Cornell University

What are you? Mixed-race people and people of color get this question all the time. While a part of me wants to respond with “a bit tired, thanks for asking”, I usually just end up telling them I am half Indian, half European. I know that my ambiguous features, darker skin, and unusual name makes people uncertain about what my background is, and that in turn makes people uncomfortable—they don't know what box to put me in. I am both Jewish and half-Indian, an unusual blend of cultures. Although I’m not particularly religious, I often see things from a Jewish point of view: Tikkun Olam and…