#53 PARENT POWER

<p>My family settled in rural Georgia in the 1970s during the height of the integration process, where children were being bussed all over the place. Everyone was trying to find their place in the community. And then, in plops this traditional Indian family from India. We were the only ones at the time. There was not a global understanding of the fact India is a country, so we often were asked what tribe we belonged to. After a few years, my parents finally said we were Cherokee, fatigued from explaining.</p> <p>We were kept at arm’s length to the point where we could not secure housing and were shunned at many restaurants.</p> <h2><strong>School for Me?</strong></h2> <p>You can imagine what life was like. In 2nd grade, my teacher asked me to be tested for the gifted program. School was easy for me, and social situations were complex. As Hindi is my first language, I struggled with spoken words but paper and pencil, totally my wheelhouse.</p> <p>This was the second time I was taking this test, and I felt pretty darn confident that I would make it this time. My 1st and 2nd-grade teachers thought this program would be a good fit for me as I was a high academic achiever. Unfortunately, the score that came back in 1st grade didn’t meet the arbitrary metric for the program, so I had more confidence going into it the second time. But it was not to be…again as the score didn’t meet the district requirements. I was devastated. My grades dropped, my confidence shattered, and my love of learning was gone.</p> <p>My parents watched in sadness, not knowing how to help. As immigrants, they were at a loss. They come from a hierarchal society where you don’t question authority, so they didn’t know they had rights, could ask questions, or pursue other avenues. They did not realize they could engage with the school, and no one guided them.</p> <p>I became a mediocre student with no desire to invest in my education and reluctantly went to college at my parents’ urging. This feeling of worthlessness haunted me for years until I beg