---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She was right. After all, if she herself…"
description: "\"“She was right. After all, if she herself had wondered whether she was Indian enough -- she, who had always been to me a sort of epitome of Indian -- t..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/tanuja-desai-hidier-39721_bicultural_she-was-right-after-all-if-she-herself-h_965422.jpg"
---

#  She was right. After all, if she herself had wondered…

![“She was right. After all, if she herself had wondered whether she was Indian enough -- she, who had always been to me a sort of epitome of Indian -- then who could be? Who could claim the sole right or way to an identity?” quote by Tanuja Desai Hidier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/tanuja-desai-hidier-39721_bicultural_she-was-right-after-all-if-she-herself-h_965422.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/tanuja-desai-hidier-39721_bicultural_she-was-right-after-all-if-she-herself-h_965422.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/tanuja-desai-hidier-39721_bicultural_she-was-right-after-all-if-she-herself-h_965422.jpg)

> ““She was right. After all, if she herself had wondered whether she was Indian enough -- she, who had always been to me a sort of epitome of Indian -- then who could be? Who could claim the sole right or way to an identity?””

[Tanuja Desai Hidier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanuja-desai-hidier/)

## 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 fluid; questioning one's authenticity reveals that no single person can claim exclusive ownership of cultural identity.

**In simple terms:** Identity can't be owned by one person.

Key Takeaway

Respect diverse expressions of identity.

Themes

identity culture authenticity belonging

Mood

thoughtful reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- family discussions
- school debates
- media representation
- personal reflection

Key Concepts

cultural relativism self‑definition

Questions to Reflect On

- Who defines cultural authenticity?
- How can we honor multiple identities simultaneously?

A Different Perspective

Identity debates can become polarizing if not approached with empathy.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indian/)

## Related quotes

> [“In Ugandan society a girl who had reached puberty was eligible for a family-arranged marriage. The groom would bring wealth to the bride’s family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hahn/in-ugandan-society-a-girl-who-had-reached-puberty-was-eligible-for-a/)

[Nick Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hahn/)

> [“The matted straw cover of the latrine was yanked away. The sun blinded me as I looked up at the dark outline of two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hahn/the-matted-straw-cover-of-the-latrine-was-yanked-away-the-sun-blinded/)

[Nick Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hahn/)

> [“The speaker was good, I liked what he had to say. I had expected a dry recitation on how women should change their gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hahn/the-speaker-was-good-i-liked-what-he-had-to-say-i-had-expected-a-dry/)

[Nick Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hahn/)

> [I'm an Indian and I shall not do anything that goes against my ethos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherlyn-chopra/i-m-an-indian-and-i-shall-not-do-anything-that-goes-against-my-ethos/)

[Sherlyn Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherlyn-chopra/)

> [The only good Indian is a dead Indian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-tecumseh-sherman/the-only-good-indian-is-a-dead-indian/)

[William Tecumseh Sherman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-tecumseh-sherman/)

> [Stefan: "Indian with a dot, not a feather.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/stefan-indian-with-a-dot-not-a-feather/)

[Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/)

> [I wish to contribute more to south Indian music, especially Tamil music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yo-yo-honey-singh/i-wish-to-contribute-more-to-south-indian-music-especially-tamil-music/)

[Yo Yo Honey Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yo-yo-honey-singh/)

> [I always wanted to be a fireman, a cop, an Indian chief, a doctor, a lawyer. I always wanted to be all these things,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-freeman/i-always-wanted-to-be-a-fireman-a-cop-an-indian-chief-a-doctor-a/)

[Morgan Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-freeman/)

> [The simple and astonishing truth about India and Indian people is that when you go there, and deal with them, your heart always guides…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-david-roberts/the-simple-and-astonishing-truth-about-india-and-indian-people-is/)

[Gregory David Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-david-roberts/)

> [Being of Indian heritage is a challenge - and it's a blessing as well sometimes - because being good isn't good enough. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sacha-dhawan/being-of-indian-heritage-is-a-challenge-and-it-s-a-blessing-as-well/)

[Sacha Dhawan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sacha-dhawan/)

> [“Its just either your way or my way. There is no way that is universally right. For British, they killed us to develop their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/its-just-either-your-way-or-my-way-there-is-no-way-that-is/)

[Hanif Hassan Barbhuiya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hanif-hassan-barbhuiya/)

> [My parents don't care what Americans think of us; we just care what the other Indian people in our community think of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshu-suri/my-parents-don-t-care-what-americans-think-of-us-we-just-care-what/)

[Himanshu Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshu-suri/)

> [A buyer can buy anything from wherever he gets it cheap. Where will the Indian trader or farmer go in this case? Are we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-sitharaman/a-buyer-can-buy-anything-from-wherever-he-gets-it-cheap-where-will/)

[Nirmala Sitharaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-sitharaman/)

> [Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. ... We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/our-nation-was-born-in-genocide-when-it-embraced-the-doctrine-that/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [In China, people are moving from bigger cars to small hatches, and interestingly, the Indian market is graduating to bigger cars and sedans. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winfried-vahland/in-china-people-are-moving-from-bigger-cars-to-small-hatches-and/)

[Winfried Vahland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winfried-vahland/)

## More by Tanuja Desai Hidier

> [ “...Sabina \[was\] onto something about mehendi not being tantamount to temporary tattoo, and how it's been appropriated by Western capitalist culture. But the mehendi… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/sabina-was-onto-something-about-mehendi-not-being-tantamount-to/)

[Tanuja Desai Hidier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanuja-desai-hidier/)

> [“As the conference continued it occurred to me finally that it wasn't really about Indian history as it was written, but really about rewriting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/as-the-conference-continued-it-occurred-to-me-finally-that-it-wasn-t/)

[Tanuja Desai Hidier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanuja-desai-hidier/)

> [“You must live every moment of your life in such a way that if you had to live it over and over again till…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/you-must-live-every-moment-of-your-life-in-such-a-way-that-if-you-had/)

[Tanuja Desai Hidier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanuja-desai-hidier/)

> [“American Born Confused Desi Emigrated From Gujarat House In Jersey Keeping Lotsa Motels Named Omkarnath Patel Quickly Reaching Success Through Underhanded Vicious Ways Xenophobic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/american-born-confused-desi-emigrated-from-gujarat-house-in-jersey/)

[Tanuja Desai Hidier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanuja-desai-hidier/)

> [“And it now occurred to me that maybe the whole point was, in fact, to lose yourself. But not in the sense of confusion--in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/and-it-now-occurred-to-me-that-maybe-the-whole-point-was-in-fact-to/)

[Tanuja Desai Hidier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanuja-desai-hidier/)

> [“They say in the east you love the person you marry and in the west you marry the person you love. But maybe it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/they-say-in-the-east-you-love-the-person-you-marry-and-in-the-west/)

[Tanuja Desai Hidier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanuja-desai-hidier/)

> [“Life viewed from nine different camera angles; life played at nine tempos. Mixed, montaged; multiple. In the course of one lifetime. Maybe that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/life-viewed-from-nine-different-camera-angles-life-played-at-nine/)

[Tanuja Desai Hidier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanuja-desai-hidier/)

> [“You see,' Gwyn said slowly...'With an Indian boy maybe you can, you know, explore all that stuff. Go kamasutronic, so to speak.' I nodded,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/you-see-gwyn-said-slowly-with-an-indian-boy-maybe-you-can-you-know/)

[Tanuja Desai Hidier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanuja-desai-hidier/)

> [“Believe it or not, Dimple–and I would believe it–I am just a regular person who has decided to be who I am in life.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/believe-it-or-not-dimple-and-i-would-believe-it-i-am-just-a-regular/)

[Tanuja Desai Hidier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanuja-desai-hidier/)

> [“But you have to realize, there is no such thing as this tidy little box you think you have to fold up and fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/but-you-have-to-realize-there-is-no-such-thing-as-this-tidy-little/)

[Tanuja Desai Hidier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanuja-desai-hidier/)

[Explore all 11 Tanuja Desai Hidier quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanuja-desai-hidier/)

## More Bicultural quotes

> [“The speaker was good, I liked what he had to say. I had expected a dry recitation on how women should change their gender…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hahn/the-speaker-was-good-i-liked-what-he-had-to-say-i-had-expected-a-dry/)

[Nick Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hahn/)

> [“The matted straw cover of the latrine was yanked away. The sun blinded me as I looked up at the dark outline of two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hahn/the-matted-straw-cover-of-the-latrine-was-yanked-away-the-sun-blinded/)

[Nick Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hahn/)

> [“In Ugandan society a girl who had reached puberty was eligible for a family-arranged marriage. The groom would bring wealth to the bride’s family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hahn/in-ugandan-society-a-girl-who-had-reached-puberty-was-eligible-for-a/)

[Nick Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hahn/)

Browse all 4 Bicultural quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“She was right. After all, if she herself had wondered whether she was Indian enough -- she, who had always been to me a sort of epitome of Indian -- then who could be? Who could claim the sole right or way to an identity?”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Tanuja Desai Hidier"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/she-was-right-after-all-if-she-herself-had-wondered-whether-she-was/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bicultural"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/she-was-right-after-all-if-she-herself-had-wondered-whether-she-was/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/tanuja-desai-hidier-39721_bicultural_she-was-right-after-all-if-she-herself-h_965422.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/tanuja-desai-hidier-39721_bicultural_she-was-right-after-all-if-she-herself-h_965422.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/788/tanuja-desai-hidier-39721_bicultural_she-was-right-after-all-if-she-herself-h_965422.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“She was right. After all, if she herself had wondered whether she was Indian enough -- she, who had always…” — Tanuja Desai Hidier",
                "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": "Tanuja Desai Hidier",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanuja-desai-hidier/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“She was right. After all, if...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/she-was-right-after-all-if-she-herself-had-wondered-whether-she-was/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanuja-desai-hidier/she-was-right-after-all-if-she-herself-had-wondered-whether-she-was/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
