The Enchanting World Of Pageantry
"Like most Indian-American girls, I came from a conservative family. My parents were immigrants from Orissa, India in the 1980s. Although I grew up around other people of South Asian descent in New Jersey, I was relatively assimilated to white-American culture. Some people might even call me “white-washed”. However, one thing that made my parents similar to other Indian parents was the belief that hard work, money and stability are the things that we should strive for. Sometimes this meant shaming pursuits that did not fit this mold.
Similarly to many girls, I grew up and went through puberty feeling very awkward and uncomfortable with myself. I remember going through a growth spurt in the sixth grade and feeling completely awkward with my body. My legs suddenly could not fit into any jeans. I was skinny, long-limbed and had a bob haircut (forced upon me by my mother)—which with my thick curly black hair made me resemble an Indian-prepubescent female version of Carrot-Top. I was awkward. This awkwardness followed me into high school up until I was sixteen. READ MORE..."