They say that students who study abroad tend to become very attached to their host countries. Drew Thomases '07 (Roslindale, Mass.) would probably agree. Thomases was in India last fall and now returns to a kind of India by studying the Diaspora community in Queens, N.Y. Thomases will be advised by Jay Williams, the Walcott Bartlett Professor of Religious Studies as he uses his Emerson Grant to study the changing nature of the religious tradition within the Indian Diaspora.
In the Queens Hindu community, there are three temples: Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam, Sri Divya Dham Temple, and Shiv Shakti Peeth. These temples are, however, different from the temples one would find in India in that they do not have one central deity but many. As Thomases explains in his proposal, this is evidence the larger change in Diaspora Hinduism, which is more cohesive than traditional Indian Hinduism. The change is necessary, he believes, to keep the cultural belief system alive in a different setting; "to reinterpret their traditions for the sake of preservation."
Observations amplify and support what Thomases had hypothesized in February: that the members of the thriving Hindu community have redefined their religious focus both to keep the community alive and to create their own identity. As he says, "a transition is being made within Hinduism…an evolution that makes the creation of an Americanized Hindu identity."
To find evidence of this evolution, Thomases has been visiting the above temples, interviewing residents, and reading newspapers. He is also attending a class called "The Basics of Hinduism for Parents and their Children" which shows him how Hinduism is taught to the next generation. "The Hinduism they are being taught is the Diasporic Hinduism of the future."
This is Thomases' first summer doing research. He enjoys it, especially being able to make his own schedule and work at his own pace. There are, of course, challenges: Thomases says he finds it difficult to communicate with people in the area. "It is painfully obvious that I am an outsider looking in." He will probably lose some of that outsider quality by the end of the year, as this study will be his senior thesis.
On campus, Thomases is the president of the Mediation Club, plays intramural sports, and runs a radio show. In the spirit of his research, he hopes to join the Asian Cultural Society for their Diwali celebration in the fall. Currently a religious studies major, Thomases plans on pursuing a graduate degree in religions studies and a career in academia.
Of Queens, Thomases says, "some areas of Queens are truly reminiscent of my time in India. If is if you are transported to the other side of the planet, yet are only half an hour from Times Square. Jackson Heights, the cultural center of Queens, is often jokingly referred to as 'Jai Kishan' Heights or in Hindi 'Hail Krishna' Heights."
His research is funded by the Emerson Foundation Grant Program, which allows students to work closely with a faculty member researching in depth an area of the student's interest.
- Lisbeth Redfield
