Growing Up Indian in Australia

Growing Up ... in Australia

by Aarti Betigeri (editor)

Vibrant, moving and diverse stories of shape-shifting between cultures.
‘To be Indian growing up in Australia is to tread the narrow line between here and there, to constantly code-switch and navigate between filling the needs and aspirations of your family, your community – and yourself.’


‘Indian-Australian’ is not a one-size-fits-all descriptor. Given the depth and richness of diversity of the Indian subcontinent, it is fitting that its diaspora is similarly varied.


Growing Up Indian in Australia reflects and celebrates this vibrant diversity. It features contributions from Australian-Indian writers, both established and emerging, who hail from a wide range of backgrounds, religions and experiences. This colourful, energetic anthology offers reflections on identity, culture, family, food and expectations, ultimately revealing deep truths about both Australian and Indian life.


Contributors include Sunil Badami, Swagata Bapat, Kavita Bedford, Elana Benjamin,Tejas Bhat, Nicholas Brown, Michelle Cahill, Tasneem Chopra, Shaheen De Souza Hughes, Hardeep Dhanoa, Rakhee Ghelani, Kavita Ivy Nandan, Rachael Jacobs, Jessica Joseph, Joseph Jude, Sukhjit Kaur Khalsa, Meenal Khare, Sneha Lees, Daizy Maan, Preeti Maharaj, Kishor Napier-Raman, Zoya Patel and Ikebal Patel, Mia Pandey Gordon, Natasha Pinto, Shamna Sanam, Priya SaratChandran, Shreya Tekumalla and Sharon Verghis.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Memoir, Australia, India

269 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2024

Reviews

[Rushali S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this last week and devoured it. It is a beautiful book, especially for those of us who, like me, are Indian-Australian. I finally feel seen, and my weird life experience is reflected in this book, the first of its kind I've seen. The book is an anthology of 25+ stories by Indian-Australian writers about their own lives. To have this many different stories in one book is just amazing and special.

I read Growing Up Asian In Australia in high school, and this is a good extension of the series.

Standout stories for me include: A Tale of Three Beaches (Sharon Verghis), Feeling Free in Kings Cross (Hardeep Dhanoa) and An Incomplete Guide to Every Type of Brown Guy in the West (Kishor Napier-Raman).

Some of the lines in it that resonate the most (all from different stories):

"Flattened sounds, flattened culture. I took my lovely, rolling, musical Rs and flattened them into a size and shape that was palatable to my teacher. I didn't realise it then, but the experience was emblematic of a much wider truth: to fit in to Australian society, to be accepted and acceptable, meant flat-packing all the elements of an ancient and diverse culture into something two-dimensional, and therefore accessible."

"I disavowed my Indianness just as my father had, trying ever harder to prove my Australianness, all while feeling increasingly unsure of who I really was."

"As I listen to him ranting at the train door, I remember the sharpening of cane knives at night while the men take turns keeping sentry in the early days when we did not know if the friendly tourist destination all Australians love will have a civil war."

"You could really push the Indian angle if you become a teacher, a girl tells me in a yoga class. People really want that authentic stuff now. Think about it - how many legitimately Indian yoga teachers are there here? This could be, like, your brand."

"In this moment, I am just movement, colour, sound, joy and beauty, and I am held by the vibrant community that surrounds me."

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an incredible read for not only the South-Asian community, but beyond. It’s a beautiful group of unique and fascinating stories with a common thread, but very different experiences. A greater understanding of the wider community can be gained from reading this. I loved it.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

tears were shed

[Samantha Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing what I thought it would be like. Eye opening

[RySack · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mix of interesting stories, all with individual circumstance, but definitely a common thread. I’ve often wondered how life in Aus must be for the Indian diaspora (and assumed it could be quite nasty at times). Great stories of resilience, belonging and solidarity. It took a long time to chew through - possibly due to the similarities in stories, some diversity may have sped it up.

Four stand out pieces:

Practising Yoga - Kavita Bedford
Bushy Eyebrows -Daizy Maan
Annette - Jessica Joseph
A Brahmin’s Crossroads - Tejas Bhat

[Satyajeet · Rating 4 out of 5]

a book with contributions from the Indian migrants' kids who have grown up across Australia. Some stories are well woven, some are just personal pieces. My having lived here as an immigrant in this country and having experienced some of the similar experiences is what endears the book to me. the desis having to leave the homeland in the hopes of better opportunities and their kids often having to grow up with the conflict in their personalities/identities are the most common themes of the most of the stories. Australian schools kids can be ruthless if you look different which is what the migrant kids experienced,which is sth we get to see even today, sometimes the adults indulging in all those curry jokes or saying the usual go back where you come from? and thus the kids ending up developing inferiority complex about their own culture which is the worst thing to happen to anyone. I'm glad finally Australia is opening up to the rest of world and there's positive experiences happening to migrant kids!!

[Lisa]

I was disappointed in this, and only read the introduction, the contributor profiles and the pieces from four of the contributors: Rakhee Ghelani; Preeti Maharaj; Ikebal Patel and Shamna Sanam.

Unlike the others that I've read in this 'Growing Up' series, whose contributors came from a variety of backgrounds, income groups, and education, the contributors to this one are nearly all professionals, and mainly producers of media. Journalists, academics and broadcasters, authors and consultants, playwrights and film-makers. And I suspect from interactions with my own friends, acquaintances and businesspeople as well as professionals in law and medicine, that this is a skewed portrait of the Indian community here in Australia. It's a pity that the editor didn't cast her net more widely.

I don't rate books I don't finish.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. Each stories adds so much. Gives you a perspective on the Australian life through several perspectives that share nothing but their cultural backgrounds in common. A meditation on belonging, identity and a place called home. An excellent read for those who don’t quiet feel Indian or Australian and are in a path to find there own individual identity.

[Daizy Maan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s rare in Australia to find books by Indian or South Asian authors/writers. I’ve been helping run a book club for 3 years where we read books by South Asian women and within a short period we ran out of books by women Australian South Asian authors. In fact when we last checked, in the history of all time only 4-5 memoirs have been published by Indian Australia women.

So this book is a much needed addition to the literary space in Australia. It’s rare to have so many relatable stories in one book highlighting experiences of growing up Indian in Australia (aptly named) and I could relate to so many of these stories.

It’s a book I wish I had available to read growing up. It would have made me feel less alone and given me a greater sense of belonging in Australia.

Disclaimer: I’ve contributed to one chapter (Bushy Eyebrows - about growing up in Griffith NSW / visiting Tilak Nagar in Delhi) so I’m slightly biased, having said that I thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone else’s story and Aarti has done a phenomenal job as the editor in curating such a powerful selection of stories.

[Kalyan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Note to self: Do not pick books from genres you know aren't your cup of tea. I should’ve known better. This book was full of challenging narratives—sometimes one-sided and self-centered. I couldn’t relate to it, and neither could my kids, who are also growing up in Australia.

I didn’t find any real takeaways from it. It's a compilation of anecdotes and curated perspectives on life, which may resonate with some readers but not with me. Looking back, I picked this book because it had “India” and “Australia” in the title—I honestly don’t know what I was thinking.

There’s nothing I’d recommend about this book. It might be better suited for a podcast or storytelling format aimed at young adults. Lesson learned: I won’t pick books based solely on their title or cover again. For me, this was a passable read at best. My personality and taste just don’t align with this kind of book or genre. I’ll be more careful next time with how I spend my time.

Disclaimer: This is not meant to be disrespectful toward the stories or characters in the book, as they are based on real experiences. I simply didn’t enjoy it. But if you think it might appeal to you, feel free to give it a read.

[Kindred Spirit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting and diverse stories, covering different time periods and locations of growing up Indian in Australia. Definitely saddened to read about the racism and abuse, but heartening to read about family, culture and community.

Maybe biased because it was the last story I read, and therefore the one I remember best, but I really liked the last story, The Composition of Curry by Shaheen De Souza Hughes. A beautiful blend of poetry and prose and comparing the author's experience of growing up Indian in Australia with her son's.

I will note that the stories in this anthology, as compared to others in the series, overall felt more reflective of the overall experience in Australia, then telling distinct stories from childhood. Not that there's anything wrong with that - just a note in case you have read others in the series and find this one different than expected.

[Harinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great collection of essays. As someone who has grown up an Indian in Australia, there were so many stories in this that spoke to my experience. And there is something so powerful in that. M

But what I also enjoyed was the diversity of the experiences of the contributors. It reminds me that to be "Indian" is to be many things, whether your origins are from the north or south, or whether you have come to Australia from India or from another part of the diaspora - Fiji, Malaysia or somewhere else.

It made me so proud to think that we can display our backgrounds in all their diversity and the thing we all have in common is that we are all Australian. Highly recommend to read if you are an Indian Australian. And even if you are not!!

[Leah Vandenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

These deeply personal stories are written in such a way that make you feel like you are sitting down and having a chat with the authors. The stories brim with candour, humour and a rawness that endow the reader with a sense of trust and encourage personal reflection. For me, it was emotionally validating to read experiences that resonated with my own experience. I highly recommend this book whether you are South Asian or not because it is timely and relevant that we lean in to listen to the untold stories of our neighbours.

[Kushal Kushlendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some amazing stories, some beautifully written.

[VinitaF · Rating 5 out of 5]

About my life and my experiences

[alw · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Aj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike most anthologies, this one had few obvious duds. It didn't particularly speak to me, but that was very much a me thing, not the book itself.

[Sharon Rundle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent - a great insight into true stories of the authors’ experiences, sometimes confronting, sometimes amusing, always enlightening. I learned a great deal from this book.

[Andrew Walton · Rating 4 out of 5]

High quality collection of personal stories.

[Sarah De · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Roshni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped me realise I too grew up Indian in Australia

[Janee Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could relate to a lot of elements of this book being Indian Australian and struggling with identity, racism and struggles growing up.