Sharing my first piece for the Daily Californian!
I was born and grew up in Mauritius, a tiny island in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Africa. My home is known for many things, one of them being that it’s where the flightless dodo birds once roamed.
Growing up in Mauritius was idyllic: pristine beaches, warm waters and sunny weather, burrowing my toes into fine sand. Beyond natural beauty, I felt lucky to evolve in a kaleidoscope of cultures and religions with Asian, European and African influences. I like to call my home the “Rainbow Nation”: We splash colors for Holi, set off firecrackers in Chinatown, hunt eggs for Easter and share Biryani for Eid.
Coexisting with many traditions naturally led me to meet extraordinary people. Their stories, their anecdotes, what I learned from conversations make it obvious that we all come from different cultures.
Without paying attention, I was at the intersection of many currents and this multiculturalism profoundly shaped how I view life today. From birth, we become trilingual — Creole, French, English — and navigate fluidly among different cultures. In fact, these are skills we use everyday: We embrace our differences, thereby enriching our whole human experience.
While living in a cosmopolitan country gave me early glimpses of diversity, I still wanted to discover other cultures and perspectives. Maybe coming from a tiny dot lost in the ocean makes you curious. Maybe this is what pushed me to seek more than what was familiar.
So much like the dodo bird of my homeland, I too dared to roam — and I came to Berkeley because it was literally the farthest place I could go to explore the world.
To some extent, attending a college far from home was my way of developing a global mindset and experiencing new cultures. At UC Berkeley, I’ve encountered brilliant minds with different stories, passions and senses of purpose. With some luck, I could even build lifelong friendships from all over the world.
Yet my journey as a foreigner hasn’t always been easy.
In my freshman year, I faced prejudice surpassing anything I had ever experienced before. I’ve been told I don’t fit preconceived notions of being African, with my identity being questioned based on my “Asian” appearance. My hobbies, taste for fashion and food have also been dismissed as “white-washed.”
I had never really expected others to know where Mauritius is, to infer from my Indian features that I live in Africa or guess that my first language is French. So despite hurtful experiences, I chose to see them as opportunities for mutual learning and empathy. In truth, I am always more than happy to share about my background, and in turn, learn about that of others.
Each encounter — no matter how challenging — presents a chance to foster empathy and promote awareness. I’ve found that genuine connections often emerge from these discussions. Education has that power to bridge cultural gaps.
Despite being 99.9% similar to others in our genetic DNA, we are naturally diverse with respect to race, ethnicity, religion, political views, sexual orientation and more. Whether we drink boba and coffee, eat meat or prefer a vegan diet, like social media or dislike celebrities, our various perspectives and beliefs create a special brand of beauty and harmony. My left-handed friend effortlessly beats me in badminton, yet I cherish our matches together.
Embracing these differences has undeniably enriched my perspective in countless immeasurable ways.
Diversity can also create more value by fostering innovation and creativity. However, if those vastly diverse perspectives are not heard and if people do not feel a sense of belonging, the impact disappears. Recent rises in xenophobia highlight the need for inclusion, especially among students.
In reality, our challenge is to aim beyond belonging. In French we have the word “altérité” which is not easy to translate into English. In essence, it means to celebrate and embrace the other, which helps to promote this sense of inclusion. This is what we need.
Imagine a potluck dinner. If each person brings something different from their own country, it is often more flavorful and enjoyable. Now if each person could explain why this dish is meaningful, it would go beyond belonging and encourage an authentic love of diversity.
It is now our turn to invest in ourselves and in our relationships with others.
Looking back, my time at UC Berkeley has been a journey that I wouldn’t trade for the world. My dad even jokes that if we were to dig a hole under Mauritius, we’d end up at Berkeley! Surprisingly though, the hardship and homesickness have been transformative experiences, making me prouder of my Mauritian identity. Perhaps a shift in perspective is what’s needed for progress.
Darwin said that only species that can adapt will survive — and I remember this when I often share that Mauritius is the home of the flightless dodo bird. The dodo’s inability to adapt to the destruction of its habitat led to its extinction. But instead of mirroring its fate, I hope to use my college education to embody the spirit of a daring dodo that does survive.
And one of the best ways I have kept going on this journey is taking comfort in the fact that we all have a unique story to share. So let’s all be daring dodos and defy the odds together!
Read more on the Daily Californian!
Meiya Gujjalu 