Meet Prasanta

from orange groves to beloved roots

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Finding My Roots in Any Forest

by Prasanta Verma

I was born in a small village in India, near groves of orange trees, and almost didn’t survive. We moved to the United States when I was one year old, and I grew up in the shade of pine trees in the deep south in Alabama. Now I live in the Upper Midwest, near maples and cedars, and I’m collecting stories of belonging, identity, and finding our way to the truth of ourselves.

I know what it’s like to look different from other people on the outside—but feel the same on the inside.

Growing up in the same place, the same town, wasn’t enough to belong, to make me “one of them.” To others, I looked Indian, but I felt like everyone else. Finding a sense of belonging has been a long journey.

I wrestled with my roots, my heritage, my current place of belonging, and my identity. I wrestled with God. Who was I? Why was I born elsewhere and then brought here? I was both grateful and confused. I felt like I belonged neither here nor there. Was there a place for me? And what did that place look like? Where do I fit, where do I belong, who are the people who love me as I am, cheer me on in private and public, who are kind, who stand by my side, who care for me no matter what I look like or where I’m from? I longed for this kind of community, for this kind of friendship, for this kind of sweet camaraderie and  fellowship. 

After all these years, to make the story short (very short), God drew me to him and gave me my true identity: a beloved child of God. This place gives a sense of rootedness, like a tree planted in solid ground, a firm place, a tree of shade and blossom. I share pieces of this journey of marginalization and belonging in my book, Beyond Ethnic Loneliness, released in April 2024, available wherever books are sold.

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Prasanta Verma was born under an Asian sun, raised in the Appalachian foothills, and resides in the Midwest. She is a writer, poet, and public health professional, and the author of Beyond Ethnic Loneliness, released in 2024. Her writing has been published in numerous places in print and online. When she’s not working or writing, she can be found reading, walking, drinking chai, or traveling. Connect with her on Instagram @prasantaverma, her Substack newsletter, or her website.