South Asians do their fair share in the community

This is in response to Wilma Levine’s and Beth Klee’s letters in the Oct. 25 and Nov. 15 issues, respectively, of the Sentinel.

The accusations in the letters about the celebration of Diwali at the Edison schools were so hurtful that our initial thought was to stop our volunteering work at the schools and in the community and invest that time only for ourselves and families. But we parents want our children to do the right thing even when faced with negative comments from others, so we should set that example when our volunteering efforts are criticized.

The Diwali programs in the Edison schools were not religious observances, and they were for a maximum of 75 minutes in length. Children and teachers enjoyed learning about the culture and doing fun activities such as making diyas (clay lamps) with play dough, doing a word search, coloring and doing an arts and crafts project. We volunteers spent weeks in preparation for the Diwali events and then put in a whole day of our own time to make the events successful. We volunteers have responsibilities at home just like everyone else, many of which were on hold so we could prepare and host the Diwali events to educate and teach all children.

Regarding the letter’s claim that South Asians do not volunteer in the community, the majority of South Asians are hardworking, respectable and caring people, and many do their share of volunteering in our schools and community. These efforts are for the benefit of all in our Edison community. However, as with all Americans, some South Asian parents are not able to volunteer because they have small children at home, work full time and have family obligations.

Concerning Thanksgiving, we celebrate the holiday in our schools whether big or small. Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday, and it’s about being thankful for what we have and spending time with family and friends. South Asians celebrate Thanksgiving in the U.S., enjoying their own foods from different backgrounds, but the most important aspect of Thanksgiving is being together.

We need to work together to learn about each other and one another’s cultural backgrounds. I welcome my children learning about Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Ramadan, Christmas, Easter, the Chinese New Year and other American holidays.

The letters also said that South Asians expect special treatment from the police. To the contrary, South Asians understand that the rule of law is in effect for everyone and they only expect to be treated equally.

As Edison citizens, we should all be more involved in our children’s schools and in the Edison community.

Seerani and Jeewan Ramsaroop

Edison