“My best friend is African American, I have a white boyfriend, and the people here I associate as my family are Indians.”
Satnam Aildasani, an 18-year-old actuarial science freshman, hails from Kenya, Africa where she grew up. Ethnically, she is Indian but her nationality is African. According to her family history, Aildasani is a third generation Kenyan on her father’s side and fourth on her mother’s side.
English is one of the six languages that she speaks. Aildasani also speaks Swahili, an African language, and Hindi, Zindhi, Gujrati and Punjabi, Indian languages.
“One side of my grandparents speak Hindi and Zhindhi, and the other side speak Gujrati and Punjabi. That is the reason why I grew up learning multiple languages at once.”
Aildasani admits to loving being so diverse. She feels that she has learned to interact with different kinds of people without much difficulty.
“I would say that I have it all. I feel I can be social with every ethnicity and relate with many on a personal level.”
Aildasani also explains that she speaks in a British-Kenyan accent. She grew up with the British education system in Kenya. In addition, her brother is attending school in London and she has been there many times.
Aildasani is Senator for the African Student Association and is taking part in the coming Miss Black UCO pageant. She says that she considers herself Kenyan but also appreciates her Indian roots. In fact, she wanted to join the Miss Asian UCO pageant but missed the deadline.
“I don’t have a preference. I do not mind being Black and Indian. That is just who I am. There is no sense in tearing apart these two because this is what I am made up of. I even have an Indian family here”.
Aildasani recalls the story of how she was first acquainted with the people she now calls her family.
“My father came here with me for orientation. He met an Indian family whose son is also taking actuarial science. The son invited me for Indian food at his home and there was where I met his family and other Indian families.”
Although she has strong ties with the Indian community here in the U.S., Kenya will always be her home.
“Kenya’s weather is perfect – not too hot and not too cold. It is so beautiful and most of my family is there. My childhood is there and I cannot leave it behind”.
She also speaks of the misconception of Americans toward her beloved country.
“Kenya is very developed. It is not as Americans quote, ‘Jungle Book.’ We have houses and Internet. We have cell phones and we know how to use them. We don’t ride elephants to school and we don’t have tigers as pets. Yes, we speak English. Kenya has the best of both worlds. There is the developed side and the undeveloped side. I get the privilege to experience both.”
Aildasani says that she has no trouble juggling between cultures to adapt.
“I find no difference. Everyone’s the same. I don’t have to change because bottom line is, we are all human. It does not really matter to me. I am just thankful to be a part of different cultures all at the same time”.
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