I had a funny name, and teachers and the parents of other kids always asked: “Where are you from?” I learned fast that the correct answer wasn’t “I take the E bus and I’m the second to last stop and that’s where I live,” but rather “My parents are Indian immigrants.” With that answer, their faces would light up and they’d say, “Oh, I hear India is amazing! Does your mom make curry?” Then I would shrug and say, yeah, sure, I guess she does, but isn’t that like me asking if your mom boils water?
