English Vinglish

Identity is something any first generation American deals with. My parents moved to the US from Pakistan, and I have never seamlessly fit into either label of American or Pakistani. To put it shortly,  I'm too Pakistani for the Americans, and too American for the Pakistanis.

For example, when I speak Urdu, though I am fluent, I speak with an American accent. I have one side marveling over my bilingualism and the other looking down upon my ability to speak. I don't like Rooh-Afsa a staple drink for Pakistanis during Ramadan. Bollywood movies which have become a part of Pakistani culture as well are something I never liked either. But--my greatest sin of all--I don't like chai. Blasphemy, I know. I'm a "Pakiphonie" in my own right.

However, I don't fit a lot of people's definition of "American." Is speaking English not enough? The linguistic commonality--the way we are able to communicate in the same exact audible manner not enough? Let me flip this around. Just how "American" is your English?

Consider the stereotypical image of a white guy--the polo, the khakis. Khaki is an Urdu word that means "dirt colored." Getting ready for bed? Next time you put on your pyjamas think of their urdu orgin meaning "foot" or "leg garment." These were a couple of stolen words--the loot. It holds the same meaning in Urdu.
Urdu speakers will do this thing where they will make up a word to rhyme with whatever they just said as a way to convey the same meaning as "etc" or to say something sarcastically. Oh, what to say to all of this English vinglish!

I will never watch this movie sorry not sorry