My identity is something that I have not regarded with excessive thought in the past. I have never really paused to consider how I actively align myself with different belief systems and political views. I understand that the way I portray myself can be interpreted entirely differently depending on the person I am interacting with. One thing that I believe to be quite clear is my moral beliefs in what is right and wrong, and I think that any individual who I am close to has a general consensus of my views on different types of behaviour. I do not appreciate concealing my true feelings regarding issues that I am passionate about, and I will never pretend to enjoy or approve of anything I disagree with. I do understand, however, that there are many varying opinions on issues. I am more than happy to listen to perspectives that contradict my own. I generally am able to nuance my argument if I feel that there are things that I have misjudged or perhaps not fully understood and considered while forming an opinion on an issue.
My identity is substantially affected by my Indian heritage and experience within my own home country. There have been numerous occasions in India where I am restricted by the cultural norms of the society. I often find that I cannot express my own opinion freely without facing harsh criticism from my more traditional and religious extended family members. There are many rituals and rites in which sexism is distinctly prevalent, and there is near to nothing that I can do to change these things. So far in my life, these situations are the only ones in which my identity and moral beliefs are forced to be concealed in the name of accommodating for the expectations of our Indian cultural society.
I do admit that I feel more comfortable around Asians in general as I have grown up with Asians in Asia my whole life. I do not understand why I feel this way, and I do try to befriend people of different ethnic backgrounds, but I can clearly see that my friend circle is majorly comprised of people who are from Asia. With my peers and friends, I would most generally appear to be quieter and reserved unless I am with somebody that knows me very well. It ususally takes me quite a while to open up to people and reveal my true personality, as I believe in slowly building a relationship with value. I would not label myself as an introvert, but I also do not think that I identify with being extroverted. In certain scenarios, it is difficult for me to interact with completely new people, and in others, I do not feel as uncomfortable.