Indian American Archives - The Race Card Project

Not Brown Enough to Be Indian

February 12, 2024February 12, 2024 dual cultures, growing up, immigrant, Indian, Indian American, not brown enough, PA, Pallavi Joy, Philadelphia, too brown, two worlds, white school

Pallavi Joy,
Philadelphia, PA

Growing up in a 97% white school system, and being raised by one Indian immigrant parent and one Indian American parent really affected the way I saw myself and my race. I was always too brown in school to fit in with all the white kids, but in Indian circles I was too American. Not fully fitting in with my American culture or Indian culture is a defining feature of my life whether or not I want it to be. I am still learning how to love my dual cultures.

Boy From America’s Heartland, Indian American

June 14, 2021June 14, 2021 America's Heartland, Asian, Asian Indian, AZ, Dixon, heatland, High School, Hindu, IL, Indian American, Mesa, middle class, Moline, Northwestern, Rahul Iyer

Rahul Iyer,
Mesa , AZ.

I graduated high school from Dixon IL, a small town halfway between Rockford and Moline, in the Northwestern part of Illinois. Dixon IL is a small town, and boyhood home of former President Ronald “Dutch” Reagan. Cornfields surrounded the town. I am the son of two medical doctors who practiced in the small town of Dixon IL. I was the only Asian Indian in my graduating class in High School. We were functionally assimilated into American life; but we were not socially or politically assimilated into American life. I had a middle to upper middle class upbringing in the down of Dixon IL.

To others, in regard to religion, we were misunderstood (we are Hindu). We were different. We looked different. We ate different foods. We had the money to be called upper middle class, but we did not fit in with others socially. We were different.

Indian-American but live like white

June 7, 2021June 7, 2021 anonymous, dress like, eat like, Hindi, hyphen, Indian, Indian American, language, live, suburban, USA, white, yuppie

Anonymous,
USA.

I speak no Hindi. Live in a big suburban house. Dress and eat like a yuppie white person. What makes me Indian?

Indian American South Asian Desi American

June 3, 2019June 3, 2019 Asian, CA, Desi American, Indian American, Jacob Kuriakose, label, San Diego, South Asian

Jacob Kuriakose,
San Diego, CA.

I would like to bring up the idea of “Indian” to label Native Americans, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, etc. I would also like to talk about lumping East Asians, South Asians, and South East Asians into the general term “Asian” as well.

Will you have an arranged marriage?

March 10, 2018March 10, 2018 arranged marriage, brown woman, Canada, DC, heritage, immigrated, Indian, Indian American, Krishna Ghodiwala, Washington

Krishna Ghodiwala,
Washington, DC.

I am an Indian American woman who was born in Canada, immigrated to the US at the age of 3, and went on to receive an excellent education that has helped me pursue a successful career in US politics and issue advocacy. My Indian heritage is a big part of my identity, but for all of the cultural wealth my ethnic and geographic backgrounds have to offer to someone eager to ask questions, this one is the most common. As a brown woman, no matter what progress I bring to the table, age-old notions of exoticism and helplessness follow me around like a sad puppy. I can’t just be another young professional woman who lives a normal and independent–emphasis on independent–life. People pry for tidbits of a drama that they couldn’t even dream of partaking in: “Do your parents know you date? Would they be mad? Do you have to marry an Indian? Will you have to get an arranged marriage?” Yes. No. No. No. Just no.

“But where are you FROM from?”

December 11, 2015December 11, 2015 accent, difficult, electronics store, fearful, IN, Indian American, infuriating, Muncie, Roshni Brahmbhatt, stereotype, where are you from

Roshni Brahmbhatt,
Muncie, IN.

It’s probably the most infuriating thing that I hear on a daily basis. I work at an electronics store and I’m an Indian American so most people look at my brown skin and avoid talking to me because they’re fearful I have an accent. Then I speak (without one) and they feel better. But they still look at me like I’m different. Then comes to dreaded question “Where are you from?” It’s difficult to answer this because I know what they’re actually asking, but I was born in the United States. I usually reply with “I’m from Indiana.” which sparks the next question “But where are you FROM from?” and those words make me so angry because of their stereotypes about me.