As a third culture kid myself, this book means a lot to me, as it beautifully captures and explains the experience of belonging to more than just one place and culture.
Told in the first person, this charmingly illustrated children’s book is essentially the story of author Rashmi Sirdeshpande and her family. Her parents emigrated from Goa, India, to work as doctors in the United Kingdom. Some of the locals were lovely and welcoming, while others were much less so. As she and her younger brother were born and grew up, they would join their parents in traveling back to India to visit family, even as they had otherwise British upbringings.
Sometimes, she would encounter the questions of what she is or where she’s (really) from. These are, ofc, loaded questions, often asked by people who want to categorize you as “other”. The answer is far more complicated than the querents usually expect, too, leading to confusion on all sides. FWIW, I think the best way to ask about a person’s ethnicity or culture is to ask “Are you [nationality]?” because that shows an actual interest in the world around you, and a familiarity with the wider world. That said, I’ll never forget the time some Asian guy walked up to me, all smiles, and asked, “Are you Filipina?” When I replied in the negative, his face dropped into an expression of disgust as he stomped off. Lol, sorry, bro.
With lyrical prose, Ms Sirdeshpande invites bicultural kids to embrace all the aspects of their heritage, to enjoy their present privileges and experiences, even as they learn more about their history on both sides. It is really these experiences more than anything else that shape who you are, as this book asserts, as well as the experiences of your teachers and ancestors. You should embrace the good of where you came from and where you are, and feel ashamed of neither.
Ruchi Mhasane’s illustrations are perfect for this tale, with gentle colors and a cozy mixed media style. They do justice not only to Ms Sirdeshpande’s story but also to the fascinating cast of historical characters who make brief cameos here. Their biographies are further expanded on in an informative section at the end, bringing even more value to an already terrific book about embracing all aspects of your heritage, upbringing and identity.
This Is Who I Am by Rashmi Sirdeshpande & Ruchi Mhasane was published April 7 2026 by Magination Press and is available from all good booksellers, including
Al Singh
Doug Merrill
Doreen Sheridan
Emily Lauer
John Pitzel
Lars N. Goldschlager
Laura Eilers
Professor X
Robert Maedgen
Sylvere Ap Leanan
The Shire
4 comments
Skip to comment form
My accent in German does not always automatically flag as American, though about 85% of the time it does come across correctly as someone whose first language is English. The rest of the time, it’s usually “maybe Dutch?” or something like that. Depending on how feisty I am feeling, I will sometimes dial up the American accent and say “Would you like me to make it stronger?”
Author
Lol. Could you add more than a dash of the Looziana, or would that be appropriation?
Glad you laughed! It’s funny, though, the stereotypical American accent when speaking German is close to what Americans would think of as a stereotypical Southern accent: vowels are held longer and a lot of the speaking is done from the sides of the mouth. I can do it — like I said, depending on how feisty I am feeling — in a way that leaves native speakers of German a little unsettled about just who exactly is being mocked here. I wouldn’t know how to do a specifically Louisiana version of German.
Anyway, Looziana, now there’s an unexpectedly deep question about code-switching. Does the other person get the neutrally American accent that has come from years of living abroad and speaking to people for whom English is a second (or third or …) language? Do they get the audibly Louisiana version with bits of down-home French-ish vocabulary and plenty of bonhomie and laissez those bon temps rouler? Or do they get the mildly Southern idiom of a non-francophone upbringing in Baton Rouge?
Author
You would definitely be more of an expert than I, since my primary exposure to the accent thus far has been, ahem and perhaps alas, Gambit’s Cajun patois in the X-Men franchise.