I was born in Mumbai, India on 1995 but my ancestors originated from South India. Four years later, I moved to Flushing, Queens where I have stayed for over fourteen years. Despite my time living in New York or my cultural heritage, I really don’t identify myself as being American or Indian. I view these as perspectives you can take to view the world, different colored sunglasses. By not connecting my identity with either perspective I feel I can look with a critical eye at both ways of thinking and see the advantages and disadvantages of each.

However, for a long time, I had considered myself quite Indian. I was brought within a tightly knit Hindu community in Flushing, where I went to the temple, learned holy texts, learned Indian Classical Music etc. However, this upbringing did not really expose me to other cultures as much as living in New York should have. Therefore, I have been trying to step back and delve into the different cultures that make up New York City. I hope this class will assist me in doing that.