Daddy’s Diaries XVIII
August 19, 2015
It’s new, this ability to see my grandfather as an individual, separate from the fact that he fathered my father. I think it helps that I’ve met the woman whose narrow passageway Dada came out of.
We created this space for a South Asian community caught between tradition and transformation. Founded in 2009 by Uttama Kirit Patel, South Asian Parent pioneered a defiance of restrictive narratives.
Back then, a shift felt imminent. We shared taboo stories with the aim to destigmatize, and provided support for those who put up a facade in order to act out the parts they were expected to play: obedient daughter-in-law, selfless parent, prodigal son.
Family, which has the power to be both our safest place and also where our truths are most at peril, is where we sought change. Now we take pride in the growing eminence of South Asians everywhere, and continue to advocate for truthful conversations.
We are grateful to so many who shared their stories early in our journey, from our core team of writers to guest contributors, including S. Mitra Kalita, Anushay Hossein, Piyali Bhattacharya; as well as the collaboration with other South Asian initiatives, including Trikone, Yoni Ki Baat, and MySahana.
It’s new, this ability to see my grandfather as an individual, separate from the fact that he fathered my father. I think it helps that I’ve met the woman whose narrow passageway Dada came out of.
As a girl playing with my dolls, I always pretended they were other people’s kids. As an adult I lumped getting pregnant with getting married, and slapped a “no thank you” on both.
I’ve seen many South Asian kids disassociate themselves from their families and culture in what I call a ‘pre-emptive strike’.
Uttama Kirit Patel is an author, international resident, and conservationist. Her debut novel is Shape of an Apostrophe, and her published short stories have been a semi-finalist of the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest and nominated for the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize.
Born to Gujarati parents who found their way to the United Arab Emirates via Kampala, Surat, Pondicherry and Colchester, movement was inevitable in her life, both in geography and in thought. Constantly pulled towards the unconventional, Uttama founded South Asian Parent as a taboo-tackling resource for people who keep versions of themselves in the dark.
Uttama is a postgraduate of the University of Cambridge and Northwestern University, with a history of varied occupations: journalist in Chicago, educator in Abu Dhabi, editor in London, consultant in New York City, marketing strategist in Singapore, writer everywhere.
