Page 2 - American_Desi.cdr

I have a friend, let's call her Natasha.
Natasha's parents had a love marriage;
her father hailed from Tamil Nadu and her
mother was a Marathi. Growing up
multicultural, she got to experience both
cultures and learn more languages. But
she was speechless when someone
asked her where she belonged. In her
own words – “Basically, you don't fit
anywhere. If I go to Tamil Nadu, they call
me a North Indian. If I am at my Mom's
place they call me a South Indian. You
don't feel completely accepted. You are
somewhat of an outsider.”
Anyone who's born in a different culture
than the one parents grew up in knows
that there is a big difference in the
language, culture or teachings from their
societies and schools than at home. They
have to deal with conflicting messages as
they form their identities.
Being an Indian student pursuing Masters
in the USA I got in touch with a few
'American Desis' to learn about how they
connect with India and their Indian-
American identity. They were eager to
share their experiences on how it was to
grow up as second and third generation
Indian American.
Shweta's parents immigrated to the USA
before her birth. They came here at the
end of 20th century to work hard and
struggle their way up to create a
comfortable life for themselves and their
children. Shweta was born and brought up
in the States. When I asked her about
how she finds her own identity in the mix
of two cultures, she said, “When I was
P.G. Better Living
young I was a little ashamed that my
parents and I were different. But I've
grown to embrace my background and
be proud to be an Indian. It's hard to find
your identity when your home life is
Indian and school life is American. It's
confusing because you don't know
what's 'right'.”
Just like Natasha, there were times
where Shweta felt that she did not
belong completely. While Indian culture
stresses on community, American
culture emphasizes on individuality.
Where Indian values are somewhat
conservative, the American ones are
more liberal. Along with the herculean
task of being a teenager, Shweta had
the additional challenge of getting to
terms with conflicting ideas and forming
a sense of self and right or wrong within
the chaos. Just like many Indians, there
are Americans who are racist too.
Teenagers are more likely to pick up on
such viewpoints and ostracize each
other. Today, she is a smart and
confident woman of 20 pursuing her
graduate degree. Not only is she is a
proud American but also celebrates her
Indian roots.