Pashmina

“‘Whatcha drawing, Thrift Store?’

[…]

‘Good day, class! Is there a problem, Kristy?’

‘No, Mr. Perry. I’m trying to understand PRIYUCKA’S drawings.’

‘I believe she prefers to be called Pri. Can you remember that?’

‘Teacher’s pet.’”

The scorn of the school bullies in this passage illustrates The Challenges of Navigating the Immigrant Experience. Because Priyanka has an Indian name that she worries is too difficult for most Americans to pronounce, she prefers to go by “Pri,” illustrating the difficulty of fitting in as the daughter of an immigrant in the US. However, even though she chooses a nickname that most people would easily be able to pronounce, Priyanka’s classmate still insists on creating a racist rendition of her given name to express her disgust at Priyanka’s Indian heritage. This taunt further illustrates the challenges of living as a person of multicultural heritage and the daughter of an immigrant in the US.

“‘Hi, Uncle Jatin! What about calling me Pri? It might be easier.’

‘Priyanka is easy for me. But I know for people here it’s not.’”

This passage also illustrates The Challenges of Navigating the Immigrant Experience. Just as her classmate Kristy refuses to call Priyanka by her chosen nickname, “Pri,” Uncle Jatin also refuses to call her “Pri” because for him, as an Indian American, “Priyanka” is not hard to pronounce. While this can be read as a validation of Priyanka’s heritage, it also indicates Jatin’s casual denial of her personal wishes, further emphasizing the difficulties of navigating between two cultures.