The Comfort of Your Own People

the comfort of your own people.

When I was growing up, we had a thing called a dawa.

These were parties where we would hang out

with our parents' friends.

Since my parents were Bengali,

the other kids at these parties were Bengali too.

Back then, it felt like these hangouts were forced.

Like most kids, I did not want to go to these events.

I thought being cool meant going to school

and hanging out with people who are not Bengali.

If I made a Bengali friend at school,

it felt like a random coincidence.

I never went looking for it.

It's funny how things change as you get older.

I have a lot of friends from different backgrounds now,

but hanging out with my own people feels different.

It feels like being at home, even when you are far away.

There's something nice about being around people

who celebrate the same traditions and wear similar clothes.

Even though we speak English to each other,

it still feels right.

There's a connection that's hard to explain.

I saw this happen during my Master's Program too.

A lot of students came from India to the US for school

and they mostly stuck together.

At the time, I wondered why they did not branch out more

since they were in a new country.

Now I realize being around people who share your roots

makes you feel calm.

Having a similar religion or background

is a shortcut for making friends.

This is especially true in your 30s

when it's harder to meet new people.

Having friends who just get it is always a good thing.

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