<p>I know I'm different. It’s obvious in my skin tone, my taste of music, and even my food. Being an awkwardly self-conscious teenager doesn’t help, either. </p>
<p>I’ve had to deal with being culturally different every since I entered grade school and brought my own lunch to school. My mother would pack rotis wrapped “burrito-style” around my spicy vegetable subji. All my friends complained that my Indian food smelled funny. At the time, I felt embarrassed and practically begged my mom to pack me an “American” lunch, complete with strawberry yogurt and fruit roll-ups. I also never had an answer to give when people asked me why I couldn’t eat meat. I tried to explain the fact that I would be reincarnated as a cow if I ate beef, but no one seemed to understand... People looked at me as if I had grown a third eye where my bindi was supposed to be. </p>
<p>If only I had known then what I know now. Indian culture, complete with spicy subjis and Bollywood music, is by its very nature irreconcilable with American culture. That is not to say we don’t try to act otherwise; more often than not, though, we end up choosing one culture over the other. </p>
<p>The difference in culture affects every part of my life, so I’ve had to deal with living in two cultures since first grade. In the beginning, I used to live in my own little world, with Barbies. I had absolutely no idea who Britney Spears was or why she shaved her head, nor did I know who the “socks” (“Sox”) were. When I was first introduced to the internet in middle school was when my mind started to understand the cultural difference between my friends and family. Google helped me learn the lyrics to the latest rap songs, which (surprise!) came from an album and not a Hollywood movie song and dance sequence. I quickly learned my status at school as the “nerd”, with my intellectual capacities (apparently my brain was a calculator) and non-mainstream interests (Bollywood). No matter how much I tried to fit in with the crowd, there was always something else that came up that I had to Google. </p>
<p>True, Indian culture is inherently different than American culture. The differences aren’t limited to the food, or the music, or the sports. It’s in the way we treat others. Close family ties are a vital part of my life. Even though my family lives in India (aside from my own parents), I regularly stay in touch with them. My relationship with my parents is also different from my friends’ relationships with their parents. As I was growing up, my parents always taught me to respect their word. This could mean anything from listening to what they have to say, to blindly obeying my parents “because they said so”. Their conservative tendencies were initially a source of frustration. “I want to go watch the movie, Mom! All my friends are going! Why can’t I go?” “ …Because I said so.” It took me many years to realize that all they wanted was the best for me. I’ve learned the hard way that my parents don’t have to shower me with displays of affection to prove the fact that they love me in their own way and want me to be the best person I can possibly be.</p>
<p>Being an Indian at heart, born and brought up in America, I’ve learned that being the odd one out doesn’t matter as much as I thought it did. What matters is how you decide to live your life. My immigrant parents have taught me far more than I could have learned as an American in America or even as an Indian in India. Though I occasionally long to fit in, my “otherness” has become a part of my identity. I’ve learned to not just go with the flow in society, but to redefine the flow for myself. I’ve learned to stand up for my culture and respect everyone’s beliefs. Growing up in two different cultures has also taught me how to look at situations from different perspectives and make the best choices for me. I believe that immigrating to America was one of the best things my parents did to help raise me the best they could.</p>