Appreciating the Best of Both Worlds by Deepika Chona

I enjoyed reading "The Double Helix" because I found it interesting that the author, Roxane Farmanfarmaian, was able to incorporate both the American and the Persian aspects of her identity into her lifestyle. Although she initially has misconceptions about each country and its culture, Farmanfarmaian is able to overcome the obstacles of her new surroundings and eventually accept and love the cultures for their special characteristics.

Prior to her arrival in the United States, Farmanfarmaian states that she considered herself American, only to find a stark difference between her perception of American and the true classification. After her first year in the United States, she notes that she has become more American than ever. This author experiences a similar culture shock when she visits Iran for the first time. While she always knew that she was an outsider in terms of being familiar with the country and its people, Farmanfarmaian still believed there was an innate connection that would allow her to recognize her fatherland. Although she felt estranged in Iran, this author gradually became so accustomed with everything about the place that even today she regrets not being able to return.

What struck me about this piece was the author's courage to overcome her differences and willingness to learn about the cultures that compose her identity. Characters in other novels we have read, such as Maibelle in Face, considered themselves outsiders even though they truly did belong to the society in which she lived, Farmanfarmaian never feels isolated from the people around her regardless of whether it is in Iran or the United States. I also found this story interesting because I can relate to the author in that I am also bicultural.

Although I have lived in the United States all my life, I still consider myself both American and Indian. Like the author was able to incorporate both cultures into her lifestyle, I have grown up learning all the Indian traditions in addition to those of the American culture. When asked which culture I like better, I always have trouble answering the question because I have come to love both equally, each for different reasons. For instance, while I eagerly await Christmas, when my family decorates the tree with all the ornaments collected over the years, I count down the days until Diwali, or the Festival of Lights, when we distribute sweets to friends and light candles all over the house in hopes of lighting the path for the Goddess Lakshmi to come bless us in the new year. Someday, I hope to go stay in India for a couple months, but until then, I'm glad I there are sufficient resources in the United States that enable me to maintain awareness of my Indian heritage. I have to say, as a biracial individual, I truly do get the best of both worlds!