So far, I’ve discussed how being Indian has affected so many aspects of my life, but I want to address the prejudice that I had in my own head in my final blog. As a result of the stereotypes I saw on TV and the cruelty of some of my peers who did not know how to treat people who were different from them, I adopted the same racist mentality as the very people who I’m criticizing. This led me to deny myself, my family, and my Indian friends the respect that we all deserved. While I do regret my previous lack of appreciation for my culture, ever since I got to college, I have been able to fully embrace it in many ways, and it has made my life so much more rich and fulfilling.

For example, as I’m writing this post, I currently have henna on my hands, courtesy of my incredibly talented roommate (who happens to not be Brown). At one point very early in my life, I would’ve been embarrassed to be seen with henna, but now I can fully enjoy the beauty of the art, and I will try to get it done more often. Additionally, only after I left my house and was no longer being constantly exposed to the Bollywood music that my dad always has playing in the background did I realize how much I actually enjoy the music. I now go out of my way to listen to Hindi music because it brings me comfort and familiarity, which is something that I never would’ve thought to do a year ago.

My name is another topic that I’ve written about extensively, but the greatest takeaway for me has been that it has value and as a sign of respect, people should make an effort to remember it and pronounce it correctly. I’ve started correcting people who accidentally mistake it instead of just letting them learn it incorrectly like I did in high school.

Finally, I’ve learned the importance of sharing personal experiences and actively listening to those who are different. On my part, I always try to answer questions that my friends here ask me about my culture and my traditions with enthusiasm because I really appreciate their curiosity and openness to new ideas. In turn, I try to practice active listening and keep an open mind whenever I’m talking to people here who have different backgrounds than me. Returning the same respect of asking questions when I am curious about something and putting effort into remembering their names has helped me learn so much about new people at Penn State. Additionally, I try to remember my friends’ holidays and customs so that I can help them celebrate their culture like so many people have helped me do here. Even if that just means going to a cultural event to support them, sending them an “Eid Mubarak” or “Happy Easter” text, or trying a new food, I know that littlest effort can really touch someone who is feeling alone. Cultural acceptance is definitely a journey, but it is one that has already made my life so much more fulfilling.

When I checked the Penn State academic calendar for this semester, I was shocked by the lack of days off, especially around Easter. It seemed unimaginable and unfair to me that my friends celebrating the holiday didn’t get a day off so they could spend a long weekend with their families. After all, growing up, spring break was always centered around Easter. It only took a couple seconds of reflection to realize, however, that I never question the fact that I don’t get days off for my religious holidays. After reflecting on it, I’ve come to the conclusion that because I’ve never known anything else, I’m desensitized to spending holidays in school, but coming to college has definitely changed how I spend those days.

My holidays growing up always looked the same; I’d go to school during the week and then over the weekend, all my family friends would have a party. I’d dress up in my favorite lengha and eat good Indian food in one of my friends’ rooms. It was familiar and comfortable, and I was scared that coming to college would make those days of celebration a lot more isolating, especially considering that I don’t have nearly as many Indian friends here.

Late last month was a Hindu holiday called Holi, the festival of color, love, and spring. This is one of my favorite Indian holidays because of how we celebrate. As I described it to my friends, it’s basically a snowball fight with colored powder. I thought I’d have to celebrate all alone, but I found out that Penn State has a big Holi event on the HUB lawn that I’m planning on going to with my friend who is also celebrating the holiday. It’s so wonderful to have a community here of people who are like me, but what has surprised me even more is the support I get from my friends who aren’t Indian.

On the actual day of Holi, which was a random Monday in March, my friends and I went to celebrate by eating Indian food at Kaarma downtown. Despite the fact that neither of them is Indian and has any reason to know about my holidays, they both wished me and came with me to enjoy a comforting meal. I’ve experienced this support countless times since I got to Penn State, especially during Diwali, and it is always so heartwarming. Back home, I never experienced this kind of appreciation for my culture, and I was lucky to have such a strong community of Indian friends there, which more than made up for it; however, since I don’t have that network here at Penn State, having people being open to my culture and the things that make me different than them has made it so much easier to adjust to being away from my family.

Overall, my relationship with the Indian part of my identity has flourished ever since I got to college, and I think that the supportive environment and the wonderful people I’m surrounded by on a daily basis has been a huge reason why. I will probably have to celebrate holidays away from home for a long time, but I think that with the right people, I can still make them memorable.