South Asian teenagers' feelings about their culture varies. Some may feel uneasy speaking their parents’ language, wearing traditional clothing, or eating South Asian food, while others have grown up immersed in their families’ South Asian cultural traditions. Many fall somewhere in between.
Mira, a South Asian-American teenager, explains: "I consider myself mostly American, because I do not speak my mother tongue fluently. If I had crossed this language barrier, I would probably feel much more connected with true desis [South Asians]. On the other hand, I have my northern Indian pride, and at home eat good Indian food, watch Bollywood movies, and occasionally go to a friend’s Bharatanatyam dance performance."
This is a great example of how South Asian teenagers can integrate their families’ cultural traditions into their lives.
