--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm a brown-skinned Indian immigrant…" description: "\"I'm a brown-skinned Indian immigrant, low-caste untouchable - I don't know how many labels you want to put on me - who's fought all his life.\" — Shiva ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_how_i-m-a-brown-skinned-indian-immigrant-low_933755.jpg" --- # I'm a brown-skinned Indian immigrant, low-caste… ![“I'm a brown-skinned Indian immigrant, low-caste untouchable - I don't know how many labels you want to put on me - who's fought all his life.” quote by Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_how_i-m-a-brown-skinned-indian-immigrant-low_933755.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_how_i-m-a-brown-skinned-indian-immigrant-low_933755.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_how_i-m-a-brown-skinned-indian-immigrant-low_933755.jpg) > “I'm a brown-skinned Indian immigrant, low-caste untouchable - I don't know how many labels you want to put on me - who's fought all his life.” [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Identity is complex, resisting labels; personal struggle defines self beyond societal categories. **In simple terms:** Identity isn’t defined by labels. Key Takeaway Embrace your multifaceted self. Themes identity resilience social labels Mood defiant hopeful Type personal political When to use this quote - activism - community building - personal storytelling Key Concepts intersectionality self‑definition empowerment Questions to Reflect On - How do you navigate imposed identities? - What strengths arise from your experiences? A Different Perspective Labels can still affect perception; societal change is slow. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brown Skinned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brown-skinned-355787/) [Caste Untouchable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caste-untouchable-1541657/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Immigrant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrant/) [Immigrant Low](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immigrant-low-1541660/) [Indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indian/) [Indian Immigrant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indian-immigrant-1541659/) [Labels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labels/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Skinned Indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skinned-indian-1541658/) ## Related quotes > [When I was at MIT I was a good model minority. But the concept of an Indian immigrant creating e-mail in Newark, N.J., blows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/when-i-was-at-mit-i-was-a-good-model-minority-but-the-concept-of-an/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [When you're walking down a street and you are a brown-skinned person or you're a person that lives in an immigrant community, there's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lightfoot/when-you-re-walking-down-a-street-and-you-are-a-brown-skinned-person/) [Lori Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lightfoot/) > [I have a thick skin, which comes from being a not-really-skinny, dark-skinned Indian woman. I haven't fit in every place, and so I'm kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mindy-kaling/i-have-a-thick-skin-which-comes-from-being-a-not-really-skinny-dark/) [Mindy Kaling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mindy-kaling/) > [Growing up, I learned the value of sticking up for my brown-skinned friends amongst my white-skinned friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cedric-bixler-zavala/growing-up-i-learned-the-value-of-sticking-up-for-my-brown-skinned/) [Cedric Bixler-Zavala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cedric-bixler-zavala/) > [“I bought a brown-skinned glove puppet. He came with a little black briefcase and his hair was parted exactly down the middle. The precision…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-oyeyemi/i-bought-a-brown-skinned-glove-puppet-he-came-with-a-little-black/) [Helen Oyeyemi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-oyeyemi/) > [I didn't have a brown-skinned superhero growing up who wore cornrows and who reflected the inner city where I come from in Philadelphia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nafessa-williams/i-didn-t-have-a-brown-skinned-superhero-growing-up-who-wore-cornrows/) [Nafessa Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nafessa-williams/) > [Us brown-skinned girls get ashy if we don't moisturize.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyra-banks/us-brown-skinned-girls-get-ashy-if-we-don-t-moisturize/) [Tyra Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyra-banks/) > [You turn 'Insecure' on, and you see a sea of brown. You see at the core of it a strong friendship between two brown-skinned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-orji/you-turn-insecure-on-and-you-see-a-sea-of-brown-you-see-at-the-core/) [Yvonne Orji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-orji/) > [“. . . Your hair--it's kind of wavy. Indian in your blood, or are you a hypocrite and texturize your hair?" He hesitated, appeared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-jerome-dickey/your-hair-it-s-kind-of-wavy-indian-in-your-blood-or-are-you-a/) [Eric Jerome Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-jerome-dickey/) > [I came in as a legal immigrant. My dad came first. We had to wait about a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/i-came-in-as-a-legal-immigrant-my-dad-came-first-we-had-to-wait-about/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [I'm an immigrant, a legal immigrant to the United States. I only became a citizen five years ago. Every day, for seven months, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-gorka/i-m-an-immigrant-a-legal-immigrant-to-the-united-states-i-only-became/) [Sebastian Gorka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-gorka/) > [My parents were, had a marriage of passion, and the passion was about their religious beliefs. They were both immigrant families that - well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-jackson/my-parents-were-had-a-marriage-of-passion-and-the-passion-was-about/) [Phil Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-jackson/) > [Royalty has always been an unconscious but all-consuming goal of the European immigrant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vine-deloria-jr/royalty-has-always-been-an-unconscious-but-all-consuming-goal-of-the/) [Vine Deloria Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vine-deloria-jr/) > [When you are in America, at least for me, as an immigrant, I try to be as Americanized as I could. I just want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-o-yang/when-you-are-in-america-at-least-for-me-as-an-immigrant-i-try-to-be/) [Jimmy O. Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-o-yang/) > [I identify with Superman. I am adopted, I am an only child, and I love the idea that he comes from another world, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-singer/i-identify-with-superman-i-am-adopted-i-am-an-only-child-and-i-love/) [Bryan Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-singer/) ## More by Shiva Ayyadurai > [I'm the darkie you can't control!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/i-m-the-darkie-you-can-t-control/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [As a kid, I learned from my parents, teachers, coaches, and friends that what mattered most was Truth - to uncover it, share it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/as-a-kid-i-learned-from-my-parents-teachers-coaches-and-friends-that/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Jobs cannot be created if innovation is restricted to large corporates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/jobs-cannot-be-created-if-innovation-is-restricted-to-large-corporates/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [When I created the email in the U.S., my mentor could have easily copyrighted it and taken credit for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/when-i-created-the-email-in-the-u-s-my-mentor-could-have-easily/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Many people don't even know why they're going to college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/many-people-don-t-even-know-why-they-re-going-to-college/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Even students from rural India may have bright ideas. They need to be tapped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/even-students-from-rural-india-may-have-bright-ideas-they-need-to-be/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Our ancient yogis and sages were not just medical healers, but systems scientists and systems engineers, who saw the body and the universe as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/our-ancient-yogis-and-sages-were-not-just-medical-healers-but-systems/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [In countries like India or China, a Steve Jobs will never come around. The fundamentals aren't there - there's this feudal hierarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/in-countries-like-india-or-china-a-steve-jobs-will-never-come-around/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Innovation and meritocracy was what America was based on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/innovation-and-meritocracy-was-what-america-was-based-on/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [The way I look at the world is establishment versus change agents. The establishment is those people who want to keep things the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/the-way-i-look-at-the-world-is-establishment-versus-change-agents-the/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [I think that if the Postal Service dies, it will be the end of democracy as we know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/i-think-that-if-the-postal-service-dies-it-will-be-the-end-of/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [I have no doubt that my origin and ethnicity have strongly influenced controversy over my invention of email.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/i-have-no-doubt-that-my-origin-and-ethnicity-have-strongly-influenced/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Social media is like a big trade-show. You get to network... you get to make friends and followers. But email is where those friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/social-media-is-like-a-big-trade-show-you-get-to-network-you-get-to/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Prior to 1980, people used to dictate to a secretary for preparing written documents and that person would then punch keys on a typewriter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/prior-to-1980-people-used-to-dictate-to-a-secretary-for-preparing/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [When I was at MIT I was a good model minority. But the concept of an Indian immigrant creating e-mail in Newark, N.J., blows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/when-i-was-at-mit-i-was-a-good-model-minority-but-the-concept-of-an/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) [Explore all 70 Shiva Ayyadurai quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) ## More How quotes > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [I was very lucky to get well known much later in life. You need to have flopped quite a few times to get a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/i-was-very-lucky-to-get-well-known-much-later-in-life-you-need-to/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [As a family, we all loved the Flyers. To me, rooting for the Flyers were how I bonded with my dad especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/as-a-family-we-all-loved-the-flyers-to-me-rooting-for-the-flyers-were/) [Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/) > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [This is how McGregor is, waging mental warfare before the fights. There's no way that guy is going to get in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-mendes/this-is-how-mcgregor-is-waging-mental-warfare-before-the-fights-there/) [Chad Mendes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-mendes/) > [I think everyone will agree that it doesn't matter how we get to an international tournament. We are going to do whatever it takes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcginn/i-think-everyone-will-agree-that-it-doesn-t-matter-how-we-get-to-an/) [John McGinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcginn/) > [Troy was a sweet, good man. We just were never destined to be married. We just didn't have the same values. But I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-pleshette/troy-was-a-sweet-good-man-we-just-were-never-destined-to-be-married/) [Suzanne Pleshette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-pleshette/) > [How wonderful it would be to scatter words as they rise to consciousness, to let them lie where they fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/how-wonderful-it-would-be-to-scatter-words-as-they-rise-to/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [Pitchers pitch differently. Hitters, hardly anyone has the same stance. That's just how it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-zimmerman/pitchers-pitch-differently-hitters-hardly-anyone-has-the-same-stance/) [Ryan Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-zimmerman/) > [Everything affects hip-hop. The question is, how does it affect the money that corporations are going to invest to put out different kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/everything-affects-hip-hop-the-question-is-how-does-it-affect-the/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [When you see how fragile and delicate life can be, all else fades into the background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-morasca/when-you-see-how-fragile-and-delicate-life-can-be-all-else-fades-into/) [Jenna Morasca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-morasca/) > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [I've never had a couch that needed to be cleaned or learned how to couch-clean in general. That feels too grown-up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mckinnon/i-ve-never-had-a-couch-that-needed-to-be-cleaned-or-learned-how-to/) [Kate McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mckinnon/) > [People take years learning how to act; it's a skill, not just a job. If I tried it out and thought I'd be OK,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-fimmel/people-take-years-learning-how-to-act-it-s-a-skill-not-just-a-job-if/) [Travis Fimmel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-fimmel/) [Browse all 14,172 How quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm a brown-skinned Indian immigrant, low-caste untouchable - I don't know how many labels you want to put on me - who's fought all his life.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shiva Ayyadurai" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/i-m-a-brown-skinned-indian-immigrant-low-caste-untouchable-i-don-t/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "How" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/i-m-a-brown-skinned-indian-immigrant-low-caste-untouchable-i-don-t/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_how_i-m-a-brown-skinned-indian-immigrant-low_933755.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_how_i-m-a-brown-skinned-indian-immigrant-low_933755.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_how_i-m-a-brown-skinned-indian-immigrant-low_933755.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm a brown-skinned Indian immigrant, low-caste untouchable - I don't know how many labels you want to put…” — Shiva Ayyadurai", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Shiva Ayyadurai", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm a brown-skinned Indian immigrant, low-caste...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/i-m-a-brown-skinned-indian-immigrant-low-caste-untouchable-i-don-t/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/i-m-a-brown-skinned-indian-immigrant-low-caste-untouchable-i-don-t/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```