In India, they have a name for people like me who are Indian and brought up in the United States. I’m an ABCD, or American-Born Confused Desi. In India, they believe that the ABCD has lost their culture and all identifying parts of their personality that would otherwise make them Indian. American culture, or the believed lack thereof, is thought to have stripped us of our motivation and willpower, reducing us to shadows of our counterparts in India. I disagree – I believed my life in America has pushed me and my culture closer together. I identify both as American and Indian. I have lived in America for 14 years, and I have spent every other summer in India. Both cultures have become deeply ingrained in my personality, and have had dramatic impacts on my hopes and dreams. …show more content…
America is the product of a deep sense of individualism and justice, and these two qualities have been impressed upon me every day that I’ve lived in the United States. My individualism and sense of justice are a profound part of my personality and are reflected in my future goals. I want to save the culture and change the world. I want to leave my own mark upon the world, whether that means working to eradicate polio in third-world countries or fighting for the rights for oppressed women across the world. I want to one day be able to look back on every single part of my life and stand by every decision I have ever made, and my personal identity and strong ideas of justice will help me fight for my