By Parshva Vakharia
Going halfway across the world to college seemed unimaginable to some at Tulane, but for me, it was reality. Coming to America isn’t usually problematic for many teenagers living far across the world, most of whom watch How I Met Your Mother, or Suits, or Game of Thrones, and listen only to American music artists. Unfortunately, that wasn’t really the case for me. Despite growing up in a westernized, cosmopolitan city in India, I somehow identified with and related to customs and traditions which I grew up with. They created a foundation for most of my beliefs, mannerisms, and behavior. When I came to America, I noticed that I was different from everyone – from my skin color to my accent and perspectives.
Over my freshmen year, I got to know a lot of people, build strong friendships, and learned a lot about different perspectives. But despite all the friendships I’d made and work I’d done, I still felt as if I couldn’t completely relate to people. The way people were amped up for Halloween and Christmas, I just didn’t feel the same. I knew that I didn’t want to change myself to build connections with people – but at times, I just didn’t have a choice.
Joining AKPsi in my sophomore year changed it all. Being a part of such an enthusiastic and passionate AKPsi family made a huge difference. A racially, geographically, and characteristically diverse set of friends, it was a great space to share my culture and background with them. Their willingness to learn about different cultures, perspectives, and lifestyles, especially when they all came out to support me at the Holi Festival in spring, made me feel accepted and understood. I still sometimes have uncomfortable interactions with people in America who don't understand my background – “Oh, you’re from India? Your English is fantastic.”, and “Are you going to get an arranged marriage?” But I guess it doesn’t affect me anymore – I realized its all a part of fitting in.
