Bollywood
In a time when much of my country was struggling from divisive and hateful acts, I escaped to Animal Crossing: New Horizons in hopes of using creativity as an outlet.
Much of my life, I have struggled with finding accurate and honorable representation for India across media and societal forums.
After seeing multiple people create islands based off of their Asian heritage (Japan, Thailand, Philippines, etc) I was inspired to pay homage to my cultural upbringing and that’s how Bollywood was born.
Every nook and cranny of Bollywood is jam packed with cultural significance and rich history about India and its monuments, people, food, art, and daily life.
I wanted to allow people to learn about India through the means of Animal Crossing, especially because travel bans had been placed worldwide.
I wanted to further elaborate on my creations which inspired me to create an Instagram dedicated to researching and providing people with more info on India.
This process has not only been therapeutic but has allowed me to connect with people who have visited India and hear their stories.
It makes me proud of my heritage and save hope for a more educational and inclusive future for upcoming generations.