Manjari Sriparna
What are some hardships that you and your family encountered or sacrificed to get to where you are?
“I think I remember being in the third or fourth grade and coming home to see my parents stressed out. Usually kids are supposed to see their parents like superheroes, as if they know everything and can solve any problem in the world. But when you overhear conversations about a parent struggling to find a job as soon as possible in order to stay in the country, it forces you to see the world in a different way and grow up a little faster than normal. Watching your parents grow up with you and deal with many hardships while you're still a kid definitely molds you as a person.”
What prompted you to share your story today? What do you hope to do? What do you hope to gain? What do you hope to give?
“I wanted to share aspects of being an immigrant because I think it's often exaggerated when people do talk about it, if at all. Like, ‘Oh, these immigrants are leaving their crappy hometowns to come to America.’ That’s not a fair narrative since immigrants often leave places they actually cherished, leaving behind all of their family and friends. I feel like that's where there's a superiority complex of saying, ‘America is so much better than other places and that’s why people come here.’ This misinformed perspective changes the way people treat immigrants, perhaps as though they’re second-tier citizens. I don't think that's a constructive perspective to have and changing that viewpoint is so important to ensuring all Americans are treated equally. I always joke that no one loves America as much as an immigrant loves America because they literally left everything that comprised their lives to come here. A lot of people don't understand that perspective and are quick to judge.”
