Guest Author: Sashna Nair

I’m thrilled to introduce to you the guest author for today’s post, Sashna Nair. Sashna hails from the breathtaking islands of Fiji, a place imbued with tropical charm and warmth. Her expat story is an inspiring testament to strength and determination. I’m delighted to have her share her experiences with all of us today. Welcome, Sashna!

I was born on the beautiful islands of Fiji. My life in Fiji was surrounded by the ocean breeze, tropical weather, loved ones and friends. My parents made sure that my sister and I had the best of everything with whatever they could afford. Most of my weekends and school breaks were spent at my grandmother’s house spending time with my cousins and being silly! My family and I moved to the United States in 2005. I was 18 years of age when I moved to the U.S.

As a young immigrant, I was unable to adapt to the U.S. culture. I always felt like I was out of place no matter how hard I tried to fit in. Over the years, I accepted the fact that as an immigrant, as a person of color with an accent—my native tongue is Hindi. English is my second language—I would have difficulties fitting in. For example, people have dismissed what I said because of my pronounced accent at the time. This type of microaggressions made it hard to establish myself in the workforce, where I faced discrimination regarding offers, promotions, etc. But nothing stopped me from doing what I had to do to create a space for myself in this country.

Fast forward to today. I am currently in the process of completing my Ph.D. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology while working full time as an HR Manager. Last year, I became a first-time home buyer. These are huge achievements! My parents have always been a huge support and guiding light in my journey. I also, met some amazing people throughout my journey who became a substantial part of my life. Apart from the support of loved ones, the drive to break the glass ceiling of an immigrant/ethnic woman and fully embracing who I am gave me the determination to be a strong-willed person.

I am proud of who I am and to identity myself as an immigrant who came from a small country like Fiji (you can barely see it on the world map!) and had the courage, while dealing with culture shock and discrimination, to establish herself in such a huge place like the U.S. Fiji will always be my home/my special connection and hopefully, one day, I can return and give back to my community. My name is Sashna Nair and I am proud to be a Fiji Indian!