‘Am I still an outsider?’: An Indian American questions her identity in the Land of the Free

I HAVE LIVED in America for close to 40 years, almost my entire adult life. I’ve been an American citizen for decades and I think of myself as an American first and an Indian second. In my younger days, I never gave the question of this hyphenated identity any thought. I wasn’t offended when another mother, whose children played with mine daily, introduced me to her friends as “she’s my Indian neighbor.” I didn’t think twice when someone asked me where I was from and simply answered, “I’m Indian.”

But lately, I’ve begun to wonder if I’m labeled as an Indian American, do other Americans think of me as one of them or am I still an outsider? So why am I questioning my identity now?  The answer is simple — it’s because in the past few years, I’ve sensed a palpable sense of otherization directed at me and other members of our community and I’ve become much more conscious of the implications of my Indianness.