Arjun Gupta
11th grade
International Academy East/Troy
My name is Arjun and I am a Hindu Indian American who was born in Michigan. I joined this project to further explore my family’s history and share it with the community. I wanted to illustrate the impacts of immigration on first generation immigrants to their culture, work ethic, work in general, views, religious practices, and much more. Some fun facts about me is that I have read the Harry Potter Series 4 times and I love to go outside. Also, I enjoy working out and participating in Science Olympiad!
My father, Umesh Gupta was born in New Delhi and immigrated to Michigan in 1999. He came here as a physical therapist and his oral history highlights how he navigated and overcame loneliness in America, the differences he found between his own Indian lifestyle and American culture, and how he encountered racial and gun conflicts in Detroit as a physical therapist.
My mother was also born in New Delhi and immigrated to Michigan after marrying my father in 2001. In her interview, we see how hard she worked to transform her new home in Michigan to one any Indian immigrant would be comfortable in. From reviving religious practices, to putting in countless hours of work to celebrate the holidays she used to celebrate with so much energy, we see how Michigan becomes a home for her away from India.