In one hand, Navleet Parmar held her small suitcase and, in the other, she held her mother’s hand. It was warm and comforting. She’d never been on an airplane before and had a fear of them. Yet, today was different. Her nervousness and fear were not there. Instead, she was felt giddy. “I was super excited!” exclaimed Navleet about coming to the United States. There were many reasons for this excitement, but her main reason was finally being able to meet her father, whom she’d never known of since he barely visited her in India. However, Navleet knew what she was leaving behind. She saw it when she looked at the small, pink-haired doll that her cousin gave her a few days prior. “Family.” Family is what she sees whenever she looks at her doll till this day, whether it is the family she left behind in India or the new one she gained in America.  It perfectly describes the roots of her migration story. “I’ve kept [the doll] ever since and it reminds me of family and traditions, and how [my cousin and I] were very close as children. And I’ve kept it ever since.” These traditions span from language, Indian cuisine, and religion to even memories of her home in India. To this day, she blends in her American culture with her Indian culture. She’s gained new experiences in America and faced many struggles: she experienced her first snowy day and faced the struggles of learning English. Yet, in the end, Navleet Parmar is proud to identify herself as an American and an Indian.  

 

– Harmeet

Relationship:  unknown unknown