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Proud
The world is made of a variety of colors
Orange, White, Brown, Yellow, Black..
..Even Green
That combine to configure the Earth we are standing upon
So why shouldn’t we
Why is my color perceived as who I am
It’s just a skin tone, I say to myself
But others don’t see it that way
And their right
My skin tone is who I am
I am the booming blasting fireworks of Diwali
I am the tangy spicy chicken curry filled with red chili powder and turmeric that have stained my fingers
I am the elaborate designed bright colored yet itchy gowns called churidars
I am the hard to pronounce language Tamil
I am the multicolored rangolis that still today I look upon with such awe and adoration for a exquisite art form
I am the beautiful clinking sounds made of the traditional bangles on my hands
I am the luscious jasmine flowers placed across my hair, smelling like the monsoon rain of India
I am the bindi, or as my white friends call red dot, placed upon my forehead, bringing all eyes on me as I walk the halls
I cherish my culture and heritage for it is nothing to be ashamed upon
Not once will I regret my color, my background, my culture, my heritage
For it is what makes me who I am
I am Brown and I am proud
Hi, my name is Amruta I. and I am currently a rising freshman and am 14 years old. My roots and heritage trace back to the small villages in South India, where my parents were born. As a Indian American teenager life has a lot of obstacles to offer to try and get me to give up on my culture, but whenever I feel that way poetry is who I go to. I release all my emotions into a poem and it is my way of coping with stress and all the feelings in me. I love that poetry is so diverse just like the world around us, and it allows us to express ourselves and create an impact. Besides writing poetry I also learn and perform Indian classical dance, also known as Bharatanatyam. I started learning Bharatanatyam at the tender age of 4 and it has grown to become a part of me. I am very passionate towards Indian classical dance as it's further connected me to my heritage.