There were several other students like me. It relieved much of my stress. But it never occurred to me that there were several strange questions awaiting me.  A student took me around the school. It took her a while to figure out that I was new in America for I was talking to her in English. She was curious to know how I could speak English. As I explained to her that I learnt in a private school in India and I was taught everything in English from my elementary school, she was amazed. I was happy to answer all her concerns. But soon I was made unhappy when many people exhibited the same concern. I probably did answer the same questions at least ten times on my first day. I learned later on that it was certain stereotypes about Indians that made it hard for most people to believe that an Indian could speak English. I discovered that its these stereotypes that I have to be afraid of.

It wasn't just the stereotype associated with communication that awaited me. There were much more.  Every time I raised my hand to answer a question, I heard many comments like “she is smart" or "Indian people are smart". It might look good. But if you think for a while, most of my peers were not accepting me for the individual I was, how much I knew or worked hard to answer those questions. They just thought I was smart because I was an Indian. That stereotype was in fact challenging individuality.

Another common question that I was often asked was whether I was married in an early age. This stereotype had been around for a long time. There had been an old system in India which allowed child marriages but it is no longer legal. Any such actions would be severely punished. But this stereotype was so strong that even when such a practice didn't even exist, it still appeared to be a practice that is popular and followed. 

I had had much more personal experiences associated with stereotyping based on religion, the way Indians look, the way Indians smell and so on. It was not just me who had these kind of experiences. Anyone who looked Indian had had similar experiences like I did.  It is really pathetic when a person's individuality is degraded on the basis of certain derogatory stereotypes. It is mainly the people's unawareness of the reality that feed these stereotypes. Assessment on the basis of race, sex, or ethnicity should be halted. Everybody want to be realized for who they really are and no skin color or hair texture or some stereotypes should stand in the way. 

As these stereotypes go around, its not just an individual who is debased. The country or a community or an institution is disgraced. In my case, it is my country. India is a rapidly developing nation with many great educational facilities, strong laws. Just because a very small percentage is a disgrace, it doesn't make the whole nation bad. Every country or every institution has a bad side in one or the other way. Why do you have to go after those few dark sides? Look at the bright sides.

Even at these worst conditions, there are people who are educated and are intellect to look at people for who they are. Here, education serves as the most fecund part. Its true that knowledge opens your inner eye. If you know what is going on around the world, then stereotypes would die away rather than spreading like a fire.