I love being Indian. I love the culture, the history, the food, the language, the movies, etc. Being a first generation American, I’ve come to realize that we Indians are a little different here in the States. There are a few things that set us apart from the rest of the population. On my flight to Dallas last week, I decided to see how many of these things I could come up with. Let’s just say my list wasn’t short!
Please remember this list is supposed to be funny, and all of the things I talk about are based on my personal experiences as a first generation Indian in America. I am not trying to offend anyone. I promise!
So, you know you are Indian when nothing ever starts on time. It’s so bad that there’s a term for it – Indian Standard Time. I kid you not!
Another way you know you’re Indian is when an entire kitchen drawer, container, etc. is dedicated to Taco Bell Sauce packets. At our house, it was always a huge white container. It’s a staple in most Indian kitchens!
You’re most likely Indian if the invite list to your wedding includes people like your mom’s cousin’s wife’s sister’s daughter’s uncle. 
Of course this is a slight exaggeration, but it’s crazy who can end up on the list if you don’t keep a close eye on it.
My personal childhood favorite – I always felt like the odd one out when we had substitute teachers because they could never pronounce my name. So, I would raise my hand right before my name was about to be called so that he/she didn’t have to say it. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t. And as a side note, I’ve been called everything from Patita to Potato. Gah!
Another way you know you’re Indian is if there’s an entire closet in your house for blankets and pillows. I know what y’all are thinking…an entire closet!? In our house it’s the closet in the upstairs guest room. I laugh every time I see it!
Another surefire way you know you’re Indian is when all or the majority of the cars in your garage and/or driveway are either Toyotas, Hondas, or some combination of both. I think we’ve only owned two maybe three other kinds of cars. I currently own a Honda Civic.
These were the ones I came up with before I decided to take a nap on the plane, but I did a little Google search to see if I could find any I may not have thought of, and I found a few more that cracked me up.
You know you’re Indian when…
You’re parents are panicking if you’re not married by 25 (especially true if you’re a female).
Everyone in your family has nicknames that sound absolutely nothing like their real names.
You talk for an hour at someone’s front door before heading home after a dinner party (this annoyed me so much when I was younger…now I do it too!).
You secure your luggage with a rope.
In actuality, these things along with everything I talked about at the beginning of this post are why I love being Indian. Truly! And I’m pretty sure nothing is going to change with my generation. It’s in our blood!
Are there things about your culture that make you laugh!?
