TESTI DI INGLESE PER ORALE RIASSUNTI
A generation of patchwork identities (unit 1, pg. 12)
India’s post-millennial generation is the largest youth population in the world,
with over 40% of the country’s 1.4 billion people under the age of 25. Growing
up in an era of financial uncertainty, these young people are also digital
natives, exposed to diverse cultures and ideas. This has made them self-aware
and eager to explore their own identities, often choosing paths very different
from those of their parents.
Sanatan and Savitri Mahto, a brother-and-sister duo from rural north-east India,
became YouTube sensations in 2019 by posting Bollywood dance videos.
Sanatan, who studied Political Science, and Savitri, a trained schoolteacher,
have used their success to build a studio at home and inspire local youth to
follow their passions rather than simply inheriting their parents’ careers.
Similarly, 24-year-old Ramila Weerasinghe in Sri Lanka combines her job as a
high-class hotel chef with volunteering to counsel vulnerable women, showing
that empathy and enthusiasm can guide meaningful work even without formal
training.
Santosh Jadhav, who took over his family’s small farm at 22, has used digital
media to share innovative farming techniques that conserve water. His online
account, Indian Farmer, provides practical guidance to a large audience in a
country where agriculture employs over 40% of the population. These stories
illustrate how post-millennial youth in South Asia are blending technology,
creativity, and social awareness to pursue new opportunities and effect change
in their communities.
Bloodlines (unit 1, pg. 15)
Queens, New York, is a vivid example of the United States’ cultural diversity.
Here, people from different ethnic backgrounds—second-generation Puerto
Ricans, third-generation Greeks, and first-generation Koreans—live together
while sharing a common pride in their American identity. Yet many residents
also value their ancestral roots and enjoy exploring the recent history of their
families, discovering how their grandparents or great-grandparents arrived in
America and the struggles they faced.
Richard, 38, traces his heritage to his great-grandfather Tomas, who fled Poland
as a teenager after a family tragedy and eventually made his way to America.
Tomas worked on railroads in California before reuniting with his brother in New
York, where they both settled and built careers in construction. Stories like
these, passed down through generations, create a strong sense of family and
belonging.
Tanja, 29, is a first-generation American whose parents came from Jamaica. Her
parents valued education and hard work: her father studied by day while
