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Understanding the Coconut Generation: Ministry to the Americanized Asian Indians
A First of its Kind Book…
Welcome to the brave new world of the second generation Indian Americans, where the traditional Indian worldview does not hold ground anymore.
Coconut (brown on the outside, white on the inside) is a metaphor for the emerging generation of Asian Indians in the Western societies. This book is about helping the coming generations of Asian Indians in North America to discover their unique identity, embrace their biculturalism, identify their spirituality, recognize their search for authentic community and empathize with some of their common struggles.
Understanding the Coconut Generation is a multidisciplinary account of the Indian American experience, including brief historic review, demographic data, socio-psychological analysis, anthropological and theological reflection, results of a web-based survey and many lessons for practical Christian ministry.
It contains collective wisdom of many youth leaders, parents, pastors, educators, counselors and community leaders from a variety of different backgrounds from all across North America.
An insightful and true depiction of Asian Indian children growing up outside of India. A must-read for every church leader, youth worker, Sunday school teacher and parent who are ministering to the next generation. -Rt. Rev. Dr. Euyakim Mar Coorilos, Bishop, Diocese of North America & Europe, The Mar Thoma Church.
Sam George is a godsend. His book represents a breakthrough for all of us in youth ministry, and for those serving Americanized Asian Indian youth in particular. He studies young people whose faith is exceedingly, and often exasperatingly, honest. Understanding the Coconut Generation speaks to youth ministers in a global culture-no matter where we come from. -Kenda Creasy Dean Ph.D., Associate Professor of Youth, Church and Culture, Princeton Theological Seminary.
Sam George gets to the heart of issues affecting Asian Indian families living not only in North America but across the Diaspora. This helpful book offers many practical insights including a useful theological perspective on the underlying cross-cultural tensions affecting first and second generation Asians. A timely and significant contribution, it fills an urgent need. -Ram Gidoomal CBE, Chairman South Asian Concern, United Kingdom.
SAM GEORGE lives in Chicagoland with his family and is the Executive Director of Parivar International, an organization committed to serving Asian Indian youth, families and communities worldwide.
Welcome to the brave new world of the second generation Indian Americans, where the traditional Indian worldview does not hold ground anymore.
Coconut (brown on the outside, white on the inside) is a metaphor for the emerging generation of Asian Indians in the Western societies. This book is about helping the coming generations of Asian Indians in North America to discover their unique identity, embrace their biculturalism, identify their spirituality, recognize their search for authentic community and empathize with some of their common struggles.
Understanding the Coconut Generation is a multidisciplinary account of the Indian American experience, including brief historic review, demographic data, socio-psychological analysis, anthropological and theological reflection, results of a web-based survey and many lessons for practical Christian ministry.
It contains collective wisdom of many youth leaders, parents, pastors, educators, counselors and community leaders from a variety of different backgrounds from all across North America.
An insightful and true depiction of Asian Indian children growing up outside of India. A must-read for every church leader, youth worker, Sunday school teacher and parent who are ministering to the next generation. -Rt. Rev. Dr. Euyakim Mar Coorilos, Bishop, Diocese of North America & Europe, The Mar Thoma Church.
Sam George is a godsend. His book represents a breakthrough for all of us in youth ministry, and for those serving Americanized Asian Indian youth in particular. He studies young people whose faith is exceedingly, and often exasperatingly, honest. Understanding the Coconut Generation speaks to youth ministers in a global culture-no matter where we come from. -Kenda Creasy Dean Ph.D., Associate Professor of Youth, Church and Culture, Princeton Theological Seminary.
Sam George gets to the heart of issues affecting Asian Indian families living not only in North America but across the Diaspora. This helpful book offers many practical insights including a useful theological perspective on the underlying cross-cultural tensions affecting first and second generation Asians. A timely and significant contribution, it fills an urgent need. -Ram Gidoomal CBE, Chairman South Asian Concern, United Kingdom.
SAM GEORGE lives in Chicagoland with his family and is the Executive Director of Parivar International, an organization committed to serving Asian Indian youth, families and communities worldwide.
226 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 10, 2018
I feel like we need more books like this. This is one of the first books I've read to help me better understand my own ethnic identity as an Indian American. The book talks about reaching this unique demographic and how there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration. One of my favorite illustrations is at the end of the book when the author describes how the prodigal sons story relates to the Indian American churches and 1st or 2nd generation Indian churches that have been transplanted in America. The author uses powerful parallels such as this story to illustrate the complex cultural barriers that we face when reaching Indian Americans. Great read!
October 24, 2017
A historical and sociological look at ministry to Indian Americans. I appreciated the balanced (vs. "objective") intergenerational perspective and the discussions on hybridity/liminality and believing/belonging/behaving. I have to think more about where to go from here.
March 31, 2014
This was a great eye-opening book. Anyone with a heart to minister to Asian Indians in the U.S. should read it. I especially enjoyed the "Same Boat" chapter and the comparison with other Asian groups.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews