Growing Up Guyanese

About the Book

This memoir specifically highlights the experiences of a female of Indo-Guyanese decent growing up in the Midwest. Often confused for being an immigrant East Indian, Ashti offers a brief exposure to a thriving culture that is consistently overlooked. Ultimately, she aims to show others what it is like to be a West Indian living in the United States. As she explains her ethnic background, Ashti also covers the nuances of growing up Guyanese—the struggles she and others like herself face and the comical interactions they have all likely experienced. As it progresses, the book delves deeper into a theme of finding oneself. This occurs as the author reaches adulthood and makes discoveries that all millennials must make in their lifetime. Highly anecdotal, Growing Up Guyanese offers any reader regardless of ethnicity something to which he or she can relate.

About the Author

Ashti A. Motilall, age 25, was born and raised in Minnesota. Her immediate family originates from Guyana, South America, and her ancestors from India. She spent a majority of her life in the south suburbs, and attended the Carlson L. Curtis School of Management (Twin Cities) for her undergraduate and graduate education. Afterwards, she began working as an accountant at a large corporation headquartered within the state. She remains there amidst moving off campus to be back home with her parents and grandmother. Her story outlines these experiences, and associated growing pains, as told from the standpoint of a first generation Indo-Guyanese living in America.