Students

I remember the 90s as a time of change, when most of us were moving into adulthood and into new life experiences. It was an exciting time, when techo music was beginning to make it mark on the world and Seinfled was the greatest show on earth!

There was a new wave of Pakistani's popping up on the streets of Melbourne. They were young men, dressed in daggy clothes with the classic 'papadum' accent. These guys also presented the 'new' and modern outlook of the 'motherland'. Most migrants in the community had migranted in the late 70s and as they became parents maintained the same values from that time. So the first generation grew up with old values like their parents being strict and maintaining 'old fashion' views, values or traditions from the sub continent.


These 'students' did two things a) became potential husbands b) started a culture clash.


While most of the parenst regarded these guys as 'poor',  some considered them 'low' class and 'bad' people because they were away from home and free to enjoy the benefits of Australia. The parents refused to acknowledge these guys even though they themselves migrated here. There was a disconnect between the community and students. The experienced migrants, behaved in the classic 'sub-continent' way and developed a class system. The lower class,  where given little support. The community felt that it was only fitting that  the students fend for them selves and consistently referred to them in a degrogity way.

I was reminded of this point of view, when a woman from our community was husband hunting, she's Australian born but the type that loves the desi clothes, language and culture. She'll accept most things but not a husband from there. We were at a party and the husband topic arose. She said, 'that she would never marry anyone from there and that they were a bunch of losers'. She was adamant that if she did marry someone from there she would spent her life married to a taxi driver. While, the world had moved forward(post 90s) in the last twenty years, the men who came through as the first wave of 'students' were now working professionals, I found myself somewhat surprised the the old 90s mentality lived on.