How do I deal with my East-Indian Heritage here in the United States?

Who is Ratna Sadal?!!!

As a fifth generation Indian - I was born and grew up in a former Dutch Colony called Suriname (capital is Paramaribo).  Suriname was part of the "Treaty of Breda 1667" at which the former Dutch owned New Amsterdam (currently New York) was traded with colonies in South-America and the West-Indies. Learn more about Suriname here and Indian Indentured labor in Suriname here. Map of Suriname.

I grew up in a westernized multicultural and ethnically diverse environment. Languages: Dutch & English, Sarnami Hindi (standardized Hindi & Bhojpuri). Further the national language is creole called "Sranang Tongo". 

Unlike other British Colonies in the West Indies, Surinamese Indians were able to keep their cultural identity and integrity very well under Dutch ruling as well as flourish in westernized education, business trading and rights to own property.

Other races and ethnicities in Suriname: African descendants, Jewish, Indonesians & Afghan Muslims, Chinese etc.

I had equal exposure to the Bollywood filmy world as well to the American Culture as well as the local national culture. Had my bad perm days & visited Disney Land & World back in the 80's etc etc. My English pronunciation is a lot better! I used to pronounce "Fatal Attraction" with my horrible Dutch accents as "Fettal Ettracion"  everybody had a good laugh at me back then.

After immigrating to the United States - I noticed the trouble first generation NRI's have in their assimilation process - similar how first generation Surinamese Indians adjust when they immigrated to the Netherlands - disassociation and alienation from ones own ethnic and cultural identity in order to fit in. What to speak of the horrible rape of the pronunciation of Indian names: have experienced them in Dutch and now in American English!

As a fifth generation Indian - I have to let you into some news: you never lose "it' and you will hand it over to the next generations to come - besides this affects us all!

so sit tight!

Ratna Sadal!