I Know You Mean Well

Last updated on: November 23, 2015 at 5:32 am by Ambaa Choate

I Know You Mean Well 2015-11-23T05:32:52-05:00 Ambaa Choate

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I’m pretty tired of getting comments and messages from people who have just discovered the blog and immediately feel the need to tell me that it’s wrong for me to call myself the White Hindu.

I suspect these people are new because I think that if you spend time with me and read my blog then you understand that this is not just the story of being Hindu, it is also the story of what it’s like to be a Hindu who doesn’t look like anyone expects a Hindu to look. It is about religion and it is also about social acceptance, fitting in, belonging, and the struggles that I experience because I don’t look “right.”

And being open about race is not just about how I experience Hinduism but it’s also about how other Hindus experience me. With the history white people have of stealing native traditions and remaking them or claiming them, I must always be aware of myself as a white person in a religion and way of life that doesn’t “belong” to me and my ancestors.

I know it’s coming from a good place when people say that Sanatana Dharma is for anyone and everyone, that I don’t need to distinguish myself by my skin color. I’m not a different kind of Hindu because of that.

In theory that’s totally true. But I’m telling you that my experience has not been that at all.

The Gods accept me, I know, regardless of my skin color. Many, many, many native Hindus do as well. I appreciate that very much.

However, there is more to explore in the intersection of Hinduism and race. And I will keep on exploring it. So please stop patting me on the head and telling me I’m talking about my own experiences wrong.

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