This is a wonderful story from the Snap Judgment radio show about the American melting pot, and also about personal commitment and drive.
A summary: Ravi, an immigrant from India, who is not a US citizen, wants to join the U.S. Army. But he arrives malnourished and too underweight to pass the physical exam. Plus, he's Hindu, a therefore a pacifist and a vegetarian. Also, they can't seem to pronounce his last name. Somehow, he and the Army manage to make it happen.
Listen here, as his niece Dhaya Lakshminarayanan helps tell the story.
A summary: Ravi, an immigrant from India, who is not a US citizen, wants to join the U.S. Army. But he arrives malnourished and too underweight to pass the physical exam. Plus, he's Hindu, a therefore a pacifist and a vegetarian. Also, they can't seem to pronounce his last name. Somehow, he and the Army manage to make it happen.
Listen here, as his niece Dhaya Lakshminarayanan helps tell the story.
