Good Indian Girl, Sort Of: Ami Sampat

Photo Credit: Girish Dusane

Photo Credit: Girish Dusane

I currently reside in: San Francisco, CA

What your favorite hangout in San Francisco? Dolores Park, my neighborhood bookstore, or restaurant/bar. I love Dolores Park because it’s a great microcosm of San Francisco. Kids with family, young adults day drinking, and others all happily co-exist in this space. It’s so fun to watch and while SF has many amazing views, the view of the skyline from the top of the park is one of my favorites (night or day).

I currently work as a: Content producer (project manager) for an educational company.

I do this because: I enjoy managing the creation of content from the ground up, while being able to work across different teams in my company.

What are some Indian traditions you still follow? Oh gosh, not very many, but off the top of my head, Raksha Bandan is a consistent one throughout the years. This past Diwali, my brother and I celebrated Bhai Beej for the first time ever, where his family came over and that was a lot of fun.

Bollywood or Hollywood, and why? Hollywood mostly, because of the familiarity with it. But the few Bollywood movies I’ve seen recently have been very unique and enjoyable to watch!

Favorite movie? The Namesake, Mean Girls, and I’ll throw out Jodha Akbar as a fave Bollywood movie.

What’s your favorite thing about Indian culture? One of my favorite things about Indian culture is the warmth, hospitality, and the immediate sense of community (there aren’t seven degrees of separation amongst Desis, it’s more like four).

What’s one piece of advice your parents have given you that should probably be or are abiding by? Haha, a lot of advice, but one that was consistent throughout my childhood was valuing education and family – two things I realize now are so important as I’m older.

Good Indian Girl? Kinda sorta maybe. Being Indian is a part of my identity, no doubt, but if I try to think of specific Indian customs I follow like going to the temple, celebrating religious holidays, knowing how to cook Indian food beyond chole – I come up blank. It’s more of an all-encompassing identity that can’t be pinned down in any one way, but I also think there’s no one way to be a good Indian. 

You can follow Ami’s collection of my writings here. She also recently started a newsletter focused on content from women/women of color called Ami, Not Amy. You can subscribe here and read the archive here.  

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