Over this summer, my AP Literature teacher assigned a book to us by the name of "The Namesake." The story follows an Indian couple who moves to America where they have two children, Gogol and Sonia. The main plot line follows the eldest Gogol's struggles as he lives one life at home and another in front of his American friends. I was deeply moved by this novel because to a certain extent, I felt as if I was watching a mirror. I could understand Gogol's fears and desires living in a country where you must live up to the expectations of a double standard. At the same time, I was introduced to the different fears and desires of Gogol's immigrant parents, Ashoke and Ashima, and I realized that my parents were just the same when they first came here. It was from this book that I was inspired to write the following poem.

She was the immigrant's daughter,

Living in America,

Inhaling Liberty's air,

Smiling and laughing,

Living without care.

20 years prior,

Her father had once muttered,

"A new life."

Uncertainty, unknown

Unbeknownst what was yet to come.

Yet still, they departed.

A new life.

A new home.

Yet ignorant of their struggles,

Was the immigrant's daughter.

She lives a double,

Representation on both sides.

Last generation of her ancestry,

First generation of her foreign future.

At home, she is one.

Outside, she is another,

Who to be, when?

The question will always remain,

For she is the immigrant's daughter.

But she is not the only one,

Who secretly leads two lives.

Her parents who grew up,

In a land, the daughter no longer calls home.

Must now learn the culture of another,

In a land, they must learn to call home.

Yet after two decades,

In a land they've learned to live in,

They continue to survive.

Whether in bliss or in ignorance,

That is the true question.

Assimilation.

Accommodation.

That is the only way.

For she is the immigrant's daughter.

And forever, that is who she will remain.

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction; any references to a person, place or thing is purely coincidental.