My hyphenated identity as Indian-American

I straddle between two worlds, sometimes I get tired

Of switching from one to the other, from inherent to acquired

I don’t belong to either one now

I am a chameleon changing colors to allow

Myself to blend in seamlessly with the crowd

It’s difficult to proclaim my identity out loud-

A hyphenated identity, a confused amalgam

Of values both Indian and American..

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I am not in rare company, I know

There are many others like me, although

Each one of us is an alloy in proportions different

Many of us are confused to some extent

Before parents and relatives we channel Indian traits

At an individual level we find it difficult to create

Identities for ourselves beyond what people expect

Who we truly are, sometimes we struggle to accept..

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There is a silver lining to this dark cloud

We have the immigrant ethic, but we stand proud

Representing all the values that have made America great

The best of both worlds in our work we amalgamate

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Let me now frame this identity in a way

That is more positive- this is what I would say

Being Indian-American should be a matter of pride

Straddling between east and west, we represent the world wide!