So, I've caved. I have entered the limitless boundaries of the blogger world... Hello, all you internet people! My name's Ashley... College adventurer. Christian. Pistons Fan. Kappa. Not really sure what else to say, can't find a one-liner to define myself, as if anyone could fit inside those parameters- and yet i'll continue. I'm an indian. Also an American. You know one of those that have been surrounded by white people all of their life... I've lived in the South for most of my young life, for goodness sake. I used to assume that I was American, until I realized that people don't see me as an "american".
"Where are you from?" I'm always asked...
To which I reply with no hesitation. "Michigan."
"Noo, where are you from? Like, where were you born?"
Sigh. "I was born in Michigan."
It's usually at this point in the conversation that I contemplate whether to keep playing dumb, even though I know exactly what they're getting at.
The simple fact of the matter is that while my parents were born in India, they are very far from the category of FOBs. I mean, my mom moved here when she was 7 years old-- she is as much American as I am.
This is the gnawing question, the root of the issue-- Am i American? or am I Indian? Maybe this answer isn't as clear-cut as one would like it, not black and white- but all gray. But, there's a zillion people that fall in the same category as me, hybrids that are a conglomeration of both nationalities--- a completely new culture in and of itself.
But, what is that exactly? Can it be defined?
I've been called it all... coconut, oreo, ABCD, the list goes on and on. But maybe brown on the outside, white on the inside isn't what I am. Maybe i'm like chocolate milk. White milk and brown chocolate syrup mixed together... hmm... okay that was a horrible example.
or...
perhaps it could be simply explained by the fact that I dip my oreos in my chai.
