Why have I started immigrating spiritually? Hi! I am Anupr... : anupriya k.

1mth ago

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)

Replies

Olivia S.1mth ago

Hi Anapriya, thank you for sharing your story 🙏

anupriya k.OP1mth ago

(3)All the belongingness that I craved in India as a teenager, all the neglected socio- emotional & relational needs I had that drove me to become a passionate thinker, writer, intellectual & music, were finally fulfilled here, properly. After more than a decade, I found community where I had true joy & effortless happiness. With more than 5 close cousins in the city & the amazing friends I made in grad school, I felt more seen & heard than ever in my life. The freedom, depth and quality of New York’s electronic music/ Rave scene, queer culture, spiritual community all came together for me. The inner knowing I had since I was a child hit me like a jolt. This was home. This will always be home. I belong here like nowhere else in the world. Now, as I navigate the complexities & compliance of being on an F1 visa & strategize my path into being a permanent resident, I am reminded that I have purpose. There was a reason that I wasn’t born here from the get go. I was meant to walk this path of finding myself, reuniting later & showing other immigrants that it is possible to be where you belong. And most importantly, have faith. No one can take what’s yours. What’s real can’t be lost. The journey is meant to teach you lessons that you wouldn’t have otherwise learnt. I am here to dive into the spirituality of immigration, of choosing to move & make another country home.

anupriya k.OP1mth ago

(2) Over time, as I discovered Buddhism, studied conflict resolution, & became a musician fascinated by the burgeoning indie electronic music & hip hop scene in India, I made peace with being a social activist, artist & intellectual in my country and found purpose & happiness there as I channeled my efforts into my passions & bridge building dialogues. Buddhism, especially the concept of “oneness of self & environment“ helped me develop & cultivate more cross cultural expansion that made living in India much easier & joyous for me. Eventually, I moved to the US for grad school. Initially skeptical of this shift, near confident that my earlier obsession & inner knowing of wanting to settle here had now faded, I was not ready for what came next.

Immigrating Spiritually

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...