My Trans-cultural Identities
Coming closer to my 55th birthday has me thinking back on my life and experiences. While the number 55 doesn't fit the way I feel, it's gratifying to reflect on the people I have met, the places I have traveled, and the many memories created over the last few decades. One thing I can say about my life is that it hasn't been very conventional. I have never fit very neatly into categories when it comes to describing who I am. This has been a continually fascinating and perplexing question to respond to over the years. I was born in India, but am neither Hindu nor Muslim. Rather I grew up in a Christian household in which both sides of my family converted 4-5 generations ago due to the persistence of American missionaries and the influence of British colonial rule. Christians are a minority in India, and Adventists are a minority within Protestant Christian denominations, so I often felt quite different than everyone around me. This 'differentness' shaped me in so many