Being a young migrant taught me that fitting in isn’t about losing yourself

Raghu | 16 | Kaurna Land

I am a first-generation migrant, born and raised in Malaysia, uprooted at age 10. Looking back on that time now, it was a scary experience, riddled with uncertainty and anxiousness at the amount of change I had to go through all at once. As I began assimilating into Australian culture, I started finding myself losing connection to my culture, to my family, and to my life before.

“For a long time, I felt caught between two worlds.”

At school, I was learning to fit in—to speak differently, to adopt new traditions, and to embrace a different way of life. At home, my parents tried to keep our culture alive, cooking the same food we ate in Malaysia, speaking Tamil, and holding on to the values and practices we had grown up with. But I often felt like I wasn’t doing enough in either space. I was “too Australian” for my family at times, and “too foreign” for my peers.

This tug-of-war left me questioning my identity. Who am I, really? Am I the boy who makes murukku with my grandmother on Deepavali, or the kid who loves smashed avo on toast? Can I be both?

Over the years, I’ve come to realise that I don’t have to choose. My identity is a blend of my Malaysian-Indian roots and my Australian life. I’ve learned that being a first-generation migrant is about weaving together the threads of two cultures, creating something entirely unique and beautiful. It’s about celebrating the richness of your heritage while embracing the opportunities and experiences of your new home.

This journey hasn’t always been easy. There were times when I felt ashamed of my accent, my food, or the fact that I didn’t fully “get” Australian slang. But I’ve come to see those things as strengths. They remind me of where I come from and how far I’ve come.

Today, I try to channel my experience of being “in-between” into my passion for leadership and advocacy. Whether it’s through youth councils, forums, or campaigns, I want to ensure that no one feels the way I did when I first arrived: invisible, unheard, and unsure of where they fit in.

My story isn’t finished. Like so many young migrants, I’m still figuring things out.

“But what I do know is this: fitting in isn’t about losing yourself. It’s about finding ways to stay true to who you are while embracing the world around you.”

So, where do I fit in? Certainly not in any box that others try to squeeze me in. I fit in a box that I create. I fit in anywhere I choose to. Because being me—a Malaysian-Indian-Australian migrant on Kaurna Land—is enough. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.