After a struggle, she embraces Nepali identity

Sophomore Karuna Neupaney immigrated from Nepal in 2008 and struggled to accept her cultural identity. 

“When I was younger and on FaceTime with my friends, I would mute when I was talking to my parents because I was ashamed of speaking a different language. But now I don’t do that anymore,” Neupaney said. 

She regrets this resentment she once felt about her heritage.

“My mom would threaten me and say she would put me in a Nepali school to learn more language and writing. I was always worried she would do it and start sobbing. But I wish she would have made me do it so I could maybe write in Nepali,” Neupaney said. 

Living in America, it can be difficult for refugees to stay in tune with their home culture. Neupaney said she stays connected through her family and weddings. 

“Last summer I went to a wedding. It was one of the best days of my life …  because of the music and all of the people and my outfit,” Neupaney said. 

Neupaney explains how after she started to embrace her culture, she became closer to her family through South Asian traditions. Nepali culture is diverse and has been influenced by neighboring countries, like India, which allows Bollywood to be a shared experience. 

“I was going to see this new Bollywood movie in theaters and I went with my sisters. It made me so happy that my sisters and I could bond because I wasn’t able to do that in the past,” Neupaney said. 

Though she loves her culture now, she still struggles with her identity issues. 

“I think it’s hard for other people to see you as more than just an immigrant. You could do so much more, but people will only see you as `the brown girl,’ ” Neupaney said. 

She gives simple advice for anyone struggling with their cultural identity: There’s no expiration date to start loving who you are, so why not start now?