Why have I started immigrating spiritually? Hi! I am Anupriya, originally from New Delhi, India where I was raised & spent majority of my life. Ever since a young age, I knew that I belonged in the US. It was deep inner knowing. Majority of my family on my dad’s side is in the US across multiple states. My parents & grandparents chose to live in India despite having a green card because they love it there. For them, there’s nothing better than “apna desh” (our own country). My dad returned his green card in front of me when I was 13, as a symbol to show the immigration officers that he had no interest in living in the US, so that they could grant a tourist visa to my sister, who was 21, a ripe age for women to go and settle in the US with marriage as a guise, something that officers were afraid of happening but my sister had 0 interest in. We got our tourist visas & I spent my first summer in the US, only to never be the same again. The inner knowing that I belonged here grew even more strong. The freedom to where whatever I wanted, the belongingness I felt when my taste in music & aesthetic was represented all around me, & the overall culture feeling so aligned made going back to India a miserable experience for me. My teens were spent in reverse culture shock, struggle & unhappiness (continued below)
Immigrating spiritually is a project I have curated in recognition of the fact that the process of immigration is as much spiritual as it is legal, practical, strategic, professional & so on. Your soul chooses to relocate & expand in a specific place. It knows where it needs to be to reach the next stage of its growth. It embraces the truth that at a certain age or time, it has outgrown its existing env & now the next stage of its evolution will be in a new land. Despite all odds, practical struggles & factual obstacles, it perseveres & reaches its new destiny.
Immigrating spiritually is a group where I post reflections on the spiritual part of the process of immigration. I shed light on the fact that the process of immigration is as much spiritual as it is legal, practical, strategic, professional & so on. Your soul chooses to relocate & expand in a specific place. It knows where it needs to be to reach the next stage of its growth. In this political climate, where immigration is becoming more & more challenging & illogically so, I bring in cross cultural insights that connect to each soul’s unique destiny to enhance strength, resilience and courage to survive this beautiful journey
publicCreated August 24, 2025
