Bhavani Rupee, a sophomore at Cornell College, is a Hindu immigrant from Guyana. After slavery was abolished, the British sent indentured servants from India to work on plantations in the West Indies. Despite being born on a different continent, Bhavani still identifies as South Asian. She frequents Indian grocery stores like Apna Bazaar, was on her high school's Bollywood dance team, and surrounds herself with South Asian friends. Still, she feels a little disconnected from the South Asian community in New York City. In high school, classmates would tease her about being "fake brown." 

Beyond pressure from within the immigrant community, Bhavani faces constant anxiety from the national anti-immigrant sentiment. "It sucks to see how people don't really like people like me." This animosity has made her believe that the "American Dream is broken." Despite the overwhelming efforts by the Trump Administration to attack immigrants, especially from South America, Bhavani feels that she is entitled to her place here. "Without a doubt I feel like I belong in the city." 

One of the ways in which she found solace was through religion. Bhavani recounts a Guyanese temple she used to go to every week. Through hinduism, she was able to connect with her family and culture. The Dupatta (scarf) she chose was for a funeral for her grandmother. White represents mourning in Hinduism, however, Bhavani has repurposed the scarf and wears it casually for a "Y2K look." Much like her handling of her scarf, she has proven her resilience through her tenacity and adaptability in the face of sorrow.   

– Mira Goodman

Relationship:  Im/migrant Im/migrant