Amrita on why you’re never really one of Them:

On the one hand, I suppose I am Ms. Hindu. But here’s the thing about growing up as Ms. Hindu in India: it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be. I guess it’s better than being Ms. Muslim in certain aspects (the law definitely takes better care of me) but there were always caveats. I might have been in the majority racially and religion-wise but there was always some sort of club that I missed out on.

For one thing, I was a South Indian growing up in the Northern heartland and no matter how well I spoke the language (which I both did and didn’t depending on the circumstances) or understood the culture, there was always going to be an element of “passing” involved. I was never one of Them in some mysterious, undefinable way no matter what I did.