I have been thinking of writing about my journey as a child of migrants in India and as an immigrant to the USA myself. My parents migrated from one part of India to another. They are originally from Uttar Pradesh, a state in the northern part of India, but I was born and raised in Maharashtra, a state in the western part of India. Both states have distinct cultures, foods, and languages. Later, I immigrated with my family to the USA, a different country, again with a different language, culture, and food. Both of these experiences were unique and layered on top of each other in ways I am still processing.
My parents grew up speaking Bhojpuri in the villages of Uttar Pradesh, shaped by its traditions, its feudalism, casteism, and its own dynamics. I grew up in a completely different society and culture from my parents, and my kids are growing up in a completely different society and culture from me. My parents, my wife, I, and my kids all grew up in different places, immersed in different cultures, and think in different languages, even our first languages are different from one another. These differences have created a unique mix, resulting in singular challenges and advantages that make each of our experiences distinct in its own way. We did not cross one border; we crossed several, across generations, and yet here we are, one family. I have never quite found the right word for what that is.
My aim in writing these posts is to share some, ideally all, of these experiences with my readers. I am certain that many of them will resonate with people or offer a perspective they had not previously considered. I am not claiming that no one else has had such experiences, but I believe they are rare enough to be worth sharing. You may ask: why now? I feel now is a more necessary time than ever. In today's world, where differences are amplified and divisions are manufactured, I hope my journey might inspire people to see how something unique, beautiful, loving, and sustainable can be built across all manner of differences. How do we build on each other's strengths so that our weaknesses don't consume us and destroy what we have built? I am not here to preach about "unity in diversity" or "united we stand, divided we fall." My aim is simply to share experiences and let readers decide what they want to take from them.
A few things to note about how I plan to share: this series will not follow any particular chronological order. Although I have maintained personal written diaries for many years, I do not plan to share these experiences sequentially. I will share them based on my own interest and comfort level, but I do intend to share as much as I can. I have always believed that a personal journey has more to offer than opinions alone, and that many times the journey is more exciting than the destination, which is precisely why we read biographies.
I don't know where this sharing will take me. I have already touched on aspects of my life in some of my earlier blog posts. I may or may not succeed in creating something meaningful here, but I want to try. I have always believed in attempting what we strongly feel compelled to do. It is better to try and fall short than to spend years lamenting that we never gave it a shot. Stay tuned for more entries in my immigrant diary.
Thank you for reading, and please share your views on this topic.
