How does a writer convey being “Indian American”?

The push for diversity in children’s literature has been an amazing development. The difference between the variety of titles that were available when I was a young reader, and the kind that are available now, is mind boggling. As an adult, I can walk into any children’s book store and learn something new. And that is a beautiful thing. 

At the same time, as an author who is Indian American, this plethora of perspectives presents an almost confusing number of options. Because, I’m happy to say that I’m not trying to seem like some definition of “normal” when I write. My background comes through as I write. But how does it come through? Is it artificially imposed? Can I make its presentation more organic? 

For example, many books written by Indian American authors are about India itself. Maybe a story about a grandparent or a cousin, going through the unique challenges presented by their socioeconomic status in a completely different, but somehow similar landscape. These stories entertain with a look at a new world. 

Then there are stories that incorporate India’s rich mythology and storytelling culture. There are variations on dragons, castles, and princesses in India. There are gods, demi-gods, demons, and so much in between. There are wish -fulfilling stones, idols in temples, astrology placements. The possibilities for fantasy are endless. 

There are also stories about what it is like to grow up as an Indian American, balancing the pressures of a world outside the house, as well as a world inside the house. They portray the struggle of trying to find middle ground between parents, friends, and teachers. They portray wanting to be different – but not too different. 

And finally, there’s being Indian American, without making everything Indian American. Not every Indian American character needs to know about their family members, or about their religion. In fact, not every Indian American character needs to take so seriously the demands of balancing two cultures. Some characters are just people – and the fact that they are Indian is not, and frankly should not be, a key facet of their personality. This approach fights back against stereotypes in stories. An Indian American kid does not always need to be good at school, or not allowed to date, or socially awkward, or under a lot of pressure from parents. Seeing characters that don’t fit into stereotypes is just as important as seeing diversity in characters.

So… those are a lot of ways to incorporate being Indian American into writing. But for a while, I found none of them completely satisfying. I’ve written stories that fit into each of these four types, and yet I’ve always come out feeling incomplete. I've felt like I didn’t really do my background justice, either by talking about it too much or by not talking about it enough. 

But it recently started to occur to me that perhaps these categories of literature don’t quite satisfy my need for authenticity because each of them is just a partial portrait of a diverse perspective. Diverse perspectives are diverse, because different people have different combinations of the immigrant experience showing up in their lives. Real lives are a complicated myriad of factors, presented in different proportions across the years. 

Writing a character from a diverse background is serious business. Because achieving a believable but fresh perspective from all of the above encourages soul searching. And therein lies the real entertainment.

A.M. Sarma is an aspiring author, and a recipient of the 2023 SCBWI Emerging Voices Award. She is currently seeking representation for her manuscript "Under the Gulmohar Tree" (young adult historical fiction.) Besides fiction, she enjoys learning about philosophies and mythologies from around the world. She is a pediatric speech therapist by day, and lives in California.