Red, White, and Whole

“I have two lives.

One that is Indian,

one that is not.

I have two best friends.

One who is Indian,

one who is not.”

Reha is Indian American. Her parents are from India, but she was born in America. At the beginning of Red, White, and Whole, Reha feels like there are two parts of her life: the part in which she goes to school and is American, and the part at home, in which she is Indian. She sees these two parts of her life as being separate and feels as though she is split in two, instead of being one whole person. The theme of Alienation and Belonging arises frequently throughout the book as Reha tries to reconcile these two halves of her life.

“So I’m caught between the life I want to lead and the one she thinks I should.”

One of the major conflicts in the book is Reha’s struggle to live her own life instead of the life she feels that her parents want her to live. In this way, she is caught between Familial Expectations and the life she lives as an American teenager. She does not feel as though she can authentically be herself in either place.

“My supervisor asked me to stop wearing my bindi

so my coworkers and our patients

aren’t uncomfortable.

Does that make you sad?

Yes, kanna.

Amma sighs

takes a tissue

wipes off the dot.”

With this quotation, it becomes apparent that Reha is not the only one who must struggle to fit into American cultural norms. Amma also has to hide the Indian parts of herself—specifically the evidence of her Hindu beliefs, while at work.