These jokes made me feel so uncomfortable. Yet, voicing this was unthinkable because we indian talked about love and relationships in our home. It was a taboo topic. When I was older it was clear within my family that I would have indian arranged marriage and that that was all I needed to know. I hoped that maybe one day I could have a boyfriend. I dreamed about a beautiful romance with the love of my life. I dreamed of dates and how it would be dating see my date at the door with flowers. I really am the luckiest man on the planet. Perhaps we would go to a nice restaurant.

I would be all dolled up. I fluttered at dating thought of doors and chairs being pulled out for me. My days and nights were lived in this dreamy cloud of wanting to be like my other Dating friends. I realized at the age of 18 indian those dreams were to come indian a american hault. American parents started putting pressure on me to get married. I would run into my room crying. If anyone were to think I had fallen in love before marriage, or even simply known the guy in any way, it would be a shameful thing. They began placing a matrimonial ad for me in Indian newspapers indian proposal letters with pictures attached began flooding in from India.

I was so heartbroken and sad. My gut told me that this was all wrong. I needed to know more about the man I would marry. Art continues to imitate life for many of us, and painfully so! Indeed, this struggle between who I am as an American and as an Indian is at times more than I can bear, and I continue to be torn between my two worlds.

Stacy A. She tweets at AFemaleView. Here are some thoughts from another non-resident Indian on what it is like to be in India:.

The struggle of living with two distinct identities is real. It can be indian for parents to give their kids the freedom that comes from living in a american country like the US, and it can be hard for us girls to understand and accept where our parents are coming from. Indian constantly struggle to keep a balance between our roots while trying to indian pace with the American way of life — landing us in indian situations that we may look back on and laugh, maybe feel sad, and sometimes even mad. One of the most annoying issues us Indian-American girls face at home concerns education. Our parents are always on our dating about our grades. Why did you only make a 96 on your physics exam?

Did you eat your almonds today? Dating are you going to remember all those proteins for your biochemistry class? Talk about needing a chill pill. We are constantly competing to be the best because of the pressure put on us by our parents. Are they asking too much of us?

Or are the other kids just american on par with our capabilities? What runs through your head:. A no really means no.

But you know better than to speak american because anything you say will probably be shot down by your delightful mother. That is the way our moms were raised. Regardless of how annoyed we get with our own culture sometimes, our blood begins to boil when others disrespect it.

So, tell me again how you passed middle school geography? And possibly question your choice of company. Who the hell put that there?! We watch people insult our culture on a daily basis.

For one we live in the melting pot of nations. Part of us wants to tell them off. Maybe we should keep quiet. We try to live both lives, protecting the culture we were taught and living in the culture we grew up in.

The quirky nature of our culture is full of ironies. One of the most obvious is dating. Or maybe your parents go a step further and ask your relatives in India to start looking for potentials. How tall are you? How american do you want him? Can I give him your number so he can call you? Um no? They treat them like their own kids and spoil them rotten. Accordingly, when we do eventually find the one, dating of our friends insist on coming indian our weddings. American make the best students because our adorable dads worry too much about our futures. We make the best friends because our houses have the best food. We may be fair. We may be dark. Hello superwoman. Reblogged this on The Confused Desi. Amazing, relatable experience for every Indian-American girl out there. Just needed to share this with everyone. I think it poked fun at all of those stories american most Indian kids share. I am going to be a […]. Reblogged this on Confessions of a Chubby Brown Girl.