Skip to main content

My Own Introduction

As we start reading a new book, we are often introduced to the characters, setting, and conflicts. As we learn about the characters in The Great Gatsby, I thought I would share more about myself.








My ethnicity is more complicated than most would think. Especially due to the large Indian American population at Troy High, many assume that I fall into that category as well. However, my maternal grandparents immigrated to the United States in the early '70s from Afghanistan. My paternal grandfather was born in Iran, but my paternal grandmother's place of birth is much more complicated. My grandmother was born in India a couple of months before the Partition. As she is a Sikh, her family was forced to travel across the border and leave behind all of their belongings in Pakistan. She grew up in India (although she was born in present-day Pakistan). My mother grew up in Buffalo, NY and my father, born in Houston, TX, grew up in New Orleans, LA. 

This diverse background and unique experiences have shaped the person I am today. However, many of the places in which my grandparents were born no longer hold much significance to me. In fact, traveling to these countries could easily leave me killed the second I touch the soil. A place I have always felt tied to is Punjab, which brings me to my religious identity.

23 out of 26 million Sikhs (5th largest religion in the world), live in the state of Punjab. Most of the other 3 million have a deep-rooted ancestral history in the Punjab region. That left me in the tiny minority of Sikhs who don't truly have that connection. 






Although I have conflicting identities, I have learned to accept all these different facets of myself. They make me unique and special :)

Comments

  1. Pranayi GhorpadeOctober 8, 2023 at 10:26 AM

    I really love how you dived deep into your family's history and talked about your background. It was interesting to read and learn more about who you are as an individual.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jaspreet SinghOctober 8, 2023 at 12:39 PM

    That’s so cool because I’m Sikh as well! I loved how you traced your identity back to your grandparents and how your own personal experiences are similar to character introductions in The Great Gatsby.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Erin JeongOctober 8, 2023 at 12:56 PM

    I really liked how you chose to introduce yourself in a way similar to how characters are introduced in books! I enjoyed learning about your heritage and family history too!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dhruti BhatOctober 8, 2023 at 5:06 PM

    This was so interesting to read! It's really cool how you talked about your family history and how it impacts you. I can relate to this so much. I also loved how you wrote this like the introduction of characters in The Great Gatsby.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Shayuri PatelOctober 8, 2023 at 7:13 PM

    I really like how you talked about your family's history in depth and about your background.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

attempting to plan out my life

I can't lie - I don't know how likely I am to really come back to this list. Regardless, here are the books I hope I read in the next ten years: 2026 - The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley I'll be honest - my dad has been begging me to read this for the last few years, and I think it's finally time I listen. This will be my first year of college, meaning it's time to really get educated beyond just the subdued version of history I am exposed to at school. Especially because I will be spending so much time in Detroit during my freshman year, I think it is imperative that I learn about black history and its ties to the city. 2027 - American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins I've heard a lot about the life-changing nature of this novel, and by 2027, I truly think this issue will be a prominent focus in American politics, culture, and society. When I was a freshman, I vaguely remember listening to a podcast episode featuring Cummins during a long drive,...
Post a Comment
Read more

race plays a role

Elham: "They like English accent French accent not your accent not my accent" This line stuck with me as I read the play, especially when you mentioned your inability to relate to it because you are two generations deep, almost fully assimilated into "American" culture. I am also 2 generations deep, a second-generation American. So why is my experience different? It's because: - The sub spells my name when calling attendance instead of attempting to say it. - My first-grade teacher refused to believe I celebrated Thanksgiving. - No history textbook has a picture of someone like me. It's because I've had the following conversation more times than I can count: Them: "Where are you from?" Me: I live in Michigan, I'm American. Them: "No, where are you really from?" And as much as I feel the urge to respond passive-aggressively, I’ve come to realize that these questions often come from kind, well-meaning people who are simply curious. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

My Story

I'm an overthinker. I'm an overthinker to a level you can't even imagine. Every minute left on delivered, every slight change in tone, and every period in a text message means something to me. I'm constantly asking myself: Are they mad at me? What did I do wrong? How do I even begin replying to this? Amidst this constant anxiety, I do my best to remind myself to be present, put my phone down, and worry less about the outcome. And yet, this often causes further tension: Am I living in the moment enough? Am I missing something important? Am I doing this all wrong? The poem A Story by Li-Young Lee resonated with me because of this constant internal conflict. Throughout the poem, the father, so focused on the possibility of the son's future, cannot express his feelings of love in the moment.  With just one more quarter of the life I have known for the past thirteen years left, I find myself caught in the same trap. I worry when I enjoy something so much that I lose tra...
Post a Comment
Read more