Fresh Prince of India

Fresh Prince of India
You hold the record
For the most dramatic transformation during high school
From Indian FOB to hip-hop wanna-be

I remember when we first met during freshman year
It was lunch and you came over with another guy
You were so quiet
And seemed a bit intimidated about being in high school
We were all foreigners entering that environment
But you especially so

Time passed
The FOB disappeared
Your talk changed
Your clothes changed
Your music changed
Your style changed
You became Americanized in one of the most comical ways possible
Gone was the timid boy of freshman year
Calling out the honeys was the balla guy of junior and senior year
“Hi” was replaced with “wassup?”
Do you even remember what you used to be like?
Or do you not like to think about it?

I think I understand part of why you changed
But your trading of one stereotype for another
I can’t quite wrap my head around
The old you could not survive high school
But I’m not sure the new you was really you at all
Just a smokescreen; a cover
To hide what you thought was undesirable
You had to keep that old Indian side of you hidden

High school is over
It’s trivialities expended
Maybe now that you’re beyond that nonsense
You can finally be comfortable in your own skin