THE IMPACT OF MOVING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY The education system in America is so different than India. I remember in India, every time a teacher would come into a classroom, you'd stand up and you'd, greet them, or every time you answer a question, you'd stand up. My habit when my American teachers would come in, I'd stand up and every time I answered a question and everyone would look at me like, “What are you doing?” My teachers would say, “You don't need to stand up every time you talk.” It’s those cultural differences and just getting adjusted to that. Other things like my accent would just reaffirm how different I was. I think I decided at a young age, that it was better to just blend in or not speak up that much, rather than stand out and kind of own that I was from India, and I had a different cultural experience. That was a hard time of just not feeling fully content because I wasn’t being myself. At the same time, at first, I was angry at my parents and just in general at the situation because I didn't want to move. But overall, I am grateful for the experience of moving and having the experience of both cultures.
THE INDIAN STANDARD | 51
