Art and ethnic identity

"The review continues: 'This could be understandable if the writer were a complete foreigner, but not from someone who flaunts her Indian lineage.' In other words, had I no hereditary connection to India, the story's 'stereotypical' premise would be an excusable offense. But given my family tree, and given the fact that I chose India as a subject matter, different rules apply: I should know better. And yet, given the fact that I was raised in the U.S., the review also implies that I cannot know better."

To Heaven Without Dying

Writing short stories has been my passion for most of my life. It has been an escape from the loneliness that I often feel, as well as a canvas on which I can paint the world as I think it should be. As the years have gone by and I have become more conscious of the role that race and ethnicity play in my life and society as a whole, I have often been confused about what the nature of my writing should be, given that I am an Indian-American in the 21st century.

I never really thought of myself as an Indian-American until I was halfway through high school. My writing was free then, littered with plots of car accidents and unrequited love, unhindered by worries about how a color conscious audience would read between the lines. Now I find myself hesitating before each story, before sketching any character in my head, wondering what I will unintentionally imply in my words.

For example, I find myself automatically portraying my characters as ethnic Indians much of the time. Interestingly, I feel no difficulty creating characters from India, a country that I have never lived in. Logically, it would seem that the greater difference would be between Americans and Indians rather than between fellow Americans. However, often I find it easier to navigate the divide between Indians and Indian-Americans, rather than to try to portray Americans who just happen to be of a different ethnicity or race. For example, I wanted to write a story once about an interracial relationship between an African-American and an Indian-American, but I felt that somehow I was not "qualified" enough to write from the perspective of an African-American.

I believe that these concerns are somewhat invalid, that the purpose of writing is to push the boundaries, that we are all human, and so each of us can relate to the experiences of another. I have spent a year in EPIIC, where I have dealt with the issues of race and ethnicity extensively, and I have come to realize the superficiality of these arbitrary pseudo-biological categories. However, even after this awareness, I am still torn between artistic freedom and racial/ethnic sensitivity. I worry that if I write as an African-American or a Latino, I am an imposer violating the sanctity of culture and personal experience.

When I do write about Indian or Indian-American issues, I face a different set of pressures. Any time I describe an Indian as short, studious, or conservative, I wonder if I'm contributing to certain stereotypes. Am I responsible for representing my ethnic background? If I write about a Hindu character who beats his wife, am I unconsciously saying that Hinduism is inherently sexist? Am I a writer, a creator, or an ambassador for my racial/ethnic community?

Despite these questions, I strongly believe that writers and artists deserve the freedom to express life and their worlds as they choose without the burden of being pigeonholed into being a representative for a certain racial or ethnic group. Art is fundamentally a vehicle for pushing boundaries and transcending borders. There are successful artists who break the walls that society builds around us. There are many artists who constantly reach out to others, who strive to relate to the universal human experience rather than limiting themselves to a particular slice of humanity. These are my role models, and I aspire to move beyond the questions I am struggling with now to reach that level of universality.

Nonetheless, I feel that these dilemmas should be discussed. There are no certain answers, but open discourse is always constructive. I encourage all of you to think further about this issue and to share your views.

Aditi Banerjee is a junior majoring in international relations.