To the Struggles Ahead

Abstract

Dibbi Barua, 17 at the time of writing, tries to capture his reality after arriving in America—struggling to make friends at first, finding himself in ELD with his brother and close friends, feeling like an imposter just trying to blend in, and finally breaking through in high school. Now in college at Cal State LA, Barua finds himself struggling with a different kind of imposter syndrome as the youngest person in his class trying to make it in the world of adults and fighting against the lowered expectations people seem to have for the “TikTok generation.” In this piece, Barua offers honest insight into first-gen experience and his drive to prove there’s much more to him than his immigration status or his age.