Anika
Fernandez-Sharma &
Ria Parikh
Reflections:
Ria Parikh
I really liked the interview process that we did. I learned a lot about not only my partner but also about myself. I learned that I am still connected to my culture even though I was not born in India. I also learned that I had many different experiences growing up in the U.S. than my parents did growing up in India. The questions were nice and open ended and allowed me to think about my answer and reflect on my identity.
I also learned about my partner and her family history. It was interesting to hear a different perspective on where she was from and how we both had similar experiences, like having an Indian background. Overall, I liked the interviews because I felt like I was being listened to and it was fun to try and think back to my childhood for some of the questions.
Anika Fernandez-Sharma
Throughout this process, I have learned many things about both me and my partner. I learned that I feel more connected to my Spanish and American culture than my Indian culture. It might be because I don’t visit there as often, or I don’t follow the Hindu religion, or because I’ve lived in an environment overly populated by white people. I would like to be more intact with my Indian side, but I don’t know where or how to start.
My partner feels more intact with her Indian side. She eats Indian food at home and celebrates Indian holidays. She is part of a large Indian community and understands Hindi, as well as Gujrati, whereas I know three Indian families I currently live with and can only understand some words in Hindi.
I learned that living in homogeneous environments all my life has impacted me more than I’ve noticed or care to admit.
interview excerpts
Anika interviews Ria
ANIKA:
Where do you feel you belong?
RIA:
I feel that I belong in both India and the United States for lots of reasons. I have lived in the United States my entire life and have gone through the school system here. I feel like I fit into society here. I also think I belong in India though, because both my parents were born and raised there. Many of the holidays that we celebrate and the food that we eat is from India, so I feel a sense of belonging there, too. Most of my family also lives there, so we visit a lot, and it is like a second home.
ANIKA:
What kinds of traditions and practices from the home country have you kept?
RIA:
We celebrate may of the Indian holidays, such as Diwali, Holi, and Raksha Bandhan. Even though our celebrations are not as large and extensive as they are in India, we still make sure to remember those dates. We also keep some traditions when it comes to food. Most days of the week, we eat home cooked Indian meals. These practices and traditions help connect us to our culture even though we are not in India.
Ria interviews Anika
RIA:
How did your parents meet?
ANIKA:
My parents met when my mom was studying abroad in Madrid, Spain, where my dad lived. My dad decided to come back with her to the U.S. They eventually got married in India.
RIA:
Where do you feel you belong?
ANIKA:
I feel that I belong in many places because my family lives all over the world, and I consider my family my home. New Jersey because it was my first home and a place I knew. Denver because it’s my current home, and my school and close friends live there. Madrid and the Canary Islands: Madrid because my whole family on my dad’s side lives there currently, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. The Canary Islands because I’ve vacationed there with my cousins every summer since I was little. India because a large portion of my mom’s side of my family lives there, and even though I don’t visit there very often, my family is there, therefore it’s home to me.