My father is from Pakistan and immigrated to the United States when he was in his twenties. My mother is a first-generation Pakistani who was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. My parents wanted to raise my brothers and I to love and embrace our heritage, and they didn’t want us to lose it growing up here. Starting from our childhood, we were immersed in South Asian culture. This includes the flavorful food, colorful clothing, and of course Bollywood films and songs. One of the most important aspects of my culture that helped me develop a deep appreciation for it is the music. Desi music is so powerful in so many ways. The songs can evoke a range of intense emotions, such as love, joy, or heartbreak. The lyrics are very well-written, and hold a poetic and deep meaning which speaks to the listener’s heart. Also, desi music definitely helped me strengthen my connection with my culture.
Even though it played such a pivotal role in my life, I never acknowledged or represented my culture at school. I attended predominantly white schools and I was usually the only South Asian kid. As a result, I would try to blend in with everyone else as much as possible in order to prevent calling attention to my differences. I was ashamed of my ethnic features, including my curly hair, full eyebrows, and tan skin. In an attempt to be accepted by my peers, I would frequently straighten my hair and trim my eyebrows thin. It genuinely makes me so sad that I felt the need to hide my unique features which make us Desi women so beautiful. By the time I graduated high school, I decided that I wanted to regain my cultural identity and find a community in which I felt accepted for who I am.
Coming to UMBC allowed me to meet other South Asians who share similar experiences as me. In the past, I had never been in an environment that truly made me feel understood. Since we all share similar upbringings, we are able to bond over our connection with our heritage in so many ways. The Desi events on campus unite us and allow us to create special memories while we dance to our favorite songs that we grew up loving. My ethnic features are appreciated and I don’t feel the need to change myself or my appearance to fit into my environment. At this school, I have formed so many special friendships with others who help me embrace our beautiful culture and feel proud of it.
Unruly Bodies 
As someone who has only been partially immersed in Korean culture and lived mostly as White, I can kind of feel this. Ever since we moved to Marriottsville, I’ve felt more pressure to immerse myself in my mom’s Korean culture as Ellicott City has many Korean residents. I’m glad that you feel able to reconnect with your heritage on campus, and it does feel great to find people you can connect with and identify with in such a way.
I adore how diverse Desi music is, from carnatic music to the contemporary style that artists of our generation use to mix those classical elements with modernity. So many songs can never fully be translated, especially Hindi music where the English translations just can’t capture the same level of poetic prowess. I find it so sad that the full diversity of what it is to be Desi isn’t celebrated as much as what being Desi “should” look like. However, I still find it so amazing that our university clubs work to bring all Desi people together under our shared cultural experiences because it’s the first step in celebrating our diversity.
I really enjoyed reading this. From childbirth, I was always immersed in Chinese culture. My parents also wanted me and my sisters to appreciate our culture and heritage. I felt the same way when you mentioned that you would try to blend in with the rest of the kids at school. I primarily only attended white schools with barely any other Asian kids, and it almost felt weird to express what I liked such as food, music, etc. After coming to UMBC, I have also met people that I share similar experiences as me and that made me feel comfortable.
I personally understood this to a whole other level. I’m hispanic and I would also trim my eyebrows and straighten my curly hair. Although I didn’t go to a white predominant school, it’s very much true that there was only ever one other hispanic girl in my class. I too also had to regain my own identity and re-embrace my culture, let my brows grow out and rejuvenate my curly hair. It was the best decision I’ve ever made and I made friends with other Hispanic girls who went through the same thing. It’s so comforting knowing your not the only one who goes through the same thing.
As a fellow South Asian, I am so glad that you were able to overcome feeling out of place and that you got to place where you felt comfortable expressing your ethnic identity. I kind of had the opposite experience. When I was younger, I wasn’t really integrated into my culture which made me feel really isolated from my Indian friends. I was ashamed of NOT embracing my ethnicity and wished I was more knowledgeable about my culture. Now, I am at a place where I feel more comfortable and excited to share my culture as I am learning and experiencing more. Glad to see we are both embracing our heritage!
UMBC is such a diverse school with so many different backgrounds coming together. I can relate to you as I went to elementary school in Georgia where the whole state is predominantly white. UMBC has given me a community that supports one another and loves and embraces each others cultures regardless of where we come from 🙂
I really enjoyed reading this and hearing your perspective on your family immigrating and such. It is so nice that UMBC is diverse in many different aspects, so it helps people to be able to explore who they truly are.