Is it true that you can't really say no in east INDIAN families?

My BF is indian and he claims that when his cousins want to go to chicago which is a couple of hours away he can not just tell them he doesn't feel like it. He says there isn't any ';not feeling like it'; in his family. You either go or you don't go and you never say you don't feel like doing something. You go out of respect. Is this specific to his family or may it be cultural? If it's cultural... please elaborate if you can.Is it true that you can't really say no in east INDIAN families?
in the east indian culture there is no concept of saying the truth except when backbiting.





to not go, we make excusesIs it true that you can't really say no in east INDIAN families?
To be specific as you said they can say no , but they're not supposed to be lazy.





(As you said , I have no clue)
Yeah. You have to respect your elders, but in this case, it seems your BF is not assertive.
As an Indian guy, I can relate, but I think this situation is probably just with the guy's family, my family doesn't do it, but we usually give some reason why we can't do something. In a cultural aspect of it, it usually dealing with respect for family and relatives, so that might be the case.
I don't think this is accurate, because I've a lot of friends who are East Indian here and in India, and I've seen them say things like ';I'm sorry, but, I can't make it, because I've had a real hard day and am not up to it today, if you don't mind.';





Like us, they avoid saying that they don't feel like it and use some other excuse, just to be polite, but, if it happens once too often, I guess they just say the truth, too.





One thing that is disconcerting about East Indians is their habit of studiously ignoring someone who goes off on a rage.





I had that happen with an Italian lady friend in India, where her Team had decorated the whiteboard in the CBT with ';All the best, Mrs ...'; and used her first name. I noticed that and said that usually, you usually used the surname with the Mrs or the first name without the Mrs, and they'd changed it to Mrs..';. surname.





When she came in, after I'd left to grab a cup of coffee, she asked ';Who taught this?'; [Because this is an Oriental habit and she had not corrected them, and she was their Trainer.] And the whole lot just stood silent looking at the floor. Being a Latin, she lost her temper and screamed at them, and I ran there to see what was the issue. Then, I said ';What the heck? I taught them that!';





I then spent almost an hour explaining to the East Indians that people in the West prefer to have their questions answered and do not like to be not communicated with, which is why she had lost her cool and what I'd done was not a Cardinal Sin.





After that, I've had no problems with our East Indians who are a bit timid when it comes to asking something, because they don't want to look foolish, because all of them have got into the comfort zone with me and know that I will not call them fools or anything like that, but will try my best to help.





It's the same thing with any European, too, by the way; or any other people. All of them do not get to being honest unless they are in that comfort zone where they know they will not be misunderstood.





Now, if it comes to ferrying your cousins to Chicago, you've a choice of looking like a selfish rectal aperture or doing the right thing and forgetting about yourself and being accommodating. Now, if your girlfriend doesn't want you to do that, well, she's being stuck up. So, guess what? He's probably being polite with you.





Heck, if I had a load of cousins who wanted me to take them somewhere, I'd do that. Fortunately my wife ain't the type to say - ';Don't';.





Heck, just thinking of the sad and crestfallen looks on the faces of those kids would have me get the energy to ferry them; and I'm not even East Indian.





Just a thought; but you might want to see where the ';cultural disconnect'; is happening.