvest, in 1621. At the time, this was not regarded as a Thanksgiving observance. As years passed by, the grandness of the Event increased. [Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org]. Once again this is Re-Stating the Fact.

I read that most of the Asians, in USA, do not celebrate “Thanks Giving Day” with the same fervor as the Americans do. Since the event falls on a Thursday, many take leave and have a Long Weekend – and spend time the way they would normally do on a long weekend. It seems, strangely, the migrant population does not even wish the Americans, warmly on the event. That’s sad reading, indeed.

Should India and Indians not be Grateful to American Business and Americans?

It was because of pirated versions of Windows 95 that were freely available - that many got initiated into computers in the mid-nineties. Coupled with the ingenuity of Indian PC Assemblers computers started invading homes. It was the Americans who brought in high salary structures into Indian IT sector and popularized the IT industry in India. I can’t recall any big European or Australian or Russian making the first moves in Indian job market in a big way. Though Y2K problem was there across continents, it is the Americans who came calling to India, for our Engineers, during the late nineties and this gave an opportunity to thousands of Indians to make USA home for the rest of their life.

It was the Americans who first started Big-Ticket-Investments in India in setting up businesses, which generated employment in hundreds with a pleasant working environment. Apart from Cola giants, Ford, GM, Gillette, Pizza Houses, etc., stormed India. It was the American VC Funding for many thousands of small organizations in India that helped generate employment to many thousands in BPOs, Call Centers and ITES sectors.

To restate the fact - the concept of Internet was first explored successfully by the Defense Department in USA. It was American Business Houses that first started the concept of mass outsourcing of jobs and globalization.

Americans in general are very courteous, warm and wish. I have seen many Americans visiting our Office, showing utmost respect to us – be it while opening the entrance door or making way in the Lift. Many even give a pleasant smile and greet, even though we have not been formally introduced to them.

Folks in IT get paid Rs.2000+ [approx] per day [Avg: Rs.50K per month – 22 Working Days per month]. It is this that helps the young ones to lead Five Star Life or Kingly Life or Flashy Lifestyle in India – Weekend Parties, Swanky Apartments, Annual Exotic Tours, etc. American Tax Payers/Consumers play a very major role albeit indirectly.

I found it strange not to come across a single report in Newspapers or Websites - of these young ones in IT - Thanking Americans; BTW showing basic courtesy is conspicuously absent in our culture – but at least can we not express our Collective Gratitude to America and Americans in General. I particularly include Americans because they have been highly magnanimous to accept lay-offs and facing the consequences of job-loss.

I scream – Thank You America

Sindhu