As an Indian growing up in America, I have had a hard time truly associating myself with the portrayal of Indians in western media and culture. I feel like, before Priyanka Chopra's role in Quantico, there were two ways Indians were portrayed. They were either some idealized exotic fantasy or terrifyingly awkward nerds.

In "Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom", the Indians seemed to be barbaric and bloodthirsty. They were the archetype of an unnatural civilization of sorts. In "Eat. Pray. Love", India acted as a deeply spiritual cleansing for the main character. Lastly, and probably the most annoying of them all is the snake charmer or belly dancer association.

But the fact is, I cannot relate to this. I am not even going to comment on the Indiana Jones film. All I have to say is, we are not barbarians. As for always being so spiritual... I wish I could be completely connected in my spiritual life but I am not. Part of the reason why is, I am exposed to new intriguing religious ideologies that I want to learn about. I like asking the questions. I like to think I am a spiritual person, not because I worship a cow (that is just another stereotype). But Hinduism is founded on stories. That allows for a lot of creativity and imagination. It is personalized. As with the Indiana Jones stereotype, I do not think I could belly dance (props to those who can).

The second option is more like what Raj ("Big Bang Theory") or Baljeet ("Phineas and Ferb") symbolize. They are nerdy, socially awkward, have a thick accent, and are extremely smart. I am completely guilty of being nerdy. I love to read and try to read a book a day. But I cannot really relate to being as socially awkward as these characters. People are surprised because they think Indians are terrified of the opposite gender. Some of my best friends are boys and I talk to them with ease just as I would girls. I do not have any Indian accent. If anything I talk like a Brit sometimes. It makes for interesting conversations. I would love to say I am extremely smart. But I am not. I hate math with a fiery passion. I would much prefer to wrap myself up in dreamy words because math is so logical. I like the subjectivity of English. But the point is...I am not inherently smart. Most Indians aren't, we study just like everyone else. (And no, it is not the only thing we do).

These portrayals account for the many times I have heard these comments below. But I am not annoyed at all. In fact, it is nice that people in America take interest in other cultures. I have met people who do not even try to talk about something different. But here I have found that everyone is open to new ideas. Listed below are the comments I get when I tell people I am Indian with my responses.

1. "I am so into yoga."

That is great! You probably do it more often than me hahaha.

2. "Wait, you are Indian?"

Yep! My mom is Punjabi and my dad is from New Delhi.

3. "Did your parents get an arranged marriage?"

Nope! They met at a bar in Denver.

4. "Can I borrow one of your sarees?"

I do not have any sarees but I do have a lengha. You can try it on if you want. It is like a sari but the shawl is different.

5. "I love curry. Does your mom make Indian food every day?"

I am an Indian who cannot eat spicy food at all, so no. She makes great Indian food on occasion though.

6. "You don't look that Indian"

(Usually, I laugh. I have no idea what this is supposed to mean)

7. "Do you have to be a doctor?"

No, I want to be one. My mom is actually an English teacher and before she was a fashion marketer and my dad works in business.

8. "Are you allowed to date?"

If I find the right guy, I will go on a date... until then it's none of your business.

9. "Why aren't you wearing a dot on your head?"

I do not wear Bhindi's every day. I only wear them on occasion.

10. "Do you speak Indian?"

I speak Punjabi, Hindi, and a bit of Urdu. India has a lot of different languages.