college essay about indian culture

Never Have I Ever…reflected on my identity by Ankita D. '23

"too indian" or "not indian enough"?

May 4, 2020

in People & Identities

This week, I, like many other Indian American girls I know, binge-watched the Netflix show Never Have I Ever . The show, which happens to be the No. 1 trending series on Netflix right now, garnered a lot of attention for finally, finally giving South Asians the representation in media they deserve. I was, of course, hyped to watch it since I’ve never seen a convincingly spunky Indian female character, let alone a protagonist.

Sadly, this show did not meet my expectations. It did many things well and is obviously a huge step for Indians in Hollywood, but…yeah, it has a lot of issues that have prompted me to think about my culture and where I fit into it.

The main character, Devi, is an outgoing and brash girl whose two main goals are to go to Princeton and to have sex. Alright, relatable. But in an attempt to eschew the “nerdy girl” stereotype for Devi, the show’s creators center the plot development on her trying to get with the hot athlete. It’s great that they try to portray a reality where the teens who get perfect scores on their PSAT’s and participate in a host of extracurricular activities also strive to have vibrant social lives, but…at what cost??

For the record, I had no social life in high school—I took a multitude of AP classes, watched aggressive amounts of anime, and pretty much didn’t leave my house except to go to school or quiz bowl matches. Obviously, I’m thrilled to see Devi embrace a life of partying as a mere sophomore, since I only got to do that at MIT, but damn. She has to be bitten by a coyote to be relevant? She has to ditch her friends, who are grappling with serious personal issues, to go do a favor for the hot athlete in order to get a chance at kissing him? What???

I’m mad, y’all.

Also, there’s “busting Asian stereotypes” and then there’s “giving Asian characters random backstories that aren’t related to their cultural identity in a way that distracts from the fact that they’re Asian.” Indeed, Devi’s trauma is so…intense…and plot-consuming that it hinders any meaningful character development.

What I wanted to see more of in this show was Devi’s struggle between being “too Indian” and “not Indian enough,” since that’s a critical facet of the Indian-American experience. In one scene, where Devi is talking to a college admissions counselor, he tells her that she’s “just another Indian girl” unless she has a compelling narrative to write about in her application essay. That part really struck me since in my Common App Essay, I wrote about my homestay experience in Japan and how I feel more connected to Japanese culture than Indian culture as a result.

Here’s the last few paragraphs of the essay. Disclaimer: I didn’t really care about the Common App, so I kind of…spliced up some ideas from my MIT essays and pasted them together to make this. Not my best work, for sure. so don’t judge me too hard uwu

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. …I often wondered how I could be drawn to Japanese culture when the Indian one is so vibrant. How could I not feel an affinity for the whirling skirts and lively music, the colorful festivals and aromatic foods, or even the sense of community that binds families so strongly together? In truth, I wanted desperately to resonate with Indian culture, but with a Catholic background ⁠ 01 lol my family is from that one Indian state that has a lot of Catholic people and feeble understanding of any Indian dialect, I felt alienated from it. Since my parents gave me the independence to explore my own cultural identity, I gravitated towards Japan’s traditions, and fell in love with the intricacies of the language and the vitality of the customs. I grew to admire the people for their harmony, stalwart nature, and ability to respond to bitter adversity with focused determination. Today, I’m grateful for how much I’ve learned from the Japanese culture and the friends I’ve made through a mutual appreciation for it, but most of all for the family I’ve gained. A 6,800-mile distance is nothing when we’ve already bridged language and culture barriers and forged bonds that will last a lifetime. After all, family is forever.

Growing up, I never felt in touch with my culture. I didn’t attend Shishu Bharati, the school that teaches first-generation kids about Indian languages and culture, and only vaguely went to Indian functions and parties. I never attained fluency in Malayalam, the language native to the Indian state where my family is from, and never learned Hindi ⁠ 02 I know two words: namaste, and anar, which means pomegranate. I distinctly remember walking into the room where Nisha was learning the Hindi alphabet, and leaving right after a:anar either. I watched only the essential Bollywood movies ⁠ 03 Three Idiots, Dhoom 2, Jab We Met, PK, etc and could answer maybe three questions about Indian popular culture. And I didn’t particularly want to do any of these things since I wanted to feel “unique” and separate from the rest of the Indian community. Honestly, the derogatory comments Devi makes about the girls dancing at the Indian festival Ganesh Puja are ones a younger me would’ve made to deride my “too-Indian” peers.

In my essay, I describe how I came to embrace Japanese culture after a six-week homestay with a Japanese host family. My appreciation for it stemmed (surprise surprise) from more than just being a weeb , but from a willingness to immerse myself in a new culture since I didn’t feel all that connected to the one I was born into. I picked up Japanese with ease through my annual visits to Japan and my passion for studying the language as a means of bridging the cultural divide, and eventually was able to feel completely comfortable as a gaijin ⁠ 04 foreigner; Japan is super homogenous, so those who don't look Japanese won't really be treated as Japanese. watch the video 'But we're speaking Japanese!　日本語喋ってるんだけど' for more insight on this living in Japan.

…the closest I’ve felt to immersing myself in Indian culture is eating so many gulab jamuns that I grow closer and closer to becoming a gulab jamun.

Truly, the only connections I have to my culture, at this point, are food and the ideals my parents have instilled in me. I didn’t even consider joining MIT SAAS ⁠ 05 South Asian Association of Students because of the disconnect I feel, and I’d probably feel out of place at any of the Indian cultural events at MIT. My Common App Essay might be emo and dramatic, but it’s true: I feel more connected in nearly every way to Japanese culture.

And although I’m grateful that I found solace in another culture, I’ll always wish I were more connected to my roots. Indian culture is freaking incredible, so I hate that I felt ashamed of it as a kid. I hate that I can’t understand Malayalam, or feel comfortable in any traditional attire, or feel like anything but an outsider.

So, yeah, I’m disappointed in Never Have I Ever. The show could’ve depicted an uplifting Indian support system that helps Devi reconcile her two conflicting identities, or at least some representation of Devi and her mother understanding each other’s competing cultural mindsets that doesn’t stem from extenuating circumstances, but….nah.

I’m glad that I got to see an Indian girl be gutsy and confident on-screen, but I wish she could’ve been portrayed in a way that wasn’t cross-culturally problematic. Overcompensating for her academic success by making her entire narrative about being thirsty and desperate to party was not it , folks.

I am disgruntled and disappointed and sad that I wasn’t able to gain anything from this show. But I guess that’s my fault for hoping to be enlightened and empowered by a whimsical teen comedy just because it has an Indian girl as its protagonist.

lol my family is from that one Indian state that has a lot of Catholic people" ⁠ back to text ↑
I know two words: namaste, and anar, which means pomegranate. I distinctly remember walking into the room where Nisha was learning the Hindi alphabet, and leaving right after a:anar ⁠ back to text ↑
Three Idiots, Dhoom 2, Jab We Met, PK, etc ⁠ back to text ↑
foreigner; Japan is super homogenous, so those who don't look Japanese won't really be treated as Japanese. watch the video 'But we're speaking Japanese!　日本語喋ってるんだけど' for more insight on this ⁠ back to text ↑
South Asian Association of Students ⁠ back to text ↑

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Indian Culture Essay

India is renowned throughout the world for its tradition and culture. It is a country with many different cultures and traditions. The world's ancient civilisations can be found in this country. Good manners, etiquette, civilised dialogue, customs, beliefs, values, etc., are essential elements of Indian culture . India is a special country because of the ability of its citizens from many cultures and traditions to live together in harmony. Here are a few sample essays on ‘Indian culture’.

100 Words Essay on Indian Culture

India's culture is the oldest in the world and dates back over 5,000 years. The first and greatest cultures in the world are regarded as being those of India. The phrase "Unity in Diversity" refers to India as a diverse nation where people of many religions coexist while maintaining their distinct customs. People of different religions have different languages, culinary customs, ceremonies, etc and yet they all live in harmony.

Hindi is India's official language. However, there are 400 other languages regularly spoken in India's many states and territories, in addition to the country's nearly 22 recognised languages. History has established India as the country where religions like Buddhism and Hinduism first emerged.

200 Words Essay on Indian Culture

India is a land of diverse cultures, religions, languages, and traditions. The rich cultural heritage of India is a result of its long history and the various invasions and settlements that have occurred in the country. Indian culture is a melting pot of various customs and traditions, which have been passed down from generation to generation.

Religion | Religion plays a significant role in Indian culture. The major religions practiced in India are Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Each religion has its own set of beliefs, customs, and practices. Hinduism, the oldest religion in India, is the dominant religion and has a vast array of gods and goddesses. Islam, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism are also widely practiced and have a significant number of followers in the country.

Food | Indian cuisine is known for its diverse range of flavors and spices. Each region in India has its own unique style of cooking and distinct dishes. Indian cuisine is known for its use of spices, herbs, and a variety of cooking techniques. Some of the most famous Indian dishes include biryani, curry, tandoori chicken, and dal makhani. Indian cuisine is also famous for its street food, which is a popular and affordable way to experience the diverse range of flavors that Indian food has to offer.

500 Words Essay on Indian Culture

Indian culture is known for its rich art and architecture. The ancient Indus Valley Civilization, which existed around 2500 BCE, had a sophisticated system of town planning and impressive architectural structures. Indian art is diverse and includes painting, sculpture, and architecture. The most famous form of Indian art is the cave paintings of Ajanta and Ellora, which date back to the 2nd century BCE. Indian architecture is also famous for its temples, palaces, and forts, which are a reflection of the rich cultural heritage of the country.

Music and dance are an integral part of Indian culture . Indian music is diverse and ranges from classical to folk to modern. The classical music of India is known for its use of ragas, which are a set of musical notes that are used to create a melody. The traditional Indian dance forms include Kathak, Bharatanatyam, and Kathakali. These dance forms are known for their elaborate costumes, expressive gestures, and intricate footwork.

My Experience

I had always been fascinated by the rich culture and history of India. So, when I finally got the opportunity to visit the country, I was beyond excited. I had heard so much about the diverse customs and traditions of India, and I couldn't wait to experience them firsthand. The moment I stepped off the plane and hit the streets, I was greeted by the overwhelming smell of spices and the hustle and bustle of the streets. I knew right away that I was in for an unforgettable journey.

My first stop was the ancient city of Varanasi, also known as Banaras. As I walked through the streets, I was struck by the vibrant colors and the sound of temple bells and chants. I visited the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple and was amazed by the intricate architecture and the devotion of the devotees.

From Varanasi, I traveled to Jaipur, also known as the Pink City . Here, I visited the famous Amber Fort, which was built in the 16th century. The fort was a perfect example of the rich architecture of India and the level of craftsmanship that existed in ancient India.

As I continued my journey, I also had the opportunity to experience the food of India. From the spicy curries of the south to the tandoori dishes of the north, I was blown away by the range of flavors and the use of spices.

I also had the chance to experience the music and dance of India. I attended a Kathak dance performance and was mesmerized by the intricate footwork and the expressiveness of the dancers. I also had the opportunity to attend a classical music concert and was struck by the beauty of the ragas and the skill of the musicians.

My journey through India was truly an unforgettable experience. I had the chance to experience the diverse customs and traditions of India and was struck by the richness of the culture. From the ancient temples to the vibrant street markets, India is a treasure trove of history and culture. I knew that this would not be my last trip to India, as there is so much more to explore and experience.

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Essay on Indian Culture for Students and Children

500+ words essay on indian culture.

India is a country that boasts of a rich culture. The culture of India refers to a collection of minor unique cultures. The culture of India comprises of clothing, festivals, languages, religions, music, dance, architecture, food, and art in India. Most noteworthy, Indian culture has been influenced by several foreign cultures throughout its history. Also, the history of India’s culture is several millennia old.

Components of Indian Culture

First of all, Indian origin religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism . All of these religions are based on karma and dharma. Furthermore, these four are called as Indian religions. Indian religions are a major category of world religions along with Abrahamic religions.

Also, many foreign religions are present in India as well. These foreign religions include Abrahamic religions. The Abrahamic religions in India certainly are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Besides Abrahamic religions, Zoroastrianism and Bahá’í Faith are the other foreign religions which exist in India. Consequently, the presence of so many diverse religions has given rise to tolerance and secularism in Indian culture.

The Joint family system is the prevailing system of Indian culture . Most noteworthy, the family members consist of parents, children, children’s spouses, and offspring. All of these family members live together. Furthermore, the eldest male member is the head of the family.

Arranged marriages are the norm in Indian culture. Probably most Indians have their marriages planned by their parents. In almost all Indian marriages, the bride’s family gives dowry to bridegroom. Weddings are certainly festive occasions in Indian culture. There is involvement of striking decorations, clothing, music, dance, rituals in Indian weddings. Most noteworthy, the divorce rates in India are very low.

India celebrates a huge number of festivals. These festivals are very diverse due to multi-religious and multi-cultural Indian society. Indians greatly value festive occasions. Above all, the whole country joins in the celebrations irrespective of the differences.

Traditional Indian food, arts, music, sports, clothing, and architecture vary significantly across different regions. These components are influenced by various factors. Above all, these factors are geography, climate, culture, and rural/urban setting.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Perceptions of Indian Culture

Indian culture has been an inspiration to many writers. India is certainly a symbol of unity around the world. Indian culture is certainly very complex. Furthermore, the conception of Indian identity poses certain difficulties. However, despite this, a typical Indian culture does exist. The creation of this typical Indian culture results from some internal forces. Above all, these forces are a robust Constitution, universal adult franchise, secular policy , flexible federal structure, etc.

Indian culture is characterized by a strict social hierarchy. Furthermore, Indian children are taught their roles and place in society from an early age. Probably, many Indians believe that gods and spirits have a role in determining their life. Earlier, traditional Hindus were divided into polluting and non-polluting occupations. Now, this difference is declining.

Indian culture is certainly very diverse. Also, Indian children learn and assimilate in the differences. In recent decades, huge changes have taken place in Indian culture. Above all, these changes are female empowerment , westernization, a decline of superstition, higher literacy , improved education, etc.

To sum it up, the culture of India is one of the oldest cultures in the World. Above all, many Indians till stick to the traditional Indian culture in spite of rapid westernization. Indians have demonstrated strong unity irrespective of the diversity among them. Unity in Diversity is the ultimate mantra of Indian culture.

FAQs on Indian Culture

Q1 What are the Indian religions?

A1 Indian religions refer to a major category of religion. Most noteworthy, these religions have their origin in India. Furthermore, the major Indian religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

Q2 What are changes that have taken place in Indian culture in recent decades?

A2 Certainly, many changes have taken place in Indian culture in recent decades. Above all, these changes are female empowerment, westernization, a decline of superstition, higher literacy, improved education, etc.

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106 Indian Culture Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Indian culture is one of the oldest and richest cultures in the world. It is known for its diversity, traditions, customs, festivals, and values. Writing an essay on Indian culture can be a fascinating journey into the vast and colorful tapestry of this ancient civilization. To help you get started, here are 106 Indian culture essay topic ideas and examples that you can explore:

The significance of Diwali in Indian culture
The evolution of Indian classical music
The role of Bollywood in shaping Indian culture
Exploring the concept of karma in Hindu philosophy
The importance of yoga and meditation in Indian culture
The tradition of arranged marriages in India
The symbolism of henna in Indian weddings
The impact of colonization on Indian culture
The art of Indian miniature painting
The cultural significance of Indian spices
The history and customs of Indian weddings
The role of women in Indian society
The influence of Indian mythology on popular culture
The tradition of storytelling in Indian culture
Exploring the concept of dharma in Indian philosophy
The art of Indian classical dance forms
The history and customs of Indian festivals
The philosophy of non-violence in Indian culture
The evolution of Indian fashion and textiles
The tradition of hospitality in Indian culture
The impact of globalization on Indian culture
The role of religion in Indian society
The art of Indian street food
The cultural significance of Indian jewelry
The tradition of Ayurveda in Indian medicine
The influence of Indian literature on world literature
The art of Indian pottery and ceramics
The tradition of Indian folk music
The history and customs of Indian art forms
The philosophy of unity in diversity in Indian culture
The significance of the Taj Mahal in Indian culture
The evolution of Indian cinema
The tradition of Indian street art
The role of education in Indian society
The impact of technology on Indian culture
The art of Indian calligraphy
The tradition of Indian puppetry
The history and customs of Indian cuisine
The philosophy of time in Indian culture
The significance of the lotus flower in Indian culture
The evolution of Indian architecture
The tradition of Indian handicrafts
The role of sports in Indian society
The impact of climate change on Indian culture
The art of Indian jewelry making
The tradition of Indian storytelling
The history and customs of Indian textiles
The philosophy of karma in Indian culture
The significance of the peacock in Indian culture
The evolution of Indian sculpture
The tradition of Indian street food vendors
The role of music in Indian society
The impact of social media on Indian culture
The art of Indian embroidery
The tradition of Indian street performances
The history and customs of Indian dance
The philosophy of dharma in Indian culture
The significance of the cow in Indian culture
The evolution of Indian painting
The tradition of Indian street festivals
The role of art in Indian society
The impact of urbanization on Indian culture
The art of Indian textile printing
The tradition of Indian street musicians
The history and customs of Indian theater
The philosophy of ahimsa in Indian culture
The significance of the peepal tree in Indian culture
The evolution of Indian photography
The tradition of Indian street performers
The role of dance in Indian society
The impact of social movements on Indian culture
The art of Indian pottery making
The tradition of Indian street vendors
The history and customs of Indian music
The philosophy of seva in Indian culture
The significance of the mango in Indian culture
The evolution of Indian textiles
The tradition of Indian street art festivals
The role of theater in Indian society
The impact of climate change on Indian agriculture
The art of Indian textile weaving
The tradition of Indian street food carts
The history and customs of Indian literature
The significance of the lotus flower in Indian art
The evolution of Indian street fashion
The role of music in Indian religious ceremonies
The impact of urbanization on Indian architecture
The art of Indian street photography
The tradition of Indian street vendors selling flowers
The history and customs of Indian street food
The philosophy of karma in Indian street culture
The significance of the cow in Indian street art
The evolution of Indian street theater
The tradition of Indian street musicians playing traditional instruments
The role of dance in Indian street festivals
The impact of social movements on Indian street culture
The art of Indian street food vendors cooking traditional dishes
The tradition of Indian street art festivals celebrating local artists
The history and customs of Indian street music
The philosophy of seva in Indian street culture
The significance of the peepal tree in Indian street art
The evolution of Indian street photography
The tradition of Indian street performers entertaining crowds
The role of music in Indian street celebrations

These essay topic ideas and examples are just a starting point for exploring the rich and diverse culture of India. Whether you choose to delve into the history, customs, traditions, art forms, philosophies, or social aspects of Indian culture, there is a wealth of topics waiting to be explored. So grab your pen and paper, and embark on a journey of discovery into the vibrant world of Indian culture.

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Indian Culture and Tradition Essay

Essay on Indian Culture and Tradition

As students grow older, it is important for them to improve their understanding and hold over the language. This can be done only through consistent reading and writing. Writing an essay is a task that involves cooperation and coordination of both the mind and body. Students must be able to think as well reproduce their thoughts effectively without any confusion. This is important when it comes to writing answers and other important documents as ones go to higher classes. The art of writing effectively and efficiently can be improved by students through writing essays. To help students in this domain, Vedantu provides students with numerous essays. Students can go through the same and learn the correct manner of writing the essay.

Indian Culture and Tradition

India enjoys a wide variety of cultural and traditional presence amongst the 28 states. Indian origin religions Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism are all based on dharma and karma. Even, India is a blessed holy place which is also a native place for most of the religions. Recently, Muslim and Christianity also practised working amongst the whole India population. The pledge also added the line, ‘India is my country, and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage.’

Indians are great with cooking; their spices are special for medicinal purposes, so visitors are difficult to adjust to with such heavy spices. The cricketers touring Indian pitches are out due to such food. Frequently, it's been observed that the sportsperson arrived in India either with cooking skills or with a cook. Spices such as cumin, turmeric and cardamom have been used for a long period, to make the dishes more delicious and nutritional. Wheat, rice and pulses help to complete the meal. The majority of the population is a vegetarian one due to their religious aspects.

Talking about the language, India is blessed with a wide range of languages used. Each state has its own language. A major part of the state is unable to speak other languages than the native one. Gujrathi, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Punjabi, Telugu and many more are the representative languages of the respective state. It's easy to recognize the person with the language he spoke. There are 15 regional languages but almost all of them Hindi is the national language of the country. Sanskrit is considered an ancient and respected language. And most of the legendary holy texts are found in Sanskrit only. Along with these, most of the people are aware of plenty of foreign languages.

Indian clothing is adorable to most of the foreigners. Woman wearing a sari is the pride of a nation. These create a pleasant effect and she looks so beautiful that a majority of foreign country’s female want to be like her. The origin of the sari is from the temple dancers in ancient times. Sari allows them to maintain modesty and freedom of movement. On the other hand, men traditionally wear a dhoti and kurta. Actually, Dhoti is a type of cloth without any further attached work done on it. The great Mahatma Gandhi was very fond of it and in their dignity, most of the people used to wear the same.

Apart from all the above facts, Indians are legends with arts and studious material. Shah-rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Dhirubhai Ambani, Amitabh Bachchan Rajnikant, Sundar Pichai are many more faces of India who are shining and representing India on a global scale. There are 20-30 grand festivals celebrated every year in which every festival pops up with history and respect to the respective religion. Even in terms of business, India is not behind. Agriculture is the best occupation of 70% of people in India. It’s our duty to protect the wonderful culture that we have.

Indian culture is one of the oldest and most unique cultures known across the globe. It has various kinds of traditional values, religion, dance, festivals, music, and cloth, which varies from each state or town even. Indian art, cuisine, religion, Literature, Education, Heritage, Clothes etc has a huge impact on the whole world where everyone admires and follows it. It is known as the land of cultural diversity. India thrives on a variety of languages, religions, and cultures due to the diverse race of people living in the country. It can be referred to as one of the world’s most culturally enriched countries. When one thinks of India, they picture colors, smiling faces of children running in the streets, bangle vendors, street food, music, religious festivals etc.

Religion

India is a land where different religious beliefs are followed. It is the land of many religions such as Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. Four Indian religions namely Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism were born in India while others are not of Indian origin but have people following those faiths. The people of India keep a solid belief in religion as they believe that following a faith adds meaning and purpose to their lives as it is the way of life. The religions here are not only confined to beliefs but also include ethics, rituals, ceremonies, life philosophies and many more.

Families

Family plays a vital role in every Indian household. Indians are known to live together as a joint family with their grandparents, uncles and aunts, and the next generation of offspring as well. The house gets passed down from family to family throughout the generations. But with the new modern age, nuclear families are starting to become more common as children go out of town into cities for work or studies and get settled there, also everyone now prefers to have their own private life without any interference. But still, the concept of family get together and family gatherings are not lost as everyone does come together frequently.

Indian Festivals

India is well known for its traditional festivals all over the world. As it is a secular country with diversity in religions, every month some festival celebration happens. These festivals can be religious, seasonal or are of national importance. Every festival is celebrated uniquely in different ways according to their ritual as each of them has its unique importance. National festivals such as Gandhi Jayanti, Independence Day and Republic Day are celebrated by the people of India across the entire nation. Religious festivals include Diwali, Dussehra, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Zuha, Christmas, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc. All the seasonal festivals such as Baisakhi, Onam, Pongal, Bihu etc are celebrated to mark the season of harvest during two harvesting seasons, Rabi and Kharif.

Festivals bring love, bond, cross-cultural exchange and moments of happiness among people.

Indian cuisine is known for a variety of spicy dishes, curry, rice items, sweets etc. Each cuisine includes a wide range of dishes and cooking techniques as it varies from region to region. Each region of India cooks different types of dishes using different ingredients, also food varies from every festival and culture as well. Hindus eat mostly vegetarian food items such as pulao, vegetables, daal, rajma etc whereas people from Islamic cultural backgrounds eat meat, kebabs, haleem etc. In the southernmost part of India, you will find people use a lot of coconut oil for cooking purposes, they eat a lot of rice items such as Dosa, Idli, Appam etc with Coconut chutney, sambhar.

Indian Clothing is considered to be the epitome of modesty and every style is very different in each region and state. But the two pieces of clothing that represent Indian culture are dhoti for men and saree for women. Women adorn themselves with a lot of bangles and Payal that goes around their ankles. Even clothing styles varied from different religions to regions to cultures. Muslim women preferred to wear salwar kameez whereas Christian women preferred gowns. Men mostly stuck to dhoti, lungi, shalwar and kurta.In modern days, people have changed their sense of style, men and women now wear more modern western clothes. Indian clothes are still valued but are now in more trendy and fashionable styles.

There is no single language that is spoken all over India; however , Hindi is one common language most Indians know and can speak or understand. Every region has a different language or dialect. As per the official language act, Hindi and English are the official languages in India. Other regions or state wise languages include- Gujarati, Marathi, Bangla, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Kashmiri, Punjabi etc.

FAQs on Indian Culture and Tradition Essay

1. What are the Popular Spices in India?

Popular spices in India include - Haldi(Turmeric), Chakri Phool(Star Anise), Til (Sesame seeds/ Gingili seeds), Saunf(Fennel Seeds), Kesar(Saffron), Laal Mirch(Red chilli), Khas(Poppy seeds), Jayphal(Nutmeg), Kalonji(Nigella Seeds), Rai/Sarson(Mustard Seeds), Pudina(Mint), Javitri(Mace), Patthar ke Phool(Kalpasi), Kala Namak/ Sanchal/ Sanchar powder(Black salt/ Himalayan rock salt/ Pink salt), Sonth(Dry ginger powder), Methi dana(Fenugreek seeds), Suva Bhaji/ Sua Saag(Dill)

Kadi Patta(Curry Leaves), Sukha dhania(Coriander seeds), Laung(Cloves), Dalchini(Cinnamon), Sabza(Chia seeds), Chironji(Charoli), Ajwain(Carom seeds, thymol or celery seeds), Elaichi(Cardamom), Kali Mirch(Black Pepper (or White Pepper), Tej Patta(Bay Leaf), Hing(Asafoetida), Anardana(Pomegranate seeds), Amchoor(Dry mango powder)

2. What is the Language Diversity Available in India?

The Indian constitution has 22 officially recognized languages. Apart from it, there are around 60 languages that are recognized as smother tongue with more than one million speakers. India also has around 28 minor languages spoken by over one hundred thousand and one million people. Apart from these, there are numerous dialects spoken by a various sect of people based on their region of origin.

3. Who are Some of the Most Famous Indian Celebrities Popular Across the Globe?

India has people excelling in all aspects of art and activities. Few prominent celebrities to garner global fame include - Sudha Murthy, Amitabh Bacchan, Virat Kohli, Saina Nehwal, Sania Mirza, Priyanka Chopra, MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohanlal, A R Rehman, Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata, Narayana Murthy, Kiran Majumdar Shah, Narendra Modi, Amith Shah. all these people have received great accolades in their respective area of expertise globally and getting recognition to India on a global level.

4. How to Improve Writing and Reading Skills for Producing Good Essays?

Writing an essay becomes a tedious task when the mind and hand do not coordinate. It is important for you to be able to harness your mental ability to think clearly and reproduce the same on paper for a good essay. Always remember the first few thoughts that you get as soon as you see an essay topic is your best and purest thoughts. Ensure to note them down. Later you can develop your essay around these points. Make sure your essay has an introduction, body and the final conclusion. This will make the reader understand the topic clearly along with your ability to convey the any information without any hesitation or mistake.

5. How many religions are there in India?

As of now, there are a total of 9 major religions in India with Hinduism being the majority. The remaining religion includes- Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and the Baha'i Faith.

6. Which is the oldest language in India?

Indian classical oldest language is Sanskrit, it belongs to the Indo- Aryan branch of Indo- European languages.

7. What are the few famous folk dances of India?

Folk dances are the representation of a particular culture from where they are known to originate. Eight famous classical dances are- Bharatnatyam from Tamil Nadu, Kathakali from Kerala, Kathak from North, West and Central India, Mohiniyattam from Kerala, Kuchipudi from Andhra Pradesh, Odissi from Odisha, Manipuri from Manipur, Sattriya from Assam.

8. How many languages are spoken in India?

Other than Hindi and English there are 22 languages recognised by the constitution of India. However, more than 400 languages and dialects in India are still not known as they change after every town. Over the years, about 190 languages have become endangered due to very few surviving speakers.

9. Describe the Indian Culture.

Indian culture is very diverse and the people of India are very warm and welcoming. They have a strong sense of family and firmly believe in unity in diversity. In India, there's a saying saying 'Atithi Devo Bhava' means 'the guest is equivalent to god'. So if one visits India, they will never feel unwanted.

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College Essay on Indian Cultural Heritage

“Pray to God before your test!” is one of the most repeated phrases that my mother would say to me before I went to school. I would always wonder, “Why do we have to pray to an idol?” It never transpired to me that having a spiritual connection with a God or a higher power would help me get through struggles and even help me develop as a person. It is important to have this connection, and is something that reflects who I am today. The values I believe in are primarily from my culture, which is Indian. Being born in India made my parents adopt these values and pass them on to me. In India, religion is a huge part of everyday life. My grandparents would go to temple almost every day, and make sure to conduct religious ceremonies for the Gods and Goddesses. Of course, I would always pray because I knew it was the right thing to do. Mostly, I would pray for a good day or if I wanted something materialistic or for my test score to be high. I never understood the mental reason that people pray. When we learn about Hinduism in school, it always seems like people pray just for the sake of praying. We learn that if we are good, we will have good karma and hopefully have a good afterlife. It almost seems selfish that people pray just because they want a good life. Shouldn’t we pray for others, or just pray because it makes us feel good? The gods in our culture did so; they were altruistic, and forgiving. But when someone did wrong, there were harsh consequences. After I lived in India for about a year, I moved to various places. It was from Barbados to Delaware, to Virginia, to New York. Wherever I would go, my culture would follow. I remember starting Classical Indian dance from when I was five, and Classical Indian music. At first I thought it was strenuous and not easy to follow, I wanted to do ballet, or any other American dance. After a while I realized that you could learn much from these arts because they not only helped me learn how to dance, but it also helped me learn about my culture and values. The number one rule was that your teacher or guru is God. You must respect them at all times. Growing up in a strict environment was challenging but it helped me become a good person. There were many differences between my friends in school, and me. My parents certainly taught me good habits and helped me develop good thoughts. Religion was a necessity but I grew to get very bored of it and was not seeing any positive gains from it. I would always pray to God, asking him for a good grade on a test. The next day I would end up with a grade that made me cry. I realized that maybe there is no point in praying and doing so much. I gave up and stopped praying for a while. After a while of no religion, my father gave me a talk one day, and he told me that having a spiritual connection with someone, no matter what religion follow, is very important for you. It helps you to grow and always know that there is a higher power above you that is always watching and will be there for you. Soon I came to see that we do not pray because we want things, or we want to achieve good karma. That is certainly part of it, but the other part is that we have a connection to a God that makes us feel like we are loved, and that someone is constantly watching over you. It is important to have this feeling in you. I started praying more after that, and not just for myself. I casually would talk to this “superior power” in the evenings and thank him for all the good he has done in my life. I saw that there are people that are less fortunate than we are today, and I thanked him for that. If I ever felt down, I would talk to him. Religion and culture has become part of my life. Without it, I would not know who I am today. It has helped me become a person that sees life in a bigger view, not just about myself. I still do not go to the temple regularly, or pray to God everyday, yet I know that someone is there to talk to and believe in.

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Senior Essays: Growing up Indian in America

Atlanta, GA, July 14: Last month, we asked Indian-American teens to submit an essay on the topic, ‘Growing up Indian in America’. We had a great response from our young talents.

“It was good to see the perspectives of these youngsters,” said Ajay Vishwanathan, one of the judges. “From being embarrassed by their Indian lunches to becoming aware (and eventually respectful) of the space they occupy between the two cultures, the experiences were intriguing to read.” The other judges echoed his sentiments.

Congratulations to Senior Category winner Ananya Ghosh, Runner-up Suma Gangasani and all other participants!!

Diversity Within Diversity (Winner, Senior Category)

Imperialism. It’s a word that the entire world was familiar with when Great Britain was a force to be reckoned with. Snatching up territory to expand its sphere of influence, the unassuming island claimed lands from the bottom tip of Africa to the northern regions of the Americas.India was also caught in its wide cast net, tangled in fishing line, but jumped to turn back to water.

In the traditional sense of the word, imperialism is now obsolete. Countries don’t stake claim to territories; they influence others by diplomacy, military, and most importantly, culture.America’s cultural imperialism is very subtle, taking the form of a boosted denim industry in Korea and a greater likelihood of spotting a Kentucky Fried Chicken in India. If my India-dwelling counterpart is swaying from her traditional Indian culture, then how am I, a first generation America-dwelling desi, supposed to stick to mine? This imperialism is not only the root of an internal struggle, but also led to the birth of the American-born Confused Desi (ABCD).

This person will be ready to eat a Domino’s pizza, while secretly craving some biryani, butter chicken, and saag paneer. This person loves to go to football games, but also gets up at 5 to watch the India-Pakistan cricket match. This person perfects the art of the Indian mono-braid at a young age, and later perfects the art of the messy bun.

But sometimes, this dual-culture can be confusing. Do we go to the new Hollywood blockbuster with trendy actors, or do we go to the run-down theater on the other side of town to see the Bollywood box office hit? Do we press a single button on our car sound system to get English music, or do we shuffle through our Hindi music playlists on our phones while simultaneously rushing to find the aux cord at a red light? How many times can we make a conscious decision to immerse ourselves in American culture before we can no longer make a list of the Top 10 Shah Rukh and Kajol moments from film, or forget the words to our favorite Hindi song? How much time does it take for us before keeping up with Bollywood movies, Hindi songs, Indian sports and current events becomes too taxing?

Being an American-born Confused Desi is difficult. We dwell on the dichotomy between American and Indian culture, with a cultivated respect for both. We go through phases where being Indian is easier, but usually the American phase predominates. Maybe some can sit on the bridge between the two, but such cases are regarded as rare.

However, even the most ‘white-washed’ Indian treasures and possesses the remnants of his Indian heritage. He might wear Polos and Sperry’s to school, but he still remembers how to play the tabla from the lessons he took as an elementary school kid. She might refuse to speak Hindi at home, but she will always oil up her rusty vocabulary before speaking on the phone with her thamma. And even the most ‘fresh off the boat’ Indian still captures part of the essence of American culture growing up, despite his boycott on Hollister tees and McDonald’s fries.

ABCDs lie on a spectrum of Indian-American culture, but can never reach one side completely. This diversity within diversity is what makes the Indian community in America remarkable. Instead of consisting of two primary colors blue and yellow, an American-born Confused Desis is one of thousands of shades of green. We might have struggled growing up in two worlds, but as young adults, we appreciate our unique cultural perspectives, our atypical social experiences, and our great fortune of having been born into a culture with such a storied past and present.

We are criticized for being too Indian by Americans, and too American by Indians. But by our own standards, we are all sitting on a bridge together.

-Ananya Ghose Age: 16 School: Chattahoochee High School

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In a sense, I lived two lives (Runner-up, Senior Category)

“yet another magazine where i see no one who looks like me,” i sighed to my friend as i flipped through magazines for a project in yearbook class. besides one ad for priyanka chopra’s show quantico , i had yet to see any indians gracing the pages, or even corners, of the magazines that people all over america consume daily. when i thought about it, the same was true for television and movies. it was a breakthrough seeing an indian woman heading a television show for a major network, but what about everything else.

My favorite TV show is the recently ended Castle . I was thrilled that Sunkrish Bala was cast in the crime-comedy but was disappointed to find that he was merely another background character who just so happened to work with computers. Why couldn’t he fight crime? Why did he have to be typecasted to one of the handful of roles left for Indians as the IT specialist, the doctor, the taxi driver, or the gas station owner? Come on, it’s 2016. We do so much more than that, right?

Growing up as an Indian-American I have become accustomed to my minority status not just in the media but in my everyday life. When I was in elementary school, I became aware that I was not like everybody else. Besides the fact that I stood out for being taller than most of my female and male counterparts, I discerned that my skin color made me different. Some people would assume that because I was Indian, I was naturally gifted at math, when in actuality I worked hard to understand it; or that I couldn’t play sports – when I actually loved to play volleyball. It was not all their fault. Media and society had groomed them to believe many of these things.

Throughout elementary school, most – if not all – of my school friends were not Indian. My family would jokingly refer to me as a “coconut” because they thought that I was brown on the outside but white on the inside. In a sense, I lived two lives. At home I ate Indian food, listened to my parents speak Telugu, and said my three shlokas every morning on the way to school as my mom played her M. Balamuralikrishna CD. On the weekends I attended Indian functions and Balavihar. Outside of this, however, I was full-blown American: I went to soccer practice, listened to pop music, and even forced my parents to buy me a “Just Like You” American Girl doll which, for the record, didn’t even look like me because there were no dolls with Indian features. I didn’t actively try to mix my American side with my Indian side, but whenever my two worlds coincided, I was secretly over the moon. My 8-year-old self was thrilled to learn that the third installment of Disney Channel’s The Cheetah Girls franchise would be set in India because it seemed to me as though an outsider had taken an interest in my other universe.

For the longest time, it was not that I rejected my Indian heritage but that I never fully embraced it – until I started high school.

The Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, is not your ordinary high school. Forty-one percent of the student body is Asian, and South Asians compromise much of this percentage. This school gets much of the credit for helping me come a long way from my younger self in terms of embracing what it means to be Indian. The open student body and culture have given me many opportunities to display and expand upon my Indian identity both inside and outside of school. Out of fascination with classical dance, I started learning Kuchipudi; I partake in Garba each year to celebrate Navaratri; my musical playlist now includes many Hindi tunes. Unlike before, I now try to show my non-Indian friends Indian culture. I want to blend my two worlds.

When I was younger, I avoided learning Telugu partly because it seemed like a daunting process. Now that I am older, I have a deeper understanding of the importance of learning Telugu. It not only lets me communicate with my relatives but also connects my life here in America to my ancestral ties back in India. Just because I have grown up in America doesn’t mean that I have to abandon my Indian roots. While American culture has definitely shaped my upbringing, my Indian heritage has not been forgotten. I am proud of both of my identities and the fact that I have had the opportunity to be raised amidst two unique cultures. It has taken much growing up to realize that my two worlds don’t have to be separate but can coexist as one.

– Suma Gangasani Age: 17 School: Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology

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The other notable essays (in random order):

Neither there nor here, but somewhere in between.

“Wait.. so do you speak Indian?” “Are you feather or red dot Indian? “Are you getting an arranged marriage?” are many of these questions I have been asked throughout my 11 years of school and trust me, some people still ask me questions despite the growth in diversity in America in the past decade. Growing up as an Indian in America has been rewarding, yet challenging trying to fit in a world where we are considered immigrants.

Although we live miles away from India, I still feel connected to my Desi roots. My parents have embedded strong Indian values and traditions in me since I was a toddler. I have learned Hindi from a young age, have been exposed to and fallen in love with Bollywood cinema, have learned Kathak at NNKB since I was four, have been taught about my religion, and have celebrated Indian festivals. I think that when an Indian family is raising a child in America they must not forget their Indian culture because it is so important to teach future generations the importance of heritage so they can keep it alive for years to come. For example, Indian classical dance and my religion have been huge components in my life since I was young. Learning Kathak has helped me understand my culture in depth and has taught me Indian values and history. My family is also heavily involved with JSGA, and learning about my religion has really kept me in touch with my roots and heritage.

Celebrating different religious festivals has helped me forge life long bonds with family and friends, taught me about my culture, and given me a tolerance for traditions. Not being able to grow up in India right next to my family has been tough at times, but being blessed with such amazing parents and friends has really helped me stay in touch with my Indian background. Not only this, but I also live in Johns Creek, also known as Little India, and go to Northview, one of the best and most diverse high schools in the state. One of Northview’s biggest events is International Night in which the whole student body comes together and celebrates the difference cultural backgrounds we come from. Celebrating our Indian heritage with the rest of the JC population brings so much pride and reminds me how fortunate I am to be living in an environment where I can express my culture. Having events around the city such as International Yoga day, Festival of India, Holi, Garba, and Diwali help me stay in touch with Indian culture. Living in such a strong Indian society has taught me how important it is to stay connected to one’s roots.

I’ve always known how important it is to stay connected with all my family around the globe, but lately, it has been hitting me so much harder. My family has ensured that we visit Indian every summer but lately since I have been in high school we haven’t been able to go that often. The last time I went to India was freshman year and for the past year, I think about the motherland every day. Almost everything Indian reminds me of motherland and I long to go visit and cherish every moment of me being there. I now understand that it is vital to keep your traditions alive and teach children about your culture because it is the one special thing that can keep you going when things get rough.

However, living in the suburbs of Atlanta isn’t all just one big fairy-tale; there are its cons, and the biggest one I believe is the feeling of always being considered a foreigner here. Yes, I was born here, but I come from an Indian heritage which distinguishes me from the “American” population. Likewise, when I visit India I am considered a foreigner there. Sometimes, I don’t know where I truly belong. I am American, but I am also Indian. Neither there, nor here- but somewhere in between.

Growing up as a first generation Indian in the United States has been quite the ride. In all honesty, I wouldn’t trade it in the world. I was blessed with hardworking parents who came to America to live their dream, and because of their perseverance, I have been rewarded with such an incredible life. I feel truly privileged to be receiving the best education while being tied to my Indian roots, having my loving friends and family right by my side. I am really proud to be an Indian-American and look forward to many more adventures life brings me!

-Aarushi Jain Age: 17 years School: Northview High School

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I am privileged to be able to share my culture with others

Every year, families throughout my neighborhood gather together for the celebration of lights, Deepavali. The sky shimmers with vivid colors: blue, gold, red, green, you name it. Although it’s a Hindu celebration, many others from our neighborhood join in the festivities, marveling at the bright night sky. While others are partaking in our Hindu festivities, I stand in awe at how interested people are in taking part in our culture. Looking back, I realize that not only has life in America created an opportunity for me to embrace my culture as an Indian, but it also has given me an opportunity to share my culture with others and learn from theirs. I have learned that it really is quite easy to keep a cohesive culture and to remain motivated, no matter how far away from India I am. From participating in a weekly Balavihar to making service trips to India, I’ve taken advantage of the variety of opportunities available to me in America.

As an Indian American, I have learned that it is always possible to find cultural values regardless of where I am. Every Sunday, my family and I spend a couple of hours at our Balavihar with like-minded people. For the first half an hour we chant prayers and then we have classes to become more familiar with the Hindu culture. In addition, it entails a variety of programs, which allow us as the next generation of Indians in America to understand and carry on cultural traditions such as Diwali, Garba, and Holi celebrations. Chinmaya Mission Balavihar has offered me such an amazing opportunity to reconnect with India and meet people who wish to do the same.

Not only have I had the opportunity to take part in cultural celebrations in the United States, I have also had the wonderful opportunity to partake in a service visit to a rural community in Tamil Nadu,India. Through this service visit I had a chance not only to teach and help develop rural areas, but also to get in touch with my roots more intimately. I had a chance to spend three weeks comparing my life in America with my temporary life in India. The reason this opportunity was available to me was none other than because I grew up without giving up my Indian values in America.

Growing up Indian in America also had an impact on my school and many of my friends. Many high schools and middle schools now have garba nights, and students show up in Indian attire, Indian or not, to enjoy the celebrations. International nights are filled with Indian performances, classical and Bollywood, one after the other. My friends ask to join me at Balavihar out of sheer curiosity about Hindu culture. It’s amazing how much of a melting pot our society has become and how easy it has become to grow up Indian in America.

Similarly, by living in America, I have gained exposure to American culture, as well as many other cultures. I am part of an Indian family, but our family still puts up the Christmas tree every year. We light the same fireworks for Deepavali as we do on the 4 th of July. Because of this amalgamation of cultures, I’ve gained knowledge of a variety of cultural traditions such as Bar Mitzvahs, quinceañeras, and even Chinese New Year. My life in America therefore has given me the ability to learn about the many different backgrounds present in the world around me.

At the same time, however, being Indian in America has placed tremendous pressure on me and many of my Indian friends as well. Being Indian automatically sets you at a higher academic standard, which inevitably creates tougher competition, the need for higher test scores, and a more outstanding resume than the average. Though there is increasing pressure, however, it serves as a form of motivation, which in my case has always encouraged me to aim for excellence.

Overall, my experience of growing up inAmericahas motivated me to enhance my knowledge and learn to appreciate my culture as well the culture of others. I have learned that although I live thousands of miles away from my homeland, I can still easily stay in touch with my Indian culture. Living in America has motivated me to do my best every day and to give my all to everything I do and it has opened my eyes to how privileged I am to be motivated and to be able to openly celebrate my culture and share it with others.

-Sadhana Durbha Age: 16 School:Lambert High School

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Unraveling the stories of India’s past helps pave my future

Growing up as an Indian-American has been- in one encapsulating word- a journey; a wild adventure complete with its own set of trials and tribulations that I would not trade for the world. My ethnicity is essential to who I am today, but accepting my cultural identity and all of the rich history and vibrant traditions that come with it is a personal victory that I had to fight societal stigmas and, more importantly, myself for.

I was born in Bengaluru, Karnataka and moved to the United States at a very young age. I grew up completely content with myself and never understood nor acknowledged hyphenated labels such as “Indian-American”. As all children of preschool and pre-kindergarten age, I did not “see” color; thus, I did not understand differences in race, religion, or ethnicity. I did not feel any different from my unhyphenated American friends, therefore I was not any different in my mind. I assumed that all my friends ate dosas and idlis at home and that they all practiced Hinduism like me. I remember attending an after-school Bible study session at my preschool as my parents were running late one afternoon and being really confused. All my schoolmates seemed to know the story, but I was completely lost. I simply brushed it aside as a story my parents just forgot to tell me. It was not until I started Kindergarten that I began to realize my cultural identity was different from that of my friends.

Being a vegetarian was a foreign concept at my first elementary school. To avoid the awkward exchange with the lunch ladies in which I explained my predicament, I brought my lunch to school everyday. Unlike the carefully wrapped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches of my friends, my lunch generally consisted of rice and other Indian dietary staples. Because my meals looked different and smelled of pungent Indian spices, my lunch was often the object of my classmates’ curiosity and ridicule. As one of maybe five Asian students and one of only two Indian students at my school, my main priority was fitting in with the other children. My exotic lunches did not help my case. After several days of bringing home full lunch boxes, my mother sat me down and explained to me that my differences made me unique. My mother revealed to me the cultural significance of my meals and the rich history behind the flavorful dishes. She taught me to be proud of my Indian heritage and to always stay connected with my traditions. Unfortunately it took nearly an entire year of eating soggy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from the cafeteria before I finally learned my lesson and began appreciating my mother’s cooking.

Soon, we moved to a community with a larger Indian presence, and I began to feel more accepted. As I entered adolescence, I still struggled with trying to keep my cultural identity separate from my identity. I vividly remember being embarrassed to speak in my mother tongue with my family in public settings or in front of my friends, because I was afraid they would judge me. Around the same time, my family and I started to become more actively involved in our cultural association – Nrupathunga Kannada Koota (NKK). My involvement helped me to begin sealing the breach and to start accepting my Indian-American label. My family and I also went to India for the summer between 7th and 8th grade. Reconnecting with my extended family and visiting historical sites gave me the vital exposure to my beautiful roots that I needed to finally embrace my cultural identity as a significant part my identity as a whole.

As I transitioned into high school, I began making a conscious effort to incorporate my heritage and beliefs into my daily life. I began classical training in the expressive South Indian dance form of Bharatanatyam at Kalaivani Dance Academy and Bollywood at Kruti DanceA cademy. I also started taking a more serious interest in mastering my proficiency in the Kannada language and in reading and writing Kannada to ensure my mother tongue never dies out. I continued to learn about my ancestors and my past thanks to constant encouragement from my mother. My traditions have helped shape me into the person I am today. Being bilingual has taught me to appreciate other languages and has allowed me to communicate freely with all types of people. Learning Indian dance has given me an outlet to express myself and escape the struggles of everyday life. Unraveling the stories of India’s past helps pave my future. I am equal parts American and Indian, and I proudly embrace both cultures.

-Nisha Kashyap Age: 18 School: Georgia Institute of Technology

Growing up burdened to create a legacy

Growing up Indian in America is growing up being ridiculed for your thick accent, being looked down upon for your skin color, and being scared of taking chances. It is being the victim of racism as your legacy is reduced to “another brown-skin stealing our jobs”.

Growing up Indian in America is growing up disadvantaged before you can even speak. The melanin in my body lets people know I am an “alien” unknown to this country.

Before people even learn my name, they have made assumptions about me based solely on the color of my skin. “I bet you’re really smart!” “You like spicy food, right?” “Your skin color is so pretty like coffee!”

They think they are cunning and their comments are funny but what they don’t realize is when you generalize what you see on TV to an entire race, you are trivializing that race and disregarding the individual personalities of the people. Why must you compare my skin color to that of a perfectly swirled mocha for it to not taste bitter on your tongue?

Growing up Indian in America is growing up scared to experience new things.

“I hope these people aren’t racist”. That is the phrase I chant to myself each time I step into an interview, a classroom, a party, a discussion. I repeat it to myself constantly as if it is a mantra that will pray the devil away. It is my mantra. It has sewn itself into the deepest parts of my mind. It is my biggest fear.

Growing up Indian in America is growing up burdened to create a legacy. The stories of struggles our parents have overcome to get us here become ingrained in our brains. We have been recited those more than we have been read stories from Aesop’s Fables and they are what become our bedtime stories. But they are also what become our nightmares.

We have to play it safe. Pick a safe career like medicine or business that will guarantee our success and future. Singers, dancers, artists, chefs, politicians are all out of question. We were brought here for one thing and one thing only: a guaranteed future. We must not think outside the box for who knows what scary things lurk there ready to deport us from the country we have learned to call ours. We must stay inside the box and create a legacy as strong as our parents’.

Growing up Indian in America is hard. But it has only made us tougher.

I will always be a victim of the unoriginal “do you like curry” jokes. I will always wonder if the people I have just met are racist in anyway. I will always have to work twice as hard as a white man to be seen as half as good. I will always have the short end of both sticks because not only am I a person of color but I am also a woman. I will always, always, be at a disadvantage as an Indian inAmerica but it does not mean I will be less.

My people did not fight to be free from the reigns of the white man just for him to deny us our rightful places in this world. I have learned to be headstrong, persistent, and dominating. I have learned to be a leader and stand up for everything I believe in despite all the people and obstacles in my way knocking me down.

Growing up Indian in America is growing up with an opportunity to change the world.

Americais the land of opportunity and I aspire to take advantage of every single opportunity presented to me. I know that I can be anything, do anything, and have anything if I put my mind to it. I can be a lawyer and advocate for civil rights, I can be a diplomat and work to make living conditions better for minorities, I can become a biotech engineer and invent new medical supplies for those in poverty, I can even be a public speaker and speak out on issues such as rape and domestic issues.

Growing up Indian in America is growing up with national pride.

Because of the racism Indians face from others, we tend to have stronger ties within our Indian community. Unlike inIndia, we do not define each other based on caste, religion, language, etc. We are birds of a feather. When we hear of a local temple holding a Holi festival, we’ll all show up in our white clothes ready to throw colors on strangers because in the end, we are all the same and we feel a strong bond.

Growing up Indian in America is the best thing that could have happened to me.

-Manya Garg Age: 17 years old School: Northview High School

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Suddenly I became the odd man out

Eighteen years ago, I came bounding into our creator’s raw land; home, pleasure, love,

freedom; all hand in hand. The majority of my pre-pubescence, I walked the ancient streets of motherIndia. A country where the atmosphere is filled with joy, respect, and culture. It was a place of morals in a time of modernization. A land where humanity presents itself in the most muzzy, expressive burst of culture and religions, races and heritage.

As I turned two, my parents set off to the United States entrusting me to my god parents —strictly speaking my aunt and uncle— as they went seeking for new job opportunities. As the first great-grandson in my entire extended family, I was raised like a king. With my uncle as my pedagogue, I grew up with opportunities accessing intellectual and spiritual growth, secure in the knowledge which I fancied, free from fear, and confident that my world was close to perfect.

This state of innocence persisted until I reached my early teens. I was able to master eight languages, act in movies, dance to music, and pick up various unique skills.

I began to explore and satiate my curiosity through my own exploration and experimentation. With a surprising amount of freedom at such a young age, I was able to build Rube Goldberg machines, simple circuits, high flying rockets, and retrieval mechanisms. I loved every bit of it. I often asked my uncle for his old electrical equipment, and when I heard the magical word “yes,” I would carefully reverse engineer his old VCRs, computers, RC planes, and rebuild them in high hopes of understanding how they ticked. My identity and aspirations were the product of early influences and childhood experiences. These little things are what taught me to be independent, to continue to be a scientist and an engineer at heart.

On June 23, 2008, after becoming financially stable, my parents came back to India for the summer. They decided to take me to the land of opportunity. Their decision was the main transition to the second half of my life. Leaving my relatives behind was difficult, but I was fired up to travel afar and witness the beauty of our ever-changing world. I felt that travel was beyond the seeing of sights; it is when your mind reshapes, a change so profound and permanent that changes one’s life forever.

After arriving in the United States, my expectations shattered. Suddenly, I became the odd man out. Bullying and racism became an integral part of my life. I endured the harshest of words, but I persevered and matured into the man I am today. It took time adjusting to the new climate, people, and culture; however, I adapted. I started celebrating the American holidays with my new found friends of the new world —from trick or treating to hanging ornaments on Christmas trees.

Discovering new religions and cultures was what I found fascinating, because it was so distinct from mine. The values deeply rooted in me are a direct result of exposure to various cultures, which serves as a foundation in shaping my principles, behaviors, and attitudes.

When I gaze into the mirror, I see an individual molded from two distinct cultures. Through life, I have examined, questioned, and experienced ideologies from both India and the Western world; this ideological experimentation has created who I am today. Born in India and raised in the United States, I have a perspective that often differs from my friends and family on both sides of the globe. I believe that I have been given a uniquely neutral exposure into the perspective of both cultures. The world is becoming increasingly complex, and it is increasingly imperative to walk a mile in another’s shoes.

Regardless how ominous the situation may seem, there can always be a solution. We are human. We are more than the sum of our parts. If we are to survive as a species, we cannot be just a scattered collection of sheeple; we must also learn to embrace our differences and coexist. Cultures will blend and we will unite.

-Vishwa Mudigonda Age: 18 College: University of Georgia

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The essays were graded blind by this panel of five judges- all with great writing credentials. Thank you for your time and effort, judges!

Ajay Vishwanathan has work published or forthcoming in over ninety literary journals, including The Minnesota Review, Sou’wester, Southern Humanities Review, The Potomac, and The Baltimore Review. He’s currently working on a new novel as his completed manuscript, Little Hands of Silk, is being readied by his literary agent to be sent to potential publishers. One of the editors of Foundling Review, Ajay is the author of From a Tilted Pail , a short story collection from Queen’s Ferry Press (2014).
Navami Naik works as Lead, Global Partnerships with the American Cancer Society. Navami has been working in non-profit management for the past 10 years. Prior to this, she worked as a journalist with The Times of India, where she primarily covered issues related to health and education. Navami holds a Master’s degree in Social Service from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania,USA and has trained as a journalist in the United Kingdom.
Jyothsna Hegde grew up in a house full of ardent readers, and has always enjoyed writing. Being a software engineer and an adjunct faculty at a university in Baltimore hardly left any time to read, let alone write. But after moving to Atlanta, she found an opportunity to write for NRI Pulse and has been part of the newspaper’s editorial team for several years. She hopes to write about real or fictional people and events in way that makes the reader feel part of the experience, and encourages thinking that goes deeper than the surface.
Aditya Rao is a 2015 graduate of New York University. While his papers have been published in academic journals, he is fond of creative and essay writing. He also maintains a blog: Bureaumania.wordpress.com .
Reena Joshi is the owner of WriteRight . WriteRight’s goal is to help all its students from grades 2-12 understand the English concepts tested on all assessments culminating with the SAT and the ACT. Students are taught to master reading comprehension techniques, conquer confusing vocabulary, and of course, score well on assessments. From constructing basic sentences to constructing SAT and college application essays, WriteRight students learn to consistently write well. The long term goals are high SAT/ACT test scores and acceptance into choice colleges, and so the earlier students start preparation, the better the chances for a higher score, acceptance into choice colleges and scholarships.

WriteRight has a special offer for NRI Pulse essay contestants and readers:

All essay contestants – free registration ($100 regular registration) + $50 discount on tuition upon registration for a semester.
All readers – free registration upto September 1, 2016 ($100 savings) *must bring the page from NRI Pulse Newspaper that has the essay results on it

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Meet the young usa coach popularizing cricket in the american heartland, kathakali institute in kerala to admit girl students for the first time in 90 yrs, dipa's journey to olympics a saga of talent and hard work.

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Essay on Cultural Diversity in India

Students are often asked to write an essay on Cultural Diversity in India in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Cultural Diversity in India

Introduction to cultural diversity.

India is famously known for its rich cultural diversity. It is a land where people of different religions, castes, and ethnic groups live together, each contributing to the country’s unique cultural fabric.

Religious Diversity

India is home to many religions, including Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Each religion has its own set of rituals, festivals, and traditions, which adds to the cultural richness.

Language Diversity

India is a linguistically diverse country with over 1600 spoken languages. Every state has its own language, and people take pride in their linguistic heritage.

Art and Cuisine

Indian art and cuisine vary greatly from region to region. The music, dance, and food of each area are influenced by its history, geography, and local traditions. This diversity in art and cuisine is a testament to India’s cultural richness.

In conclusion, cultural diversity is one of India’s greatest strengths. It fosters a sense of unity in diversity, making India a vibrant and inclusive nation.

250 Words Essay on Cultural Diversity in India

Introduction.

India, often referred to as a ‘melting pot’ of cultures, stands as a testament to the confluence of diverse traditions, religions, and languages. Its cultural diversity is a rich tapestry woven with threads of myriad hues, each representing a unique cultural facet.

India is the birthplace of religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, which coexist with Islam, Christianity, Zoroastism, Judaism, and others. Each religion has contributed to the cultural mosaic of India, leaving indelible imprints on its art, architecture, literature, music, and dance.

Linguistic Diversity

The linguistic diversity in India is astonishing, with the constitution officially recognizing 22 languages. Each language has its literature, folklore, and scripts, contributing to the cultural richness of the nation.

Social and Cultural Practices

The social and cultural practices in India vary significantly across its length and breadth. Festivals like Diwali, Eid, Christmas, Pongal, Baisakhi, and many others are celebrated with great fervor, each having its unique customs and traditions.

Indian art, ranging from classical dance forms to folk arts like Madhubani and Warli, showcases the cultural diversity. Indian cuisine, with its wide range of regional dishes, reflects the diversity in its culinary practices.

The cultural diversity of India is a testament to its pluralistic society, which embraces differences and promotes unity in diversity. It is this cultural diversity that makes India a vibrant and dynamic nation, offering a rich cultural experience.

500 Words Essay on Cultural Diversity in India

Introduction to cultural diversity in india.

India, often hailed as the epitome of cultural diversity, is a country where myriad cultures, religions, languages, and traditions coexist in harmony. This cultural diversity is the cornerstone of India’s pluralistic society and has shaped its history, politics, and social fabric.

Cultural Mosaic: Languages and Religions

India is home to over 2,000 distinct ethnic groups and more than 1,600 spoken languages. This linguistic diversity is a testament to the country’s cultural richness. Each language carries its unique folklore, literature, and art forms, contributing to the cultural mosaic of the nation.

Similarly, India’s religious diversity is unparalleled. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism originated here, and the country also houses substantial populations of Muslims, Christians, and other religious communities. These religions, with their unique rituals, festivals, and philosophies, add to the cultural kaleidoscope of India.

Art, Music, and Dance

Indian art, music, and dance forms are as diverse as its languages and religions. Each region boasts its distinct classical and folk music and dance styles. For instance, Kathakali from Kerala, Bharatanatyam from Tamil Nadu, and Kathak from North India are renowned dance forms, each with its unique storytelling method.

Similarly, Indian music ranges from the classical Carnatic and Hindustani styles to various folk traditions. Indian art, too, displays a wide range from Madhubani paintings of Bihar to Warli art of Maharashtra, each narrating a tale of its people and history.

Cuisine and Clothing

Indian cuisine, known for its flavors and spices, also mirrors the country’s cultural diversity. Each region has its culinary specialities, influenced by local produce, climate, and historical interactions. For example, coastal regions like Kerala and Goa have seafood-based cuisine, while Rajasthan’s arid climate has led to the development of a cuisine rich in dairy products and grains.

Clothing in India also varies regionally, reflecting local climatic conditions, traditions, and influences. From the ‘sarees’ and ‘dhotis’ of the south to the ‘pherans’ and ‘pathanis’ of the north, Indian attire is a vibrant display of its cultural diversity.

Challenges and Opportunities

While cultural diversity is India’s strength, it also poses challenges. Communal tensions, regional disparities, and language conflicts are some issues that stem from this diversity. However, these challenges also provide opportunities for dialogue, mutual understanding, and unity in diversity.

Cultural diversity in India is an enriching and complex tapestry of traditions, beliefs, and practices. It is a testament to the country’s historical openness to different cultures, its adaptability, and its inherent pluralism. This diversity, while posing challenges, also provides a framework for mutual respect and coexistence, making India a fascinating study in cultural diversity.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Essay on Cashless India
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Essay on Fit India

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Essay on Indian Culture and Tradition 1000+ Words

Indian culture and tradition, akin to a captivating mosaic, are comprised of myriad vibrant components that constitute the nation’s multifaceted heritage. With deep historical roots, they are commemorated through various avenues such as festivals, art forms, and daily customs. As we embark on this essay, we will delve into the profound essence and importance of Indian culture and tradition. This exploration will encompass their distinctive attributes, their societal significance, and their enduring pertinence.

Diversity in Unity

Indian culture and tradition are renowned for their diversity. India is home to a multitude of languages, religions, cuisines, and customs. Despite this diversity, there is a strong sense of unity that binds the nation together.

Historical Significance

India’s culture and traditions have evolved over thousands of years. The Indus Valley Civilization, the Vedas, and the teachings of ancient sages have all played a role in shaping the culture we see today.

Festivals and Celebrations

India is known for its vibrant festivals, such as Diwali, Holi, Eid, Christmas, and more. These celebrations bring people together, fostering a sense of unity and joy.

Cultural Art Forms

Indian culture finds expression in various art forms such as classical dance, including Bharatanatyam and Kathak, as well as music, encompassing Carnatic and Hindustani traditions, and theater. Furthermore, these art forms boast a rich historical heritage and persistently flourish in contemporary times.

Traditional Clothing

Indian clothing is a reflection of culture and tradition. Attire like the saree, dhoti, and kurta are not just clothing items but symbols of identity.

Expert Opinions

Cultural scholars like Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan emphasize the role of culture in shaping society and providing a sense of identity. They believe that culture is a dynamic force that evolves with time.

Spiritual Practices

Religion and spirituality play a significant role in Indian culture. Practices like meditation, yoga, and visiting temples or mosques are common ways for individuals to connect with their spirituality.

Traditional Medicine

Ayurveda, India’s traditional system of medicine, has been practiced for centuries. It emphasizes holistic well-being and natural healing methods.

Family Values

Indian culture places a strong emphasis on family values. Respect for elders, strong family bonds, and the concept of joint families are integral to Indian society.

Conclusion of Essay on Indian Culture and Tradition

In conclusion, Indian culture and tradition, as a testament to the country’s rich history, diversity, and unity, provide a sense of identity and belonging to millions of people. Moreover, as India continues to evolve in the modern world, it is crucial to preserve and celebrate these cultural treasures. By valuing diversity, promoting cultural exchange, and passing on traditions to future generations, we can ensure that Indian culture and tradition continue to thrive and enrich the lives of all who embrace them. Consequently, India’s cultural heritage is a source of pride and inspiration, forming a tapestry of traditions that we must cherish and protect for generations to come.

Also Check: Simple Guide on How To Write An Essay

80 Indian Culture Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best indian culture topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 interesting topics to write about indian culture, 🥇 simple & easy indian culture essay titles, 💡 good research topics about indian culture.

The Influence of Ramayana on the Indian Culture If one considers the image provided in the work with the work itself, one notices the detailed depiction of the life and activities of the protagonist.
Indian Custom and Culture Community For example, there were various activities used to illustrate this marking, and these would include invitation and welcoming of the bridegroom, exchange of flower garlands, presentation of the would-be wife, the ceremony of the sacred […]
Servant Leadership in Indian Culture and Hindu Religion The basis of this approach is the reorientation of the values of the leader, who considers the empowerment of followers as a means and goal of his activity.
American Culture and Indian Culture Comparison Children in India are raised mostly in patriarchal joint family systems, and the head of the family is usually the senior most male, in most cases the grand parents of the child.
Indian Culture and Its Distinctive Qualities Indian culture is one of the oldest in the world and truly one of the most influential due to the number of Indians that inhabit the Earth.
The Blackfoot Indians Culture and Historical Heritage The Reservation of the Blackfoot Indians is the place of residence to over 17 thousand members of the given nation and spans 1,5 million acres.
Indian and Greek Cultures Comparison Although modern India is a mixture of cults and beliefs, the ancient religion of Hinduism is still strong among the people.
Cheyenne Indians History and Culture Furthermore, it was to emphasize the unique powers and the superiority of the chief priests and the prophets in the community.
British Colonialism and Its Impact on Indian Culture Though the Indians resisted Britain’s rule they were unable to overcome the British soldiers’ tactics and weapons hence the British East India Company took the region as its colony for trading and governance purposes. Britain […]
The Practice of Counseling in the US and Indian Culture Owing the varied nature of the constituents of this culture, there is a large and continually expanding evolution of the Indian culture especially as regards religion, beliefs and societal values that is quite influential to […]
Hinduism’s Cultural and Religious Opinions As a result, it is not easy to trace the history of Hinduism and the Hindus are not concerned about the specific dates when the religion might have started.
Culturally-Relevant Interventions for Indian Children The culture of American Indian children have customs and traditions related to the care of children with chronic illness, abuse, substance abuse, and mental illness.
Indian Cultures the “White Man” Tried to Remove The hair in the Indian culture is therefore connected to the character trait of basing a culture on symbols. The fourth Indian culture, the “white man,” also tried to steal from the Indians their attire.
Indian Culture, Food, Temples, and Clothing Key Terms: Traditional dresses, Indian fashion, saree, headgear Claim: Despite the inevitable impact of globalization and westernization, India is a country that could preserve its culture by wearing traditional clothes. It is normal to see […]
The Cultural Misappropriation of the Cleveland Indians The cultural misappropriation of the Cleveland Indians, an American ball club, has been a practice that has continued for a long time because of the unresolved contention encompassing its logo and Name. The essay discusses […]
Mdewakanton Dakota, Sioux Indian Tribe of Red Wing: Cultural Orientations Ethnocentrism is one of the signs characterizing the attitude of people to the Native Americans and in particular to the Mdewakanton tribe.
Communicating Cross-Culturally: Indian and Japanese Workers The purpose of this presentation is to propose ways in which a virtual team consisting of Indian and Japanese employees can be motivated.
Culturally Competent Care in Indian Health Service Such a situation requires the physicians and nurses to fully understand the needs of the patients. The paper argues that the IHS is an embodiment of the application of cultural competence in healthcare.
Gulf’s Indian Ocean Connections and Cultural Exchanges The persistence of Indian Ocean-Gulf trade due to demand of the goods resulted in a mixture of heritage and culture from the sailors, fishers, and traders from the western Indian Ocean system.
Ancient Indians Historical and Cultural Way of Life Visiting of the historical and cultural museums is the integral part of the enrichment of your knowledge about the way of life of certain cultural groups.
Myths: Daphne and Ahalya. Greek and Indian Culture Mythology The book describes the Creation of the World and continues to the time of Julius Caesar and is considered as a mythic-historical document.
The Possibility of Modernizing Indian Culture The Indian culture is based mainly upon the traditions prevailing in the times of Emperor Asoka and the secular rule of Akbar. In the Indian culture, the youth is supposed to show this respect by […]
Iroquois Indians Culture and History Review Much of what we know of ancient culture is brought to us in the form of stories; either the stories of the descendants of the stories of outsiders.
Taensa Indians Culture Analysis So it is due to this fact that most of the Taensas are getting discrimination in most of the activities like in business, sharing of the economic resources and the land rights of these people.
Indian Culture and Its Building Blocks The purpose of this paper is to discuss the building blocks of a culture that is different from that of the author of this writing.
Cultural Diversity: Chippewa Indians There were overt attempts to racially segregate the Indians in a successively smaller area, and the Indians were ultimately left to the mercy of the US government.”The said Chippewa Indians surrender to the United States […]
Indian vs. American Cultural Heritage and Traditions Usually, the representatives of different races and nationalities enter countries that are not their native, adding diversity to the homogeneous people of that state.
American Indians and Cultural Assimilation Laws At the end of the eighteenth century, the government of the United States was concerned about the problem of cultural heterogeneity.
Cultural Diversity: Indians and White Americans As it is said in the lectures by Harvey and Allard, the issue of discrimination is not only based on the factors of race or ethnicity.
Indian Spiritualism in Cross-Cultural Perception In this case, the interviewee can be referred to as a medium as she claims to have the ability to communicate with the dead.
Canadian Indians, Métis, and Inuit Material Culture The relevance of this book is identified by problems of modern history and anthropology and, mainly, by the need to examine the representation of artifacts of the First Nations as well as by the need […]
Udayan Care: Indian Culture Care Community The analysis started with a narrative of the background of Udayan Care, especially as compared to the institutionalized care given by the government and private homes in India and the West.
Relations Between Homosexuality and Indian Culture Lesbianism is a relatively silent practice in India as opposed to gay practice and even the organizations for women do not really advocate for or promote it.
Traditional Food Culture in the Indian Religion As demonstrated by this particular author, the traditional food culture is important in the Hindu religion because of the fact that food “speaks” a language that conjoins the gross and the subtle, body and spirit, […]
Views of Benjamin Franklin on Indian Culture The tenacity with which the Indians held to their traditions came out clearly in the treaty of Lancaster in Pennsylvania. A juxtaposition of civilization in the eyes of the Indians to the western countries is […]
Indian Culture: Dances of Rajasthan Diwali is one of the major festivals in the country. Ghoomar dance is also common in the region.
Native American Culture and American Indians However, the history of the USA has come through the colonization and many people who now inhabit the continent are not the Native Americans.
Understanding the Significance of Diwali as a Representation of the Indian Culture People refer the festival to as the festival of Sweets. In the South East Asia, and Indian populations elsewhere in the world, people celebrate the Diwali somewhat differently.
Understanding the Significance of Diwali as a Representation of Indian Culture The aim of this thesis is to understand the close relationship between the popular Hindu festival, Diwali and efforts being made by the global Indian diaspora to perpetuate their old country’s traditions and culture in […]
Historical Analysis of 19th Century Indian Culture
American and Indian Culture: Comparative Analysis
Overview of American Indian Culture Before 1763
American Indian Culture and Its Effects on Nursing
Historical Analysis of Ancient Indian Culture
Comparative Analysis of Asian and Indian Culture
Cherokee Indian Culture and Its Impact on United States Culture
Comparison of Chinese and Indian Culture
Analysis of Contemporary Indian Culture
Contrasts Between German and Indian Culture and Qualities
Cultural Challenges With the Indian Culture to Business in Kenya
Difference Between Western and Indian Culture
Cultural Islam: Keeping Faith and Tradition Under Indian Culture in Pakistan
Differences Between American Culture and Indian Culture
Cultural Experience: Overview of Indian Culture
The Relationships Between Economics and Indian Culture
Culture Comparisons Between the Kung and the Indian Cultures
Analysis of Entrepreneurs From the Indian Culture
European Settlers and the Impact of Indian Culture
Examining the Assorted Heritage of Indian Culture
Hinduism and Buddhism’s Influence on Indian Culture in Southeast Asia
Indian Culture and Its Architectural Heritage
Overview of Indian Culture, Politics, and Business
Indian Culture and Food After Meeting an Indian Lady
Reasons Why Indian Culture Restrains the Women
Indian Culture and How Its Diversity Glorifies India at an Incredible Level
Individual Cultural Communication: Study of Indian Culture
Indian Culture and How It Translates to America
Projecting Ethos Through Indian Culture
Indian Culture and Its Different Religions
Reward and Punishment Allocation in the Indian Culture
Indian Culture and Its Impact on Society
The Apache Indian Culture and History
Indian Culture and the River Sutra’s Healing Powers
Comparative Analysis of Canadian Culture and Indian Culture
Indian Culture: Getting the Best From the Best
The Fundamental Issues Within the Romanian and Indian Culture
The Indian Culture and Modern Education System
Understanding Indian Culture With a Healthcare Perspective
The Indian Culture Referring to the Seven Dimensions of Trompenaars
Dance Essay Ideas
Cooking Questions
Sikhism Research Topics
Culture Topics
Colonialism Essay Ideas
Colonization Essay Ideas
History Topics
Cultural Identity Research Topics
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, February 25). 80 Indian Culture Essay Topic Ideas & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/indian-culture-essay-topics/

"80 Indian Culture Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." IvyPanda , 25 Feb. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/indian-culture-essay-topics/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '80 Indian Culture Essay Topic Ideas & Examples'. 25 February.

IvyPanda . 2024. "80 Indian Culture Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." February 25, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/indian-culture-essay-topics/.

1. IvyPanda . "80 Indian Culture Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." February 25, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/indian-culture-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "80 Indian Culture Essay Topic Ideas & Examples." February 25, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/indian-culture-essay-topics/.

Growing Up a Desi Girl: What It Means to Be Between Two Worlds

When I'm presented with a "Where are you from?" I usually run through this multiple-choice quiz in my head:

a. Say that I'm American and be prodded to admit where I'm really from, as though being born on native soil isn't enough of a token of my American-ness.

b. Say that I'm Indian and sit through the whole FAQ, ("Wait, red dot Indian or Native American? Do you eat curry every night? Do your parents speak English? Will your marriage be arranged?")

c. Say "around here" and fake that I have to go to the bathroom.

I roll the dice with options A-C, depending on how much energy I have that day. But, the truth is? I'm not sure myself some days.

Being a woman of color, people often press you even harder on that "Where are you from?" question. Questions that are often considered harmless can sometimes result in an awkward, stumbling identity crisis. My standard reply of, "California, around the SF… Bay Area," never seems to placate people, because my tan skin, big dark eyes, and thick eyebrows betray me. I don't look like I'm really American to a lot of people (read: sun-kissed, California-beach-blonde beauty), and so the label never quite fits. Add in the fact that my name is "Nikita" and I've truly thrown the audience a plot twist. Is she from here? Is she mixed-race? Is she an alien? Stay tuned to find out!

I've lived in four big cities in under 18 years: Chicago, New Delhi, San Francisco, and New York. New York is now home, and technically because my family is in California, so is San Francisco. It's odd to juggle specific regional identities that pertain to the U.S. only while negotiating the complications of my ethnic and cultural identities as well. Saying I'm from California means something different to people than "American," and saying I'm Indian carries other implications. Plus, the "Indian" identity is an umbrella term for a series of different identities all woven together by a similar overarching cultural thread and a political boundary. India is a vast country with dozens of languages, cuisines, and more — no two Indian experiences can ever neatly intersect.

Perhaps if I were entirely born and raised in America, I'd feel as though I wasn't too Indian to fit under "American" neatly. And, maybe if I didn't spend the better part of my 21 years in America, I'd feel better just saying I am Indian. I love being Indian, but sometimes I don't feel Indian enough, really. I am Indian. I am American. I am Indian-American. Neither there, nor there — but somewhere in between.

I lived in India for the better part of the first 5 years of my life, and once I moved back to the U.S., I immediately felt alien amongst my classmates. With my broken English, my funny accent, and the fact that I had no idea who Pikachu was, I may as well have been from another planet. I was a quick study, though: I laboriously repaired my accent, always making sure to pronounce my Vs and Ws correctly, and never allowing my Rs to linger on my tongue for too long; I watched all the "Blue's Clues" I could get my hands on; I asked my parents to take me to movies, the works. However, despite all my efforts otherwise, I felt culturally inept.

So I stepped up my efforts. I began shirking my Indian-ness and wholly adopting American culture in an attempt to fit in. I spent the better part of my teenage years acting as though my own culture was backwards, primitive, and something worth being ashamed of. I turned up my nose at Indian food, maligned religion, and was just kind of a brat. "I'm like, the whitest Indian girl like, ever," and all that jazz. I tried so desperately to lose all the things that made me different so that I could fall into a dominant narrative that wasn't mine and didn't need to be mine — despite how much the world sometimes made (and still makes) me feel otherwise.

I had made an error in naively assuming that assimilating wholeheartedly would make my life easier, but the truth is: whiteness didn't fit. And somehow, full on Indian-ness didn't either, given that I was (mostly) raised and schooled in America. I didn't feel as though I could relate to either fairly. In retrospect? As much as I desperately wanted one label or the other to fit in an absolutist fashion, they never needed to: it's okay to be who I am, the way I am. I think I fall somewhere in between Indian and American; I am the definition of a hyphenated, hybrid identity.

The truth is, it's okay to feel like you're neither here nor there — we are all shaped by the experiences we've lived through. There is no right way to be Indian, and there is no right way to be American. We're formed by our individual experiences and beliefs, and it's daunting to collapse millions of experiences into one label for a curious stranger (or even yourself!). It is normal to feel confused by your own identity from time to time, to feel like an enigma. Trust me though — as much as the world keeps making you feel like an absolute weirdo, you are not. Learning and knowing that I have a place in this world has been healing; finding people who have shared similar struggles, experiences, and stories has been instrumental. Know that you are not entirely alone, and as you go through life you will encounter your people.

I still don't know how to really answer that dreaded question, though. I'll keep rolling the dice and get back to you.

*Editor's Note: This headline has been adjusted from "Growing Up Indian and American" since its original publish date to reflect that Neelam Gill, the model pictured, is Indian and British.

Want more Teen Vogue ? Go behind the scenes of our August cover shoot with the new faces of fashion!

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Essay on Diversity in India: A Tapestry of Cultural and Traditions

Updated on
Apr 23, 2024

Essay on Diversity in India: “Unity in diversity is India’s strength. There is simplicity in every Indian. There is unity in every corner of India.” As India celebrates 77 years of independence, it’s crucial to explore the vast diversity that defines this nation. Despite the colonial past, which attempted to diminish the rich tapestry of Indian culture, the country today is a vibrant mosaic of languages, religions, and traditions.

Table of Contents

0.1 Cultural Diversity
0.2 Social Diversity
0.3 Religious Diversity
0.4 Linguistic Diversity
0.5 Geographical Diversity
0.6 Conclusion

Cultural Diversity

India’s cultural landscape is as varied as its geography. Each region boasts its unique festivals, arts, and culinary traditions. For instance, classical dance forms like Kathak in the north and Bharatanatyam in the south highlight regional narratives and myths. The popularity of Western dance forms has not overshadowed these traditional dances, reflecting a resurgence in interest in and pride in indigenous arts. Similarly, festivals like Diwali and Eid are celebrated with fervor across the country, showcasing unity in diversity.

India is the home of numerous different religious traditions. Hindus (82.41%), Muslims (11.6%), Christians (2.32%), Sikhs (1.99%), Buddhists (0.77%), Jains (0.41%), and tribal cultures (many of whom still engage in animism and magic) comprise the population of India.

Quick Read: Essay on the Role of Youth in Nation-Building

Social Diversity

India’s social fabric is woven with threads from numerous ethnic groups and castes. This diversity is a double-edged sword, presenting challenges in terms of social equality while also enriching the societal structure with a variety of perspectives and practices. Urban areas, in particular, display a melting pot of cultures, with people from various backgrounds living and working together, which promotes a broader understanding and acceptance of diverse social norms.

Religious Diversity

Home to major religions such as Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism, India’s religious diversity is a testament to its pluralistic society. This multiplicity of belief systems coexisting is one of India’s greatest strengths, fostering a culture of mutual respect and tolerance. The peaceful cohabitation of diverse religious communities, however, is occasionally challenged by conflicts, underscoring the need for continuous dialogue and reconciliation.

Linguistic Diversity

With over 1,600 languages and dialects spoken, the linguistic diversity in India is staggering. Hindi and English are widely used, but state-specific languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Bengali hold equal importance. The Indian constitution’s recognition of 22 official languages is a clear indicator of the country’s commitment to embracing its linguistic heritage. This diversity is also evident in literature, with works ranging from the ancient epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata to modern writings in various vernaculars.

Every language embodies the history and customs of its people and reflects a unique legacy. The Indian Constitution, which affirms India’s commitment to inclusivity and cultural preservation, recognises and defends this diversity by defending the rights of linguistic minorities and fighting for the preservation of endangered languages.

Geographical Diversity

From the snowy peaks of the Himalayas in the north to the tropical beaches of the south, India’s geographical diversity influences its climate, agriculture, and lifestyle. This diversity not only dictates the economic activities of different regions but also shapes the cultural identities of the people, from the attire they wear to the food they eat.

India has breathtaking geographical diversity, with the sun-kissed beaches of the south and the towering Himalayas of the north, as well as the lush forests of Kerala and Rajasthan. In addition to influencing regional traditions and means of subsistence, this geographic diversity has given India an unmatched biodiversity. India is a large country with a diverse range of natural environments, including deserts, evergreen forests, steep mountains, perennial and non-perennial river systems, long coastlines, and fertile plains. Its total land area is 3.28 million square kilometres.

Quick Read: Importance of Mental Health Essay

While significant achievements have marked India’s journey since independence, the shadow of colonial influence still lingers, impacting perceptions and values. Yet, the resurgence of pride in one’s heritage and the continuous celebration of its diversity are signs of a maturing nation that values its past while forging a new identity. India’s diversity is not just a fact of life but the very fabric that makes it unique on the global stage. As India moves forward, it is the recognition and preservation of this diversity that will empower it to overcome its colonial hangovers and redefine what it means to be modern and Indian on its terms. The path ahead lies in embracing the richness of its diverse heritage, thus truly fulfilling the dreams that fueled its struggle for freedom 77 years ago.

Ans: India is a multicultural nation home to all of the world’s main religions. The number of languages spoken in India is over 1600. India’s terrain is diverse, with mountains, plains, plateaus, deserts, and islands among its features. Aside from this, migration from all over the world has given rise to a variety of ethnic groups in India.

Ans: The acceptance of a range of individual characteristics within a society or group is referred to as diversity. Aspects including color, ethnicity, gender, age, financial situation, sexual orientation, religious views, abilities, and more can all be considered in these differences.

Ans: India is referred to as the “land of diversity” for a variety of reasons, including its diverse culinary options, language usage, holiday celebrations, and religious and cultural practices.

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Unity in Diversity: The Essence of India’s Composite Culture | Essay Writing for UPSC by Vikash Ranjan Sir | Triumph ias

Table of Contents

India’s Mosaic: A Celebration of Unity in Diversity

(relevant for essay writing for upsc civil services examination).

India, Composite Culture, Unity in Diversity, Religions, Languages, Festivals, Art, Architecture, Historical Evolution

India’s vibrant landscape is dotted with myriad cultures, traditions, and histories. Dive into the mesmerizing mosaic of India’s composite culture and discover how it epitomizes unity in diversity.

The Threads of Time

From the ancient Indus Valley Civilization to modern-day India, the country has imbibed, evolved, and celebrated a myriad of influences, giving birth to its unique identity.

A Symphony of Cultures

Whether it’s the resonating chants from temples, the melodic calls for prayer from mosques, or the harmonious carols from churches, India embraces them all with open arms. Languages, festivals, art – every facet of Indian life reflects its harmonious blend.

Conclusion: A Lesson for the World

In times of global divisiveness, India’s composite culture stands tall as a testament to the strength and beauty of unity in diversity.

India, Composite Culture, Unity in Diversity, Religions, Languages, Festivals, Art, Architecture, Historical Evolution.

Best Sociology Optional Coaching, Sociology Optional Syllabus.

Sociology Optional Syllabus Course Commencement Information

Enrolment is limited to a maximum of 250 Seats.
Course Timings: Evening Batch
Course Duration: 4.5 Months
Class Schedule: Monday to Saturday
Batch Starts from: Admission open for online batch

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Instructional Format:

Each class session is scheduled for a duration of two hours.
At the conclusion of each lecture, an assignment will be distributed by Vikash Ranjan Sir for Paper-I & Paper-II coverage.

Study Material:

A set of printed booklets will be provided for each topic. These materials are succinct, thoroughly updated, and tailored for examination preparation.
A compilation of previous years’ question papers (spanning the last 27 years) will be supplied for answer writing practice.
Access to PDF versions of toppers’ answer booklets will be available on our website.
Post-course, you will receive two practice workbooks containing a total of 10 sets of mock test papers based on the UPSC format for self-assessment.

Additional Provisions:

In the event of missed classes, video lectures will be temporarily available on the online portal for reference.
Daily one-on-one doubt resolution sessions with Vikash Ranjan Sir will be organized post-class.

Syllabus of Sociology Optional

FUNDAMENTALS OF SOCIOLOGY

Modernity and social changes in Europe and emergence of sociology.
Scope of the subject and comparison with other social sciences.
Sociology and common sense.
Science, scientific method and critique.
Major theoretical strands of research methodology.
Positivism and its critique.
Fact value and objectivity.
Non- positivist methodologies.
Qualitative and quantitative methods.
Techniques of data collection.
Variables, sampling, hypothesis, reliability and validity.
Karl Marx- Historical materialism, mode of production, alienation, class struggle.
Emile Durkheim- Division of labour, social fact, suicide, religion and society.
Max Weber- Social action, ideal types, authority, bureaucracy, protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism.
Talcott Parsons- Social system, pattern variables.
Robert K. Merton- Latent and manifest functions, conformity and deviance, reference groups.
Mead – Self and identity.
Concepts- equality, inequality, hierarchy, exclusion, poverty and deprivation.
Theories of social stratification- Structural functionalist theory, Marxist theory, Weberian theory.
Dimensions – Social stratification of class, status groups, gender, ethnicity and race.
Social mobility- open and closed systems, types of mobility, sources and causes of mobility.
Social organization of work in different types of society- slave society, feudal society, industrial /capitalist society
Formal and informal organization of work.
Labour and society.
Sociological theories of power.
Power elite, bureaucracy, pressure groups, and political parties.
Nation, state, citizenship, democracy, civil society, ideology.
Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action, revolution.
Sociological theories of religion.
Types of religious practices: animism, monism, pluralism, sects, cults.
Religion in modern society: religion and science, secularization, religious revivalism, fundamentalism.
Family, household, marriage.
Types and forms of family.
Lineage and descent.
Patriarchy and sexual division of labour.
Contemporary trends.
Sociological theories of social change.
Development and dependency.
Agents of social change.
Education and social change.
Science, technology and social change.

INDIAN SOCIETY: STRUCTURE AND CHANGE

Introducing indian society.

Indology (GS. Ghurye).
Structural functionalism (M N Srinivas).
Marxist sociology (A R Desai).
Social background of Indian nationalism.
Modernization of Indian tradition.
Protests and movements during the colonial period.
Social reforms.

SOCIAL STRUCTURE

The idea of Indian village and village studies.
Agrarian social structure – evolution of land tenure system, land reforms.
Perspectives on the study of caste systems: GS Ghurye, M N Srinivas, Louis Dumont, Andre Beteille.
Features of caste system.
Untouchability – forms and perspectives.
Definitional problems.
Geographical spread.
Colonial policies and tribes.
Issues of integration and autonomy.
Social Classes in India:
Agrarian class structure.
Industrial class structure.
Middle classes in India.
Lineage and descent in India.
Types of kinship systems.
Family and marriage in India.
Household dimensions of the family.
Patriarchy, entitlements and sexual division of labour
Religious communities in India.
Problems of religious minorities.

SOCIAL CHANGES IN INDIA

Idea of development planning and mixed economy
Constitution, law and social change.
Programmes of rural development, Community Development Programme, cooperatives,poverty alleviation schemes
Green revolution and social change.
Changing modes of production in Indian agriculture.
Problems of rural labour, bondage, migration.

3. Industrialization and Urbanisation in India:

Evolution of modern industry in India.
Growth of urban settlements in India.
Working class: structure, growth, class mobilization.
Informal sector, child labour
Slums and deprivation in urban areas.

4. Politics and Society:

Nation, democracy and citizenship.
Political parties, pressure groups , social and political elite
Regionalism and decentralization of power.
Secularization

5. Social Movements in Modern India:

Peasants and farmers movements.
Women’s movement.
Backward classes & Dalit movement.
Environmental movements.
Ethnicity and Identity movements.

6. Population Dynamics:

Population size, growth, composition and distribution
Components of population growth: birth, death, migration.
Population policy and family planning.
Emerging issues: ageing, sex ratios, child and infant mortality, reproductive health.

7. Challenges of Social Transformation:

Crisis of development: displacement, environmental problems and sustainability
Poverty, deprivation and inequalities.
Violence against women.
Caste conflicts.
Ethnic conflicts, communalism, religious revivalism.
Illiteracy and disparities in education.

Best Sociology Optional Coaching, Sociology Optional Syllabus, BEST SOCIOLOGY OPTIONAL TEACHER, SOCIOLOGY OPTIONAL TEACHER

Mr. Vikash Ranjan, arguably the Best Sociology Optional Teacher , has emerged as a versatile genius in teaching and writing books on Sociology & General Studies. His approach to the Sociology Optional Syllabus / Sociology Syllabus is remarkable, and his Sociological Themes and Perspectives are excellent. His teaching aptitude is Simple, Easy and Exam Focused. He is often chosen as the Best Sociology Teacher for Sociology Optional UPSC aspirants.

About Triumph IAS

Innovating Knowledge, Inspiring Success We, at Triumph IAS , pride ourselves on being the best sociology optional coaching platform. We believe that each Individual Aspirant is unique and requires Individual Guidance and Care, hence the need for the Best Sociology Teacher . We prepare students keeping in mind his or her strength and weakness, paying particular attention to the Sociology Optional Syllabus / Sociology Syllabus , which forms a significant part of our Sociology Foundation Course .

Course Features

Every day, the Best Sociology Optional Teacher spends 2 hours with the students, covering each aspect of the Sociology Optional Syllabus / Sociology Syllabus and the Sociology Course . Students are given assignments related to the Topic based on Previous Year Question to ensure they’re ready for the Sociology Optional UPSC examination.

Regular one-on-one interaction & individual counseling for stress management and refinement of strategy for Exam by Vikash Ranjan Sir , the Best Sociology Teacher , is part of the package. We specialize in sociology optional coaching and are hence fully equipped to guide you to your dream space in the civil service final list.

Specialist Guidance of Vikash Ranjan Sir

The Best Sociology Teacher helps students to get a complete conceptual understanding of each and every topic of the Sociology Optional Syllabus / Sociology Syllabus , enabling them to attempt any of the questions, be direct or applied, ensuring 300+ Marks in Sociology Optional .

Classrooms Interaction & Participatory Discussion

The Best Sociology Teacher, Vikash Sir , ensures that there’s explanation & DISCUSSION on every topic of the Sociology Optional Syllabus / Sociology Syllabus in the class. The emphasis is not just on teaching but also on understanding, which is why we are known as the Best Sociology Optional Coaching institution.

Preparatory-Study Support

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Online Support System (Oss)

Get access to an online forum for value addition study material, journals, and articles relevant to Sociology on www.triumphias.com . Ask preparation related queries directly to the Best Sociology Teacher , Vikash Sir, via mail or WhatsApp.

Strategic Classroom Preparation

Comprehensive Study Material

We provide printed booklets of concise, well-researched, exam-ready study material for every unit of the Sociology Optional Syllabus / Sociology Syllabus , making us the Best Sociology Optional Coaching platform.

Why Vikash Ranjan’s Classes for Sociology?

Proper guidance and assistance are required to learn the skill of interlinking current happenings with the conventional topics. VIKASH RANJAN SIR at TRIUMPH IAS guides students according to the Recent Trends of UPSC, making him the Best Sociology Teacher for Sociology Optional UPSC.

At Triumph IAS, the Best Sociology Optional Coaching platform, we not only provide the best study material and applied classes for Sociology for IAS but also conduct regular assignments and class tests to assess candidates’ writing skills and understanding of the subject.

Choose T he Best Sociology Optional Teacher for IAS Preparation?

At the beginning of the journey for Civil Services Examination preparation, many students face a pivotal decision – selecting their optional subject. Questions such as “ which optional subject is the best? ” and “ which optional subject is the most scoring? ” frequently come to mind. Choosing the right optional subject, like choosing the best sociology optional teacher , is a subjective yet vital step that requires a thoughtful decision based on facts. A misstep in this crucial decision can indeed prove disastrous.

Ever since the exam pattern was revamped in 2013, the UPSC has eliminated the need for a second optional subject. Now, candidates have to choose only one optional subject for the UPSC Mains , which has two papers of 250 marks each. One of the compelling choices for many has been the sociology optional. However, it’s strongly advised to decide on your optional subject for mains well ahead of time to get sufficient time to complete the syllabus. After all, most students score similarly in General Studies Papers; it’s the score in the optional subject & essay that contributes significantly to the final selection.

“ A sound strategy does not rely solely on the popular Opinion of toppers or famous YouTubers cum teachers. ”

It requires understanding one’s ability, interest, and the relevance of the subject, not just for the exam but also for life in general. Hence, when selecting the best sociology teacher, one must consider the usefulness of sociology optional coaching in General Studies, Essay, and Personality Test.

The choice of the optional subject should be based on objective criteria, such as the nature, scope, and size of the syllabus, uniformity and stability in the question pattern, relevance of the syllabic content in daily life in society, and the availability of study material and guidance. For example, choosing the best sociology optional coaching can ensure access to top-quality study materials and experienced teachers. Always remember, the approach of the UPSC optional subject differs from your academic studies of subjects. Therefore, before settling for sociology optional , you need to analyze the syllabus, previous years’ pattern, subject requirements (be it ideal, visionary, numerical, conceptual theoretical), and your comfort level with the subject.

This decision marks a critical point in your UPSC – CSE journey , potentially determining your success in a career in IAS/Civil Services. Therefore, it’s crucial to choose wisely, whether it’s the optional subject or the best sociology optional teacher . Always base your decision on accurate facts, and never let your emotional biases guide your choices. After all, the search for the best sociology optional coaching is about finding the perfect fit for your unique academic needs and aspirations.

To master these intricacies and fare well in the Sociology Optional Syllabus , aspiring sociologists might benefit from guidance by the Best Sociology Optional Teacher and participation in the Best Sociology Optional Coaching . These avenues provide comprehensive assistance, ensuring a solid understanding of sociology’s diverse methodologies and techniques. Sociology, Social theory, Best Sociology Optional Teacher, Best Sociology Optional Coaching, Sociology Optional Syllabus. Best Sociology Optional Teacher, Sociology Syllabus, Sociology Optional, Sociology Optional Coaching, Best Sociology Optional Coaching, Best Sociology Teacher, Sociology Course, Sociology Teacher, Sociology Foundation, Sociology Foundation Course, Sociology Optional UPSC, Sociology for IAS,

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6 Diversity College Essay Examples

What’s covered:, how to write the diversity essay after the end of affirmative action, essay #1: jewish identity, essay #2: being bangladeshi-american, essay #3: marvel vs dc, essay #4: leadership as a first-gen american, essay #5: protecting the earth, essay #6: music and accents, where to get your diversity essays edited, what is the diversity essay.

While working on your college applications, you may come across essays that focus on diversity , culture, or values. The purpose of these essays is to highlight any diverse views or opinions that you may bring to campus. Colleges want a diverse student body that’s made up of different backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and interests. These essay prompts are a way for them to see what students can bring to their school.

In this post, we will share six essays written by real students that cover the topic of culture and diversity. We’ll also include what each essay did well and where there is room for improvement. Hopefully, this will be a useful resource to inspire your own diversity essay.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. That said, you should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and they will not have a favorable view of students who have plagiarized.

In June 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that the use of race in college admissions was unconstitutional. In other words, they struck down the use of affirmative action in college admissions . This will affect college-bound students of color in a number of ways, including lowering their chances of acceptance and reducing the amount of direct outreach they’ll receive from colleges. Another change to consider is the ways in which students should tackle their diversity essays.

Although colleges can no longer directly factor race into admissions, students aren’t prohibited from discussing their racial backgrounds in supplemental application essays. If your racial background is important to you, seriously consider writing about it in your diversity essays. If you don’t, admissions officers are extremely limited in their ability to consider your race when making an admission decision.

As in the essays listed below, discussing your race is an excellent tool for showing admissions officers the person behind the grades and test scores. Beyond that, it provides admissions officers with an opportunity to put themselves in your shoes—showing them how your background has presented challenges to overcome, helped build important life skills, and taught you valuable lessons.

Diversity Essay Examples

I was thirsty. In my wallet was a lone $10 bill, ultimately useless at my school’s vending machine. Tasked with scrounging together the $1 cost of a water bottle, I fished out and arranged the spare change that normally hid in the bottom of my backpack in neat piles of nickels and dimes on my desk. I swept them into a spare Ziploc and began to leave when a classmate snatched the bag and held it above my head.

“Want your money back, Jew?” she chanted, waving the coins around. I had forgotten the Star-of-David around my neck, but quickly realized she must have seen it and connected it to the stacks of coins. I am no stranger to experiencing and confronting antisemitism, but I had never been targeted in my school before. I grabbed my bag and sternly told her to leave. Although she sauntered away, the impact remained.

This incident serves as an example of the adversity I have and will continue to face from those who only see me as a stereotype. Ironically, however, these experiences of discrimination have only increased my pride as a member of the Jewish Community. Continuing to wear the Star-of-David connects me to my history and my family. I find meaning and direction in my community’s values, such as pride, education, and giving—and I am eager to transfer these values to my new community: the Duke community.

What the Essay Did Well

Writing about discrimination can be difficult, but if you are comfortable doing it, it can make for a powerful story. Although this essay is short and focused on one small interaction, it represents a much larger struggle for this student, and for that reason it makes the essay very impactful.

The author takes her time at the beginning of the essay to build the scene for the audience, which allows us to feel like we are there with her, making the hateful comments even more jarring later on. If she had just told us her classmate teased her with harmful stereotypes, we wouldn’t feel the same sense of anger as we do knowing that she was just trying to get a drink and ended up being harassed.

This essay does another important thing—it includes self-reflection on the experience and on the student’s identity. Without elaborating on the emotional impact of a situation, an essay about discrimination would make admission officers feel bad for the student, but they wouldn’t be compelled to admit the student. By describing how experiences like these drive her and make her more determined to embody positive values, this student reveals her character to the readers.

What Could Be Improved

While including emotional reflection in the latter half of the essay is important, the actual sentences could be tightened up a bit to leave a stronger impression. The student does a nice job of showing us her experience with antisemitism, but she just tells us about the impact it has on her. If she instead showed us what the impact looked like, the essay would be even better.

For example, rather than telling us “Continuing to wear the Star-of-David connects me to my history and my family,” she could have shown that connection: “My Star-of-David necklace thumps against my heart with every step I take, reminding me of my great-grandparents who had to hide their stars, my grandma’s spindly fingers lighting the menorah each Hanukkah, and my uncle’s homemade challah bread.” This new sentence reveals so much more than the existing sentence about the student and the deep connection she feels with her family and religion.

Life before was good: verdant forests, sumptuous curries, and a devoted family.

Then, my family abandoned our comfortable life in Bangladesh for a chance at the American dream in Los Angeles. Within our first year, my father was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He lost his battle three weeks before my sixth birthday. Facing a new country without the steady presence of my father, we were vulnerable—prisoners of hardship in the land of the free.

We resettled in the Bronx, in my uncle’s renovated basement. It was meant to be our refuge, but I felt more displaced than ever. Gone were the high-rise condos of West L.A.; instead, government projects towered over the neighborhood. Pedestrians no longer smiled and greeted me; the atmosphere was hostile, even toxic. Schoolkids were quick to pick on those they saw as weak or foreign, hurling harsh words I’d never heard before.

Meanwhile, my family began integrating into the local Bangladeshi community. I struggled to understand those who shared my heritage. Bangladeshi mothers stayed home while fathers drove cabs and sold fruit by the roadside—painful societal positions. Riding on crosstown buses or walking home from school, I began to internalize these disparities.

During my fleeting encounters with affluent Upper East Siders, I saw kids my age with nannies, parents who wore suits to work, and luxurious apartments with spectacular views. Most took cabs to their destinations: cabs that Bangladeshis drove. I watched the mundane moments of their lives with longing, aching to plant myself in their shoes. Shame prickled down my spine. I distanced myself from my heritage, rejecting the traditional panjabis worn on Eid and refusing the torkari we ate for dinner every day.

As I grappled with my relationship with the Bangladeshi community, I turned my attention to helping my Bronx community by pursuing an internship with Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda. I handled desk work and took calls, spending the bulk of my time actively listening to the hardships constituents faced—everything from a veteran stripped of his benefits to a grandmother unable to support her bedridden grandchild.

I’d never exposed myself to stories like these, and now I was the first to hear them. As an intern, I could only assist in what felt like the small ways—pointing out local job offerings, printing information on free ESL classes, reaching out to non-profits. But to a community facing an onslaught of intense struggles, I realized that something as small as these actions could have vast impacts.

Seeing the immediate consequences of my actions inspired me. Throughout that summer, I internalized my community’s daily challenges in a new light. I began to see the prevalent underemployment and cramped living quarters less as sources of shame. Instead, I saw them as realities that had to be acknowledged, but that could ultimately be remedied.

I also realized the benefits of the Bangladeshi culture I had been so ashamed of. My Bangla language skills were an asset to the office, and my understanding of Bangladeshi etiquette allowed for smooth communication between office staff and the office’s constituents. As I helped my neighbors navigate city services, I saw my heritage with pride—a perspective I never expected to have.

I can now appreciate the value of my unique culture and background, and the value of living with less. This perspective offers room for progress, community integration, and a future worth fighting for. My time with Assemblyman Sepulveda’s office taught me that I can be an agent of change who can enable this progression. Far from being ashamed of my community, I want to someday return to local politics in the Bronx to continue helping others access the American Dream. I hope to help my community appreciate the opportunity to make progress together. By embracing reality, I learned to live it. Along the way, I discovered one thing: life is good, but we can make it better.

This student’s passion for social justice and civic duty shines through in this essay because of how honest it is. Sharing their personal experience with immigrating, moving around, being an outsider, and finding a community allows us to see the hardships this student has faced and builds empathy towards their situation.

However, what really makes it strong is that the student goes beyond describing the difficulties they faced and explains the mental impact it had on them as a child: “Shame prickled down my spine. I distanced myself from my heritage, rejecting the traditional panjabis worn on Eid and refusing the torkari we ate for dinner every day.” The rejection of their culture presented at the beginning of the essay creates a nice juxtaposition with the student’s view in the latter half of the essay, and helps demonstrate how they have matured.

They then use their experience interning as a way to delve into a change in their thought process about their culture. This experience also serves as a way to show how their passion for social justice began. Using this experience as a mechanism to explore their thoughts and feelings is an excellent example of how items that are included elsewhere on your application should be incorporated into your essay.

This essay prioritizes emotions and personal views over specific anecdotes. Although there are details and certain moments incorporated throughout to emphasize the author’s points, the main focus remains on the student and how they grapple with their culture and identity.

One area for improvement is the conclusion. Although the forward-looking approach is a nice way to end an essay focused on social justice, it would be nice to include more details and imagery in the conclusion. How does the student want to help their community? What government position do they see themselves holding one day?

A more impactful ending might describe the student walking into their office at the New York City Housing Authority in 15 years. This future student might be looking at the plans to build a new development in the Bronx just blocks away from where they grew up that would provide quality housing to people in their Bangladeshi community. They would smile while thinking about how far they have come from that young kid who used to be ashamed of their culture.

Superhero cinema is an oligopoly consisting of two prominent, towering brands: Marvel and DC. I’m a religious supporter of Marvel, but last year, I discovered that my friend, Tom, was a DC fan. After a vociferous 20-minute quarrel about which was better, we decided to allocate one day to have a professional debate, using carefully assembled and coherent arguments.

One week later, we both brought pages of notes and evidence cards (I also had my Iron-Man bobblehead for moral support). Our impartial moderator—a Disney fan—sat in the middle with a stopwatch, open-policy style. I began the debate by discussing how Marvel accentuated the humanity of the storyline—such as in Tony Stark’s transformation from an egotistical billionaire to a compassionate father—which drew in a broader audience, because more people resonated with certain aspects of the characters. Tom rebutted this by capitalizing on how Deadpool was a duplicate of Deathstroke, how Vision copied Red Tornado, and how DC sold more comics than Marvel.

40 minutes later, we reached an impasse. We were out of cards, and we both made excellent points, so our moderator was unable to declare a winner. Difficult conversations aren’t necessarily always the ones that make political headlines. Instead, a difficult discussion involves any topic with which people share an emotional connection.

Over the years, I became so emotionally invested in Marvel that my mind erected an impenetrable shield, blocking out all other possibilities. Even today, we haven’t decided which franchise was better, but I realized that I was undermining DC for no reason other than my own ignorance.

The inevitability of diversity suggests that it is our responsibility to understand the other person and what they believe in. We may not always experience a change in opinion, but we can grant ourselves the opportunity to expand our global perspective. I strive to continue this adventure to increase my awareness as a superhero aficionado, activist, and student, by engaging in conversations that require me to think beyond what I believe and to view the world from others’ perspectives.

And yes, Tom is still my friend.

Diversity doesn’t always have to be about culture or heritage; diversity exists all around us, even in our comic book preferences. The cleverness of this essay lies in the way the student flipped the traditional diversity prompt on its head and instead discussed his diverse perspective on a topic he is passionate about. If you don’t have a cultural connection you are compelled to write about, this is a nifty approach to a diversity prompt—if it’s handled appropriately.

While this student has a non-traditional topic, he still presents it in a way that pays respect to the key aspects of a diversity essay: depicting his perspective and recognizing the importance of diverse views. Just as someone who is writing about a culture that is possibly unfamiliar to the reader, the student describes what makes Marvel and DC unique and important to him and his friend, respectively. He also expands on how a lack of diversity in superhero consumption led to his feeling of ignorance, and how it now makes him appreciate the need for diversity in all aspects of his life.

This student is unapologetically himself in this essay, which is ultimately why this unorthodox topic is able to work. He committed to his passion for Marvel by sharing analytical takes on characters and demonstrating how the franchise was so important to his identity that it momentarily threatened a friendship. The inclusion of humor through his personal voice—e.g., referring to the argument as a professional debate and telling us that the friendship lived on—contributes to the essay feeling deeply personal.

Choosing an unconventional topic for a diversity essay requires extra care and attention to ensure that you are still addressing the core of the prompt. That being said, if you accomplish it successfully, it makes for an incredibly memorable essay that could easily set you apart!

While this is a great essay as is, the idea of diversity could have been addressed a little bit earlier in the piece to make it absolutely clear the student is writing about his diverse perspective. He positions Marvel and DC as two behemoths in the superhero movie industry, but in the event that his reader is unfamiliar with these two brands, there is little context about the cultural impact each has on its fans.

To this student, Marvel is more than just a movie franchise; it’s a crucial part of his identity, just as someone’s race or religion might be. In order for the reader to fully understand the weight of his perspective, there should be further elaboration—towards the beginning—on how important Marvel is to this student.

Leadership was thrust upon me at a young age. When I was six years old, my abusive father abandoned my family, leaving me to step up as the “man” of the house. From having to watch over my little sister to cooking dinner three nights a week, I never lived an ideal suburban life. I didn’t enjoy the luxuries of joining after-school activities, getting driven to school or friends’ houses, or taking weekend trips to the movies or bowling alley. Instead, I spent my childhood navigating legal hurdles, shouldering family responsibilities, and begrudgingly attending court-mandated therapy sessions.

At the same time, I tried to get decent grades and maintain my Colombian roots and Spanish fluency enough to at least partially communicate with my grandparents, both of whom speak little English. Although my childhood had its bright and joyful moments, much of it was weighty and would have been exhausting for any child to bear. In short, I grew up fast. However, the responsibilities I took on at home prepared me to be a leader and to work diligently, setting me up to use these skills later in life.

I didn’t have much time to explore my interests until high school, where I developed my knack for government and for serving others. Being cast in a lead role in my school’s fall production as a freshman was the first thing to give me the confidence I needed to pursue other activities: namely, student government. Shortly after being cast, I was elected Freshman Vice-President, a role that put me in charge of promoting events, delegating daily office tasks, collaborating with the administration on new school initiatives, and planning trips and fundraisers.

While my new position demanded a significant amount of responsibility, my childhood of helping my mom manage our household prepared me to be successful in the role. When I saw the happy faces of my classmates after a big event, I felt proud to know that I had made even a small difference to them. Seeing projects through to a successful outcome was thrilling. I enjoyed my time and responsibilities so much that I served all four years of high school, going on to become Executive Vice-President.

As I found success in high school, my mother and grandparents began speaking more about the life they faced prior to emigrating from Colombia. To better connect with them, I took a series of Spanish language classes to regain my fluency. After a practice run through my presentation on Bendíceme, Ultima ( Bless me, Ultima ) by Rudolofo Anaya, with my grandmother, she squeezed my hand and told me the story of how my family was forced from their home in order to live free of religious persecution. Though my grandparents have often expressed how much better their lives and their children’s lives have been in America, I have often struggled with my identity. I felt that much of it was erased with my loss of our native language.

In elementary school, I learned English best because in class I was surrounded by it. Spanish was more difficult to grasp without a formal education, and my family urged me to become fluent in English so I could be of better help to them in places as disparate as government agencies and grocery stores. When I was old enough to recognize the large part of my identity still rooted in being Colombian, it was challenging to connect these two sides of who I was.

Over time I have been able to reconcile the two in the context of my aspirations. I found purpose and fulfillment through student council, and I knew that I could help other families like my own if I worked in local government. By working through city offices that address housing, education, and support for survivors of childhood abuse, I could give others the same liberties and opportunities my family has enjoyed in this country. Doing so would also help me honor my roots as a first-generation American.

I have been a leader my entire life. Both at Harvard and after graduation, I want to continue that trend. I hope to volunteer with organizations that share my goals. I want to advise policy-making politicians on ways to make children and new immigrants safer and more secure. When my family was at their worst, my community gave back. I hope to give that gift to future generations. A career in local, city-based public service is not a rashly made decision; it is a reflection of where I’ve already been in life, and where I want to be in the future.

Although this essay begins on a somber note, it goes on to show this student’s determination and the joy he found. Importantly, it also ends with a positive, forward-looking perspective. This is a great example of how including your hardship can bolster an essay as long as it is not the essay’s main focus.

Explaining the challenges this student faced from a young age—becoming the man of the house, dealing with legal matters, maintaining good grades, etc.—builds sympathy for his situation. However, the first paragraph is even more impactful because he explains the emotional toll these actions had on him. We understand how he lost the innocence of his childhood and how he struggled to remain connected to his Colombian heritage with all his other responsibilities. Including these details truly allows the reader to see this student’s struggle, making us all the more joyful when he comes out stronger in the end.

Pivoting to discuss positive experiences with student government and Spanish classes for the rest of the essay demonstrates that this student has a positive approach to life and is willing to push through challenges. The tone of the essay shifts from heavy to uplifting. He explains the joy he got out of helping his classmates and connecting with his grandparents, once again providing emotional reflection to make the reader care more.

Overall, this essay does a nice job of demonstrating how this student approaches challenges and negative experiences. Admitting that the responsibilities of his childhood had a silver lining shows his maturity and how he will be able to succeed in government one day. The essay strikes a healthy balance between challenge and hope, leaving us with a positive view of a student with such emotional maturity.

Although the content of this essay is very strong, it struggles with redundancy and disorganized information. He mentions his passion for government at the beginning of the student government paragraph, then again addresses government in the paragraph focused on his Colombian heritage, and concludes by talking about how he wants to get into government once more. Similarly, in the first paragraph, he discusses the struggle of maintaining his Colombian identity and then fully delves into that topic in the third paragraph.

The repetition of ideas and lack of a streamlined organization of this student’s thoughts diminishes some of the emotional impact of the story. The reader is left trying to piece together a swirling mass of information on their own, rather than having a focused, sequential order to follow.

This could be fixed if the student rearranged details to make each paragraph focused on a singular idea. For example, the first paragraph could be about his childhood. The second could be about how student government sparked his interest in government and what he hopes to do one day. The third could be about how he reconnected with his Colombian roots through his Spanish classes, after years of struggling with his identity. And the final paragraph could tie everything together by explaining how everything led to him wanting to pursue a future serving others, particularly immigrants like his family.

Alternatively, the essay could follow a sequential order that would start with his childhood, then explain his struggle with his identity, then show how student government and Spanish classes helped him find himself, and finally, conclude with what he hopes to accomplish by pursuing government.

I never understood the power of community until I left home to join seven strangers in the Ecuadorian rainforest. Although we flew in from distant corners of the U.S., we shared a common purpose: immersing ourselves in our passion for protecting the natural world.

Back home in my predominantly conservative suburb, my neighbors had brushed off environmental concerns. My classmates debated the feasibility of Trump’s wall, not the deteriorating state of our planet. Contrastingly, these seven strangers delighted in bird-watching, brightened at the mention of medicinal tree sap, and understood why I once ran across a four-lane highway to retrieve discarded beer cans.

Their histories barely resembled mine, yet our values aligned intimately. We did not hesitate to joke about bullet ants, gush about the versatility of tree bark, or discuss the destructive consequences of materialism. Together, we let our inner tree-huggers run free.

In the short life of our little community, we did what we thought was impossible. By feeding on each other’s infectious tenacity, we cultivated an atmosphere that deepened our commitment to our values and empowered us to speak out on behalf of the environment. After a week of stimulating conversations and introspective revelations about engaging people from our hometowns in environmental advocacy, we developed a shared determination to devote our lives to this cause.

As we shared a goodbye hug, my new friend whispered, “The world needs saving. Someone’s gotta do it.” For the first time, I believed that that someone could be me.

This student is expressing their diversity through their involvement in a particular community—another nice approach if you don’t want to write about culture or ethnicity. We all have unique things that we geek out over. This student expresses the joy that they derived from finding a community where they could express their love for the environment. Passion is fundamental to university life and generally finds its way into any successful application.

The essay finds strength in the fact that readers feel for the student. We get a little bit of backstory about where they come from and how they felt silenced— “Back home in my predominantly conservative suburb, my neighbors had brushed off environmental concerns” —so it’s easy to feel joy for them when they get set free and finally find their community.

This student displays clear values: community, ecoconsciousness, dedication, and compassion. An admissions officer who reads a diversity essay is looking for students with strong values who will enrich the university community with their unique perspective—that sounds just like this student!

One area of weakness in this essay is the introduction. The opening line— “I never understood the power of community until I left home to join seven strangers in the Ecuadorian rainforest” —is a bit clichéd. Introductions should be captivating and build excitement and suspense for what is to come. Simply telling the reader about how your experience made you understand the power of community reveals the main takeaway of your essay without the reader needing to go any further.

Instead of starting this essay with a summary of what the essay is about, the student should have made their hook part of the story. Whether that looks like them being exasperated with comments their classmates made about politics, or them looking around apprehensively at the seven strangers in their program as they all boarded their flight, the student should start off in the action.

India holds a permanent place in my heart and ears. Whenever I returned on a trip or vacation, I would show my grandmother how to play Monopoly and she would let me tie her sari. I would teach my grandfather English idioms—which he would repeat to random people and fishmongers on the streets—and he would teach me Telugu phrases.

It was a curious exchange of worlds that I am reminded of every time I listen to Indian music. It was these tunes that helped me reconnect with my heritage and ground my meandering identity. Indian music, unlike the stereotype I’d long been imbued with, was not just a one-and-done Bollywood dance number! Each region and language was like an island with its own unique sonic identity. I’m grateful for my discovery of Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil tunes, for these discoveries have opened me up to the incredible smorgasbord of diversity, depth, and complexity within the subcontinent I was born in.

Here’s an entirely-different sonic identity for you: Texan slang. “Couldya pass the Mango seltzer, please, hon?” asked my Houstonian neighbor, Rae Ann—her syllables melding together like the sticky cake batter we were making.

Rae Ann and her twang were real curiosities to me. Once, she invited my family to a traditional Texan barbecue with the rest of our neighbors. As Hindus, we didn’t eat beef, so we showed up with chicken kebabs, instead. Rather than looking at us bizarrely, she gladly accepted the dish, lining it up beside grilled loins and hamburger patties.

Her gesture was a small but very well-accepted one and I quickly became convinced she was the human manifestation of “Southern hospitality”—something reflected in each of her viscous, honey-dripping phrases. “Watch out for the skeeters!” was an excellent example. It was always funny at first, but conveyed a simple message: We’ve got each other’s backs and together, we can overcome the blood-sucking mosquitoes of the Houstonian summer! I began to see how her words built bridges, not boundaries.

I believe that sounds—whether it’s music or accents—can make a difference in the ways we perceive and accept individuals from other backgrounds. But sound is about listening too. In Rice’s residential college, I would be the type of person to strike up a conversation with an international student and ask for one of their Airpods (you’d be surprised how many different genres and languages of music I’ve picked up in this way!).

As both an international student and Houstonian at heart, I hope to bridge the gap between Rice’s domestic and international populations. Whether it’s organizing cultural events or simply taking the time to get to know a student whose first language isn’t English, I look forward to listening to the stories that only a fellow wanderer can tell.

This essay does an excellent job of addressing two aspects of this student’s identity. Looking at diversity through sound is a very creative way to descriptively depict their Indian and Texan cultures. Essays are always more successful when they stimulate the senses, so framing the entire response around sound automatically opens the door for vivid imagery.

The quotes from this student’s quirky neighbor bring a sense of realism to the essay. We can feel ourselves at the barbecue and hear her thick Texan accent coming through. The way people communicate is a huge part of their culture and identity, so the way that this student perfectly captures the essence of their Texan identity with accented phrases is skillfully done.

This essay does such a great job of making the sounds of Texas jump off the page, so it is a bit disappointing that it wasn’t able to accomplish the same for India. The student describes the different Indian languages and music styles, but doesn’t bring them to life with quotes or onomatopoeia in the manner that they did for the sounds of Texas.

They could have described the buzz of the sitar or the lyrical pattern of the Telugu phrases their grandfather taught them. Telling us about the diversity of sounds in Indian music is fine, but if the reader can’t appreciate what those sounds resemble, it makes it harder to understand the Indian half of the author’s identity. Especially since this student emulated the sounds and essence of Texas so well, it’s important that India is given the same treatment so we can fully appreciate both sides of this essay.

More Supplemental Essay Tips

How to Write a Stellar “Why This College?” Essay + Examples

How to Write a Stellar Extracurricular Activity College Essay

Do you want feedback on your diversity essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

College Admissions

Common application essay example – personal story.

The Albert Team
Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

This is a college essay for the personal statement component of the Common App. Hopefully from reading this essay, you will be able to gain a better idea of what to write about for your Common Application essay.

Indian culture dictates that the bond between siblings remains weak in the web of other familial ties and obligations that an individual must uphold. My sister and I, geographically separated from our motherland, break this tradition.

The conception of my sister was a random occurrence, completely unplanned; she’s what you might call a “mistake.” My mother was devastated to give birth to a second child, nine years after her first. 19 inches, 6.8 pounds: [Redacted] entered the world as an insignificant weakling. This teeny child, appearing suddenly in my life, became my only hero.

The word “hero” immediately strikes images of soldiers, of philanthropists, of mothers and of fathers, anyone who has experienced life with all of its ups and downs. I have honored many of these traditional “heroes” myself, from Warren Buffet to my beloved grandfather, yet none of them quite capture the qualities that I believe to be most significant. My sister, still the smallest person in her third grade class at 46 inches, 41 pounds, exemplifies these characteristics.

Every day when I come home, [Redacted] is bounding with energy. She greets me with a cheery smile and proceeds to explain her day at school. First comes Science, then Math, English, and lastly, a small complaint about Social Studies. By then, she’s leading me to her backpack and telling me about her homework. Wasting no time, she sits down at her desk, looking insignificant in the large chair, slowly working through the assignments for the night. This dedication is transferred to everything she does, from gymnastics to the piano. Somehow, even with her frail physique, my sister finds the energy to remain enthusiastic about everything.These qualities are the very ones I attempt to emulate throughout my life: passion, dedication and a pursuit of knowledge.

Occasionally, [Redacted] tries to convince me that I am both her role model and her mentor. I disagree.All that I can do is take care of her as I would my own child. I bathe her, I cook for her, I tutor her, I play with her, and I discipline her. Even when my mother returns home, my sister comes to me. She calls me “Ma” (mother) and I call her “Beta” (daughter). At night, when lightning strikes, [Redacted] always comes crying into my room. Pulling her into bed with me, I hold her tightly and tell her stories until she falls asleep. Even in these moments, I learn from her; I learn responsibility. I cannot say that I have fulfilled the role of a parent, but in my heart, my sister is my first child.

Sometimes I look back at our relationship and I smile at my luck. My hero, my sister and my “daughter” all come in one little package named [Redacted].As our bond continues to strengthen each day, we become more of an anomaly from Indian custom. Residing in America has allowed us to forge a relationship that will persist even through life’s most rigorous trials.

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What I’ve Learned From My Students’ College Essays

The genre is often maligned for being formulaic and melodramatic, but it’s more important than you think.

An illustration of a high school student with blue hair, dreaming of what to write in their college essay.

By Nell Freudenberger

Most high school seniors approach the college essay with dread. Either their upbringing hasn’t supplied them with several hundred words of adversity, or worse, they’re afraid that packaging the genuine trauma they’ve experienced is the only way to secure their future. The college counselor at the Brooklyn high school where I’m a writing tutor advises against trauma porn. “Keep it brief , ” she says, “and show how you rose above it.”

I started volunteering in New York City schools in my 20s, before I had kids of my own. At the time, I liked hanging out with teenagers, whom I sometimes had more interesting conversations with than I did my peers. Often I worked with students who spoke English as a second language or who used slang in their writing, and at first I was hung up on grammar. Should I correct any deviation from “standard English” to appeal to some Wizard of Oz behind the curtains of a college admissions office? Or should I encourage students to write the way they speak, in pursuit of an authentic voice, that most elusive of literary qualities?

In fact, I was missing the point. One of many lessons the students have taught me is to let the story dictate the voice of the essay. A few years ago, I worked with a boy who claimed to have nothing to write about. His life had been ordinary, he said; nothing had happened to him. I asked if he wanted to try writing about a family member, his favorite school subject, a summer job? He glanced at his phone, his posture and expression suggesting that he’d rather be anywhere but in front of a computer with me. “Hobbies?” I suggested, without much hope. He gave me a shy glance. “I like to box,” he said.

I’ve had this experience with reluctant writers again and again — when a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously. Of course the primary goal of a college essay is to help its author get an education that leads to a career. Changes in testing policies and financial aid have made applying to college more confusing than ever, but essays have remained basically the same. I would argue that they’re much more than an onerous task or rote exercise, and that unlike standardized tests they are infinitely variable and sometimes beautiful. College essays also provide an opportunity to learn precision, clarity and the process of working toward the truth through multiple revisions.

When a topic clicks with a student, an essay can unfurl spontaneously.

Even if writing doesn’t end up being fundamental to their future professions, students learn to choose language carefully and to be suspicious of the first words that come to mind. Especially now, as college students shoulder so much of the country’s ethical responsibility for war with their protest movement, essay writing teaches prospective students an increasingly urgent lesson: that choosing their own words over ready-made phrases is the only reliable way to ensure they’re thinking for themselves.

Teenagers are ideal writers for several reasons. They’re usually free of preconceptions about writing, and they tend not to use self-consciously ‘‘literary’’ language. They’re allergic to hypocrisy and are generally unfiltered: They overshare, ask personal questions and call you out for microaggressions as well as less egregious (but still mortifying) verbal errors, such as referring to weed as ‘‘pot.’’ Most important, they have yet to put down their best stories in a finished form.

I can imagine an essay taking a risk and distinguishing itself formally — a poem or a one-act play — but most kids use a more straightforward model: a hook followed by a narrative built around “small moments” that lead to a concluding lesson or aspiration for the future. I never get tired of working with students on these essays because each one is different, and the short, rigid form sometimes makes an emotional story even more powerful. Before I read Javier Zamora’s wrenching “Solito,” I worked with a student who had been transported by a coyote into the U.S. and was reunited with his mother in the parking lot of a big-box store. I don’t remember whether this essay focused on specific skills or coping mechanisms that he gained from his ordeal. I remember only the bliss of the parent-and-child reunion in that uninspiring setting. If I were making a case to an admissions officer, I would suggest that simply being able to convey that experience demonstrates the kind of resilience that any college should admire.

The essays that have stayed with me over the years don’t follow a pattern. There are some narratives on very predictable topics — living up to the expectations of immigrant parents, or suffering from depression in 2020 — that are moving because of the attention with which the student describes the experience. One girl determined to become an engineer while watching her father build furniture from scraps after work; a boy, grieving for his mother during lockdown, began taking pictures of the sky.

If, as Lorrie Moore said, “a short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage,” what is a college essay? Every once in a while I sit down next to a student and start reading, and I have to suppress my excitement, because there on the Google Doc in front of me is a real writer’s voice. One of the first students I ever worked with wrote about falling in love with another girl in dance class, the absolute magic of watching her move and the terror in the conflict between her feelings and the instruction of her religious middle school. She made me think that college essays are less like love than limerence: one-sided, obsessive, idiosyncratic but profound, the first draft of the most personal story their writers will ever tell.

Nell Freudenberger’s novel “The Limits” was published by Knopf last month. She volunteers through the PEN America Writers in the Schools program.

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