I am an Indian-American, forever bound to the hyphen. I grew up in the South Side of Jamaica, Queens, a city that was highly diverse, highly progressive, with a high poverty and incarceration rate. I lived with eight of my family members under one roof. My parents and I shared a bed. When I was five, my life changed. We moved to West Islip, Long Island. A town that was 99% Caucasian, and a $110,000 dollar annual-median income, ranked the second-most expensive place to raise kids in the United States. Half of the students own their own boats. A BMW looked as meritable as a 2004 Honda Civic. I had my first bedroom. From the Concrete Jungles to the Country Club, a culture-shock drowned me.
Although there were many hindrances that I did not have
Although there were many hindrances that I did not have