Growing up as an ethnic minority has posed some of the most difficult challenges of my life when adjusting to American society and culture. When I was little, I only ever interacted with Indian people, and so my day to day practices and habits were always different. The stereotype was food, but it was more than that. The way I spoke, the way I had fun, and the ways in which I found my self worth and confidence, none of it was the same. This is not me defining the experience of minorities. It’s not even me defining the Indian experience in America because each experience is unique in its own way. It’s about my experiences during my life and how being an Indian in America shaped my childhood and how to this day it affects the very way I think.

My parents stressed the importance of education from an early age. It was how they ensured their families’ security, and their hope is that I would continue this trend to enjoy and have more opportunities than they could have ever hoped for. My mom taught me from an early age how to do math. Homework was always the first priority. It’s because of this emphasis that in school I always worked hard, studied hard, and did well. And because school was my(and most Indians’) main interaction with American society, we became negatively stereotyped as just the nerd at school, nothing more. And it hurt me even more when I realized that I was and still am actively contributing to these stereotypes. Even though they were placed on me by others’ perceptions, I felt and still feel guilty. Because of this, I struggled to be seen and even view myself as anything more than a smart person.
But high school changed everything. It was a fresh start, a time to make a new stamp. It was really when I started high school that I truly became friends with my peers and actually felt like I had a social identity in school. Before I had felt that my social life was prevented from being inside school by American society, but now my social life revolves around my extracurriculars and my friends from school. And although it’s not the same, I became close with friends who also were ethnic minorities, giving me some connection and outlet for when I wanted to talk about being a minority. I became closer with my white friends, seeing new perspectives and interacting with them in ways I have not before. It was only after high school had begun that I truly felt I wasn’t just Indian, I was an Indian American. When I began to resonate with this identity, I became more confident and happy about who I was, my beliefs and my priorities. And I can not wait to see how else I will grow during the rest of my time at GNHS as an Indian American.