“Welcome home sir!” were the parting words that six-year-old A heard as he passed through the American citizens-only custom line. Born in Northeast, but raised in South Asia, A felt the sensation of belonging when he stepped through those gates. To him, the United States was the place of unrestricted freedom and the pursuit of a life and imaginations unattainable in South Asia.
A grew up on the stories told by American media, specifically television, film, and music. Sky High, Glee, Wizards of Waverly Place, actors Marlon Brando and Johnny Depp, and country musician Johnny Cash informed A’s worldview. The United States is the entertainment capital of the world, and these narratives revolve around what it means to be truly American and to pursue the American Dream.
“My grandparents wanted me to be a doctor, or an engineer, but I knew if I came [to America] I could do anything I’ve ever wanted” A said. America was a catalyst for his dreams: first, a filmmaker, now, a musician. There was no limit to what America could provide. The sentiment to unshackle the confines of his South Asian family meant assuming American personas.
The way he spoke with me is not his real accent. He described himself like a chameleon, changing the colors of his voice to fit into the location he’s in.
The American Dream is an international phenomenon that invites non-Americans into its cultural vacuum. A adopted an American accent while he was attending an American high school in order to fit in with everyone. The way he spoke with me is not his real accent. He described himself like a chameleon, changing the colors of his voice to fit into the location he’s in. In high school, his mother’s friend recognized the alteration and said “Oh my God! American boy, American boy! You’re taking the South Asia out of him!”
A’s glorification of America led him to attend school in Northeast. And although there are moments of fleeting awe, he described a subtle feeling of un-belonging. His glorification of Americans translated to his experience in the United States as well. At first he didn’t believe his friendships with white Americans could be real. This feeling has erupted while witnessing America’s different locations. He has driven past the greenery and the suburbs and thinks: “this is a not my place — I’m just living in a movie and it’s going to end very soon.”
A is…
- 20 Years-Old
- Male, Cisgender
- South Asian
- Upper Class
- Straight
