When I got to any MBA student gathering now and meet someone new, three questions are invariably asked. These are - "Where are you from?", "What did/do you do?" and "What do you plan on doing after bschool?". Pretty natural, given the types of backgrounds we have, and the fact that these are as good conversation starters as any. Its the answer to the first however, that can occasionally pose a challenge to people like me whose identities are complicated by multiple associations.
Let me explain. The first and most common way to define identity is by your birth and antecedents. Thus, I'm Indian, and more specifically, am Tamil, by virtue of specific regional and linguistic affiliations. However, I grew up in Delhi and Kolkata, and having spent more time during my childhood in Bangalore - tend to think of myself as being "from" here. But the India I'm visiting now hardly bears any resemblance to the country that I grew up in. If 18 is the age you're considered an adult, then I've spent a majority of my adult life outside of India, specifically in the United States. Should I then say that I'm from California - since I spent 5 years there? (and am a Terminator fan!)
Let me explain. The first and most common way to define identity is by your birth and antecedents. Thus, I'm Indian, and more specifically, am Tamil, by virtue of specific regional and linguistic affiliations. However, I grew up in Delhi and Kolkata, and having spent more time during my childhood in Bangalore - tend to think of myself as being "from" here. But the India I'm visiting now hardly bears any resemblance to the country that I grew up in. If 18 is the age you're considered an adult, then I've spent a majority of my adult life outside of India, specifically in the United States. Should I then say that I'm from California - since I spent 5 years there? (and am a Terminator fan!)
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