Rania Bakhri

by Rania Bakhri

Being South East Asian-American and Muslim was always hard for me because it wasn’t something people were used to. Growing up, my peers often didn’t know what Indonesia was and people doubted that I was Muslim because of my lighter complexion. These encounters made it hard to truly feel like I belonged somewhere and accept my identity. I felt small, and I thought that Indonesia was a small, insignificant country that people didn’t care about. But later in 2013, I went to Indonesia for the first time and it changed my perspective forever. I finally saw the beauty of my culture, how unique it is, and how Indonesia isn’t small at all, but is a country with over 17,000 islands and home to over 600 ethnic groups. Today, I look forward to my annual trips to see my family and visit my second home, but most importantly, I’ve learned to love being Indonesian and rather than being scared of people not knowing my culture, I educate them about it.