My parents left India many decades ago and moved into the New Jersey suburbs so my brother and I could grow up in America and receive an American education. When it came to our education my parents never had any restrictions to what they were willing to do or what they were willing to give up; I was sent to Saturday school, tutoring sessions, summer camp, SAT prep, anything that bolstered my college resume. It’s because of this selflessness that I grew up in a town that can only be accurately labeled as an upper-middle class, catholic, white community, in which we were the only Indian family. It had one of the best school districts in the area, which made the absurd property tax a nonissue for my parents.
I never regretted my inherited educational …show more content…
My home community and school did little to bolster my cultural knowledge. When asked “what I was” and I told them I’m Indian, my classmates always followed up by questioning if I was “Pocahontas Indian” or “Gandhi Indian.” To others in the school, which I had been attending for close to 8 years, I was referred to as black or was often confused with the girl from Japan. I was asked if I spoke “Indian” and if I was “Hindi.” I was living in two different worlds—White America while at school and Hindu India while at home—that had no intersection. This left me to simultaneously have a longing to be closer to my culture and a desire to turn my back to anything that vaguely symbolized …show more content…
There are many aspects of my personality that conflict with the beliefs held by my parents, and the greater community. Despite everything my parents have done for my education they still assert that I must be a subservient housewife. It is my duty to cook, clean, and take care of the kids I don’t even want. Most importantly to my mom, I should never be smarter or more affluent than my husband. This is only further complicated by the fact that I identify as bisexual, which if my parents knew would most likely lead to some severe
I never regretted my inherited educational …show more content…
My home community and school did little to bolster my cultural knowledge. When asked “what I was” and I told them I’m Indian, my classmates always followed up by questioning if I was “Pocahontas Indian” or “Gandhi Indian.” To others in the school, which I had been attending for close to 8 years, I was referred to as black or was often confused with the girl from Japan. I was asked if I spoke “Indian” and if I was “Hindi.” I was living in two different worlds—White America while at school and Hindu India while at home—that had no intersection. This left me to simultaneously have a longing to be closer to my culture and a desire to turn my back to anything that vaguely symbolized …show more content…
There are many aspects of my personality that conflict with the beliefs held by my parents, and the greater community. Despite everything my parents have done for my education they still assert that I must be a subservient housewife. It is my duty to cook, clean, and take care of the kids I don’t even want. Most importantly to my mom, I should never be smarter or more affluent than my husband. This is only further complicated by the fact that I identify as bisexual, which if my parents knew would most likely lead to some severe