Earlier this month, Ameera Moinuddin, a Staff Columnist for the Old Gold & Black, wrote an opinion article titled “Wake Forest’s South Asian community feels divided.” 

As a past president of the South Asian Students Association (SASA) for two years at Wake Forest, I want to voice my thoughts on our community and comment on some of the claims made in the aforementioned article. I want to start by thanking Ameera for expressing her thoughts and sharing her experience. 

As my four years at this university close, I reflect on my membership and leadership as a South Asian student. I have witnessed moments of unbridled joy, celebration and teary-eyed conversations that left me heartbroken. I think about the times I have  stood still and looked at a packed Holiday Fest dance floor where I see the sense of comfort and belonging wash over students’ faces as they jam out to “Desi Girl” shamelessly. I think about the collaboration event with the Women’s Center last year — Chai & Chat — which led conversation with women in SASA and reflected on their insecurities and struggles about everything from mental health stigma to body hair to bringing smelly Indian food to school for lunch. 

This brings me to my first point about Devi Vishwakumar, the lead female character in the hit Netflix series, “Never Have I Ever.” Devi’s character captures some aspects of growing up in the United States discussed in that Women’s Center and SASA conversation last year. Particularly in the episode titled, “Never Have I Ever… felt super Indian,” when Devi is in a coffee shop in a half-sari and asked to take a picture with a little girl who calls her “Princess Jasmine.” This part of the episode perfectly captures the embarrassment that one feels when getting looked at like a character in a costume when no one else is. 

These moments, along with so many others, such as not feeling Indian enough, being fearful of not fitting in, and her classic Desi overprotective mom, are why this show was so special to South Asians in the United States. Another notable element of the show is the significance of the one Indian love interest for Devi: Nirdesh, or Des. Last year, Wake Forest graciously sent me and other leaders of SASA and Hindu Student Association (HSA) to Yale University for the South Asian Youth Initiative conference, where I met actor Anirudh Pisharody, who plays Des on the show. He told us how his character was one of the first times a South Asian male was shown as attractive and popular rather than the nerdy and ugly reputation they usually uphold. 

It is essential to recognize that this show painted Desi people in a primarily positive light and as people who could be the hero. Despite her flaws of being self-deprecating initially, Devi grows to be proud of her culture as the seasons go on. I felt tremendous recognition while watching this show, and it remains one of my favorites for the feeling it gives me. I commend Mindy Kaling for her efforts in sharing her story.

Now, let’s move on to the next point regarding the Wake Forest community. I’d like to clarify some points about the events at the university. It saddens me to hear about the perceived divide between South-Asian American and South-Asian international students. While I acknowledge that this has been an ongoing issue, there has been progress, albeit imperfect. When I came to Wake Forest, I wanted to become the president of SASA to better the experience of students who felt far from their South Asian homes. 

When my parents first came to the United States, they came to the University of Chicago and spent their first Diwali and Holi celebrating with the university SASA. They grew close to many incredible international and local students they considered family by the end. In fact, the president of SASA at the time grew so close to our family that she eventually became my aunt and one of my favorite people on Earth. It is because of the home away from home that SASA gave my family that I wanted to give back as president and cultivate a community that was so deeply appreciated when my parents immigrated here. 

With that being said, people have to be more intentional about embracing their cultures. One must be comfortable enough in one’s own skin to balance one’s identity, but I do not think this is exclusive to South Asians. Like so many others, I have worked hard to strike a balance to embrace the sorority girl from Tennessee, the hard-working pre-medical student and the girl who holds her South Asian culture deeply and close to her heart.

Regarding Holiday Fest: This event has been a long-time tradition and celebration of South Asian festivals hosted by SASA in an effort to be as non-denominational and inclusive of as many South Asians as possible. While the holidays might be “seemingly unrelated,” I can assure you that this event is carefully curated to reflect a cohesive South Asian celebration meant to be shared with the whole school. SASA is a non-denominational organization that hosts this event with several celebrations in an effort to be inclusive of all South Asians rather than just those who celebrate specific festivals. For that purpose, the Hindu Students Association and Muslim Students Association hosted several specific events for Diwali, Eid and Ramadan during those holidays. In fact, this past year, the HSA hosted 8 events specifically for Diwali and Navratri, including crafts, food and Garba. 

Overall, I just wanted you to know that as a university and a South Asian community, many, many people have worked very hard to create our space in this community. SASA is the largest it has ever been, with over 200 members and growing. The university has supported our community more and more over the years due to the tireless efforts of student and faculty advocates. While it is imperfect, tremendous progress has been made, which should be acknowledged and celebrated. Efforts must be made on both ends for our campus to be better for everyone and for relationships to form. These voices are important and valuable if used to promote growth over criticism.

This organization and its people made Wake Forest a place where I could thrive and appreciate the different facets of myself. I hope others also feel that and continue to proudly represent the South Asian community. After all, it is easier to explore elsewhere when you have a home to return to.