indian culture

Social media has been the primary mechanism through which I've been able to explore, embrace, and own my Telugu Indian identity on my own terms--while sharing my culture with the world. Growing up Indian in America, there were little to no blueprints on how to navigate my dual identity. I had always felt that I had to choose between being American or Indian or the other according to the situation. But as a creator, I have the direct ability to change this culture. By regularly posting my Indian outfits, customs, and family, I forge the idea that my Indianness doesn't take away from my American-ness--it is a natural part of it.

 

Social media is the one of the first times I came across accurate representations of my cultural experiences and felt encouraged to add to this conversation--whether it be proudly celebrating our rich, vibrant fashion that we formerly reserved for closed-door Indian-only occasions; sharing the magical moments of visiting our parents' villages back home; or having deeper conversations about navigating the complex experience of having a cultural and generational gap with our parents.