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When interviewing my Dad, I found out that my grandma and my grandpa were both born in the city of Andhra Pradesh. They met through an arranged marriage system and then moved to the town of Bangalore due to job prospects and also opportunities for a better lifestyle than the village. My dad continued to stay in Bangalore for the majority of his life.

My Mom's interview was more close knit, with my grandpa and grandma being from the same village, Nellore, Adhrapradesh. They had my Uncle, Mom and my Aunt before moving to Chennai, for a better life. They wanted to expand their garment export business and also wanted a better education for my Mom and her siblings. My mom stayed in Chennai for most of her life too, until she got married to my dad and moved to Bangalore.

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My sister was born in 2003, in Chennai, while I was born in Bangalore in 2008. This also marked the market crash in India, which contributed to my parents wanting to move for a better school system and future for me and my sister. At first they were unsure of where to go, we first headed to Canada. But the trip was cut short when his job gave him a faster offer on his work visa in South Carolina, USA. We then moved to Charleston, and stayed there until I started elementary school. Then we moved to North Carolina, with my mom getting a good job offer in Charlotte.

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Being Indian and a first-generation immigrant who grew up in the South means trying my hardest to still connect with my culture while also trying to fit in. When I was younger and just moved, I wanted to be completely American, and ignored my family's attempts to teach me our language and traditions. This led me to my identity being shaped more by American culture than the culture I grew up with. My Grandpa on my Mom's side was a movie producer and it's always been a big part of my family to go and see the newest Indian movies. It's also one way I still try to connect with my family and my past