UNITED STATES, October 30, 2016 (Scroll.in, by Lavina Melwani): In the old days, the Indian immigrant in America was likely to experience excruciating loneliness on Diwali — cut off from the large, extended family, and making do with a patched-together group of strangers, new acquaintances and distant relatives. Diwali celebrations were limited to a few people contributing sabzis, Indian snacks and sweets, all eaten on paper plates in someone’s basement or tiny living room. Immigrants called home over a crackling, semi-audible phone line which cost a bundle, shouting “Happy Diwali!” into the void.
Americans did not know what Diwali was, and nor could they pronounce it. There were no fireworks or a public holiday – Diwali often fell on a weekday, and was just another routine day at work, no diyas, or clay lamps, to be seen anywhere. Fast forward a few decades from the lonely ’60s in America, and the scene is different – the internet has revolutionised Diwali. NRIs today are able to have long, luxuriant chats with extended family over Skype, WhatsApp, Viber and Facebook in the comfort of their living rooms. They stay up to date with one another’s lives on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
As for that other, crucial aspect of Diwali: shopping for Diwali outfits, sweets and gifts, all you need is a credit card and to get onto an e-commerce site to find everything from gold coins embossed with the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi, to laddoos shaped like Ganeshas. But the celebration isn’t just online, it’s everywhere in America. A rapidly growing population of Indians in the US has meant that everything Indian is now available in the big cities of America, from tinned gulab jamuns to frozen samosas.
Much more at “source” above.
Also read Lavina’s story, “Diwali 101 — From Darkness to Light”:
http://www.lassiwithlavina.com/features/faith/diwali-101-from-darkness-to-light/html