How to Find Belonging as a Hindu in America (Or Anywhere Else In the World) | Dharmic Life

Belonging in the Diaspora: A Dharmic View on Identity, Citizenship, and Seva 

In this episode of BAPS Better Living’s Dharmic Life episode, Dhawal and Kashyap discuss identity and belonging as diaspora Hindus in North America. They explore how immigrants often feel tension between preserving Hindu practices and fitting into Western society, with Kashyap sharing experiences growing up as the only Hindu in his Alabama school and feeling embarrassed about rituals. 

Framing the conversation around America’s 250th anniversary, they connect American pluralism (E pluribus unum) with Dharmic ideals and argue that belonging is less about seeking acceptance and more about personal responsibility, civic engagement, and seva.  

They emphasize integrating multiple identities without ranking them, contributing to one’s community, and viewing Hinduism as a global way of life.  

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