Personal Narrative: Girlhood In America

I am a girl with many dreams. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to change the world, but the shadows of racial injustice haunted me as I experienced girlhood in America. Born as an Indian girl into a conservative Hindu family in America, my cultural expectations were high. Culture dictates for girls to be traditional, but the average American household was not similar to mine. Not only were these expectations high at home, they were also prevalent at school.

My race and intelligence were two aspects that differentiated me. At school, the ignominy “smarty brownie” accompanied me till sophomore year of high-school, meaning that kids born of Indian descent with dark pigmented skin are naturally intelligent. At home I was referred to as an “ABCD” , an American Born Confused Desi; A derogatory term characterizing Indians who have grown up in America and act “American” are naive of their ancestral roots. I, however, never considered myself as an Indian or American-I am myself. Ultimately, my efforts at school nor at home ever sufficed. …show more content…
The class was engaging, but my level of excellence soon plummeted. Once I received my report card, I realized that for the first time in my life, I had failed a math class. The stigma “smarty brownie” left and the identity of being an unintelligent Indian girl arose. In the minds’ of others, I was a doomed child. With evil eyes casted upon me, I was