TRANSCRIPT
TRANSCRIBED BY Prithvi Dinesh Chandra (x 4)
I have a little bit of a unique experience—a different experience than most people. I arrived to live with my parents, who were already here, and my brothers who were already here and well settled. I came to join them. I was raised by my grandparents. My arrival was bittersweet from emotional perspective. I was coming to join my parents and my brothers, but I also left my grandparents behind and my friends and my high school experience and the comfort of knowing where I was. Leaving that behind, I was little bit sad about it but also excited to come here and start new experience with my parents and my brothers.
Who picked you up on your first day? Was it your parents?
Yes, my parents and my brothers.
Is there anything that you first thought of when you first landed in JFK, anything that struck your eye when you first entered the airport?
I think that escalator, right? The—in India they didn't have escalator. They had the elevators or stairs. So that was actually very exciting to see [laughs].
That's a very interesting thing. When you came, besides your parents, how was it like adjusting to America, to the environment? Did you meet some new people that helped you on your first days?
Yes, I did find a lot of help, and more than help I think I found friendly people. And mind you, I came in early 80s right, so there were obviously no computers, no social media, there were no smartphones. It was actually—the whole environment was bit calmer, and people were just happy to meet people, everything was face to face. So, I have had tremendously good experiences when I landed here—
Tremendously good.
Tremendously good.
How did you feel? Did you feel like you were able to find some Indians here when you moved—like were you able to find a close-knit community here?
Because my parents were already here, my experience was different than others. I came to New Jersey, which is a hub for Indian people when they arrive from India, is to settle in New York, New Jersey area. There's a large community. My parents already were involved in the Indian community, so it was very easy for me to meet others.
It was very easy for you. Did you go to school when you first came here?
I arrived in June 1983 and then I applied for colleges, and I came with a green card. I was not here on a work or a student visa. I was here on official green card. I applied to Montclair State University, I was accepted, and I started going to college in September.
What did you go to college for?
When I came, I did not speak much English. For me, the obvious choice was Mathematics, and Computer Science was an emerging field back then. It still is now—now it has so much more variations, and different things, but back then it was kind of very streamlined and just kind of starting. So I picked Computer Science and Mathematics, because you—it required the least amount of language knowledge.
Do you think going back on the fact that you said it was hard when because you didn't know as much English? Do you think that affected your experience in the US? Or no?
Initially it did, because when I started college, I actually walked in there not knowing how to communicate, not understanding professors when they were talking. I used to take a voice recorder, like the tape recorder, and then I would tape the lectures, and I would come home and my parents or my father would listen to the lectures and translate them for me. So it wasn't easy, but what I had coming from India—and India actually does prepare you for life and for world, and you become, sort of, much more balanced inside if you're raised in India, and I had that confidence in me, and I had that openness to learn, so I wasn't intimidated, I wasn't scared, and I didn't have self-doubt.
That's amazing.
Yeah, I knew I will get this, and I had to work hard but that was okay.
What is your opinion on the American Dream? What do you think about that concept?
I think American Dream has changed through the years, but it still retains its core that if you're willing to work hard, if you are going to be honest, if you're going to have integrity, if you're going to apply yourself, you will succeed. And I think that's, in a sense, the American Dream, and we Asians have proved that it works simply by working hard, making honest living, contributing to the society. You do come out ahead.
And do you think, as you have had many years here, and you started obviously giving back to the community. Do you think that the US is a good place for opportunities, like in general?
Absolutely, it has always been and it is today.
Thank you.
How did I overcome not knowing English and going to college and the whole academic journey, navigating through it? Like I said, I had really difficult time in the beginning. I could not sometimes talk to people. I sometimes did not even recognize people who were in my class because to me, who were non-Indian, sometimes the features I could not distinguish. So initially, I had trouble. My Spanish teacher even told me that “You can't even speak English, how are you going to learn Spanish?” And I do remember. I could only take Spanish in that semester. I started part time. My first exam, I got 13 out of 100.
Oh my god.
And then what happened is, that was based on lectures. Subsequent exams were based on studying from books. In my second exam, I got 97 out of 100.
Oh wow.
And again, when you work hard, you figure out a way. When there is a will, there is a way. For me, learning English was made easy by watching TV, trying to interact with other people and simply deciding to succeed. And many of these things come from decision, and not being a victim or not letting that victim mindset set in. I never felt “Poor me,” I always felt “Wow, I have so much experience of studying,” and I'm willing to work hard, and I thought I was smart enough and there was nothing that could stop me. Starting with not knowing English—in four years, I graduated in top 3% of my entire class. I remained very good friends with the deans and all the professors that I've studied with, because actually found it very interesting. Some of my accents were also quite amusing to my friends and other people. I have had friends who would make me say Volkswagen over and over again, and it was just for the fun of it, right? Back then, nobody was very sensitive, I think everybody just took things lightly.
Yes, for sure.
Yes, and it was a good way, and even now, I think everybody had to tiptoe around sensitivities and walk on eggshells, and it wasn't the case back then.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's the journey of learning the language. And then I ended up going to NYU to get my MBA in Finance and Marketing. So…that's it.
That's very inspirational.
It can be anybody's story, if they believe, if you're not looking to make an excuse, if you are simply saying what I have within me, what opportunities are there, and that the world is not a bad place. The world is a beautiful place. People around you want you to succeed. If you truly believe that, and if you tap into this, nothing can stop you.
