Growing up, I often overlooked the idea of being an Indian. In America, nobody wanted to be known as Indian or Chinese, they wanted to be accepted as “American,” at least the young insecure kids did. I was one of those kids. Primarily, my mother would pack my lunch with rice, curry, and other Indian dishes in an insulated box, and I would carry it to school. And then came lunch, the most dreadful part of my day. I opened the lid, and out came this strong smell – for me, it was normal, but for the causisian girl near me, it was terror. She moved away from me by a few inches. Then stared at me, and then back at the food. “What is thaaat?” She’d ask in an awkward manner. I wouldn’t know how to respond well for her to understand, so I simply said, “Oh, it’s Indian food.” And the days went on, and I faced more and more confusion on whether I should accept myself as an Asian-American, or transform myself into an entity I’m really not. But through my high school days, I began to embrace my culture and really understand my roots. The heritage I came from should be something I carry along with my into the future, and with the help of the Asian Liver Center, I was able to do just that.

I applied for the Jade Ribbon Youth Council (JRYC), an affiliate of Stanford University’s Asian Liver Center (ALC). I had known very little about Hepatitis B other than the fact that I had been infected with jaundice at birth. When I walked into the office for the first time, I felt like I didn’t really belong there. I only saw oriental Asians, some of them even speaking in their native language. Being an Indian, I felt left out, and I immediately decided that there was no way the ALC would pick me to be part of the JRYC. Yet, little did I know that I would be making a great difference by taking share in the JRYC. The council not only taught me a lot about Hepaitits B, but it really instilled the need for service learning in the community and educated people to become more aware.

Personally I have learned a lot about Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and its effect on Asian Americans through the JYRC. One of the major projects that had a great impact on me was the Storybook Skit Project. The JRYC spent countless hours putting together a skit which involved a classic tale with hints of Hepatitis B. In simple terms, we played out Little Red Riding Hood, and changed the roles to match something with HBV. For instance, I acted as the grandmother, the first HBV victim, while the wolf was the virus. We came up dialogues, story line, costumes, props, and worked at contacting libraries to work as a venue for the story time. Through the project, I learned a lot about how the Asian American community is growing with the virus. But the one moment that had a very powerful influence on me was after we performed the skit. For my city, I organized the event at the main county library, and I was worried that nobody would show up. Here we were, decked in our costumes, preparing the act, while people began to assemble inside the hall. What I saw amazed me.

I had pulled together this project, expecting very little people to show up, and if they did, I had assumed they would only be Asian Americans. But standing aside in the backstage, I saw people of all cultures and nationalities mixing together in one area, waiting for the JRYC to inform them and entertain them about HBV. It was something I had never seen before. And moveover, I was thrilled to be representing the Indian culture. It was an event that taught me to outreach to a community that cares, not a community based on race, nationality, or background. HBV is something that affects everyone, and while it may be prevalent in Asian American, anyone had the possibility to contract the virus. The one way to eradicate it? Inform everyone, educate everyone. I learned to be proud of who I am, and where I came from. America is a country of a plethora of nations coming together, joining hands. The girl in my 2^nd grade lunch table might have snickered at the food I brought, but what I brought made her a new person today. She is a person who is aware of other culutres, and respectful to all people. This service learning activity allowed me to educate children and parents alike, about HBV in a simple entertaining manner.