DU TY
It's interesting because, in the context of our culture, the word duty has often been viewed with a very negative connotation. We seem to view duty as something that holds us back from pursuing the things we care about or pursuing the things we're passionate about. I think this is largely because we have a very collectivist ideology in South Asian culture, where we are often told that our duty is to take care of family, to be a daughter, to get married, etc. In fact, I think the true duty we have is to ourselves, our culture, and our community. As cliche as it might sound, that means authentically pursuing the things we’re passionate about. We shouldn’t pigeonhole ourselves into a box or only doing STEM or succeeding in the traditional 9-5 sense. Our culture and our history is a vibrant, beautiful, and diverse one, and can’t be represented or captured by one single path or career or defined by one version of success. And I think almost everyone in our community is aware of that, whether they want to admit it or not. My duty is to myself- to learn how to balance the things that are important to me, while also prioritizing myself. That means contributing to the happiness and well-being of those around me, but not at the constant expense of my mental health. It means maintaining relationships with loved ones, but learning to set boundaries. If I choose to continue sharing this journey of growing and evolving, I hope to do it authentically. I firmly believe one of the biggest ways I can serve others is by pursuing that and becoming the person I want to be.
WHAT IS YOUR DUTY TO YOUR CULTURE? Our duty to our culture is to go against the grain of what has consistently been imposed upon us. I think there are times when we lose the vibrancy, creativity, and beauty of our heritage, traditions, and culture. I believe it’s because so many people feel boxed in by certain stereotypes and expectations. I embody my ancestors, mother, father, and friends. I am who I am because of them. I hope to verbalize some of the feelings I’m sure have been felt through generations, but never spoken aloud. In doing so, I would hope I am doing my duty to my culture. I believe that empowering individuals can be as simple as sharing my journey and encouraging them to appreciate, validate, and pursue aspects of themselves that they may not have considered necessary for their growth into adulthood. That's how we can bring back components of our culture and heritage that deserve to be appreciated, loved, and represented.
THE INDIAN STANDARD | 39
