Right from the moment I entered secondary school in Mumbai, all the bad things began. I am a Bengali guy with north east Indian features. I have small eyes. And that thing had haunted me for a long time. I was made ashamed of my looks for a long long time.
I was in that school for six years. And those six years had been the worst time of my life. I was teased everyday, I was beaten, and also once I was sexually abused.
I never had any friends. No one talked with me, and people always looked down on me. Wherever I went be it school or coaching class, I was always made feel inferior to everyone. I was called names like Japanese, Chinese, Nepali, etc. As if being one of them is a bad thing. I was younger back then and took everything to my heart. I even thought something was wrong with me, and I even went to the extent of considering doing plastic surgery.
Now I am nineteen. I still face racism, but lesser than before. And mostly, I don’t take things to my heart anymore. Nowadays I feel proud if someone calls me Japanese. My favorite writer Haruki Murakami is Japanese too. I feel perfect about my looks and I know there is nothing wrong with me. I don’t want to change anything.
My advice to all the people who face any kind of racism:
Please don’t feel bad about yourself. You are perfect!