Sabreet Kang’s Book Generation Zero Veracity Of Immigrants Life

Sabreet Kang’s Book Generation Zero Veracity Of Immigrants Life

Sabreet Kang’s Book Generation Zero Veracity Of Immigrants Life

Sabreet Kang Rajeev is a first-generation Indian American of Sikh descent. Sabreet is a full-time Social-Science researcher and holds an MA in Sociology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and BA in Sociology from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is currently completing her doctorate at the University of Baltimore.

Throughout her life, Sabreet experienced the beauty and struggle of being part of a blue-collar immigrant family, and she is driven to raise awareness and empathy for a minority group of Indian Americans who do not historically come from educational or economic

What a great Book and very relatable to many ‘Generation Zero’! Introduce yourself.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story! I’m a first-generation Punjabi, Indian American of Sikh descent. I have two careers: a full-time researcher and an author. I have a Masters in Sociology and I’m currently working on completing my doctorate at the University of Baltimore. Throughout my life, I have experienced the beauty and struggle of being part of a blue-collar immigrant family. I am driven to raise awareness and empathy for a minority group of Indian Americans who do not historically come from educational or economic privilege. Generation Zero is my first book.

Tell us about your journey as an author.
My journey as an author as been one of the greatest blessings of my life. I worked with the amazing people at Scribe Media and Lioncrest Publishing. They believed in my story and helped me get my story out into the world. Writing a book and publishing a book are two completely different emotions. After I had finished my manuscript; I became scared wanted to halt publishing it. I decided that if I remained silent about the collective experiences of working-class South Asian experience, I could never forgive myself. I decided to let honesty uphold my heart to be brave.

What prompted the idea to write a book?
There was a two-year stretch in my life where I read almost every single immigrant nonfiction book or memoir I could find. Every single book I read, instead of feeling connected, I felt isolated. I was trying to understand how to feel both American and Indian, but the lack of representation made me feel invisible. Every immigrant story I read did not capture the experiences of my family and community. I tirelessly searched for any story that made me feel like I was not alone. I could not shake off this feeling that I needed to do something about it. I started researching and detailing notes on different books, publications, articles, tv shows, movies, and songs that talked about the immigrant experience. Slowly I started to realize that I need to do something, but I was not sure what. One night after a long draining day, I was getting ready for bed. As I was brushing my teeth and looking at myself in the mirror, I realized that maybe what I am looking for has been right in front of me this whole time. I needed to write the book I was desperately searching for on bookshelves.

Would you be writing more books like this one?
I feel like I am scratching the surface trying to elevate working-class South Asian immigrants. I am currently in the process of writing a book aimed taking a deeper dive trying to understand the suffering of immigrant parents and how children of immigrant parents can heal not only themselves from trauma but also their parents if they desire.

What challenges you had to face while writing this book? What was a reaction from the close ones?
The writing process is an emotional journey. Before I sat down and began detailing my book, I had a lot of unprocessed generational trauma that I needed to heal from. I started meditating and connecting with my core being so I could learn and heal from the traumas that guarded my heart. Once I was able to fully understand who I am and my mission on earth, the stories, and the messages poured out. My family and friends have been very supportive. They have embraced Generation Zero and expressed that they finally have words to express their experiences as working-class immigrant families in America.

Where do you see yourself in the next couple of years?
As cheesy as this sounds, happy and present. While I have professional goals, they do not define my entire life. Instead of thinking about where I will be professionally in a few years, I am focusing on living in the present and taking in all of the experiences that make me human.

Have you thought of a podcast?
I have not and have no desire to start one. I enjoy listening to them too much. I strongly believe in pouring your soul into a few projects that set your soul on fire. For me, that’s being a researcher and an author.

What is a regular day for you look like?
My regular day right now involves changing a whole bunch of diapers and hanging out with my newborn son because I’m on maternity leave. A typical day for me outside of maternity leave involves working my day job as a researcher, enjoying my time with my family after work. I save all my author and school-related work for the weekend.

Which one is your personal favorite author?
My favorite author of all time is Thich Nhat Hanh. I’ve read every single book he has released. I highly encourage people who want to learn about mindfulness, to read his books.

Some words for the new writers and your fans.
Learn your culture and accept your parents as human beings going through an immigrant experience. When you immigrate, you must leave behind everything you know—your hometown and your family—in order to come to a strange new place, with a different language and different customs. That requires sacrifice and courage, and it is an experience you cannot undergo without changing.

I’ve seen my parents change in many small ways over the course of my life. I’ve seen my father adopt an attitude of

“My daughter is complete as capable as my son.” And after I graduated with my first degree and people began asking my mother when she would get me married off, I’d overhear her defending me on the phone: “Who cares about marriage? She’s going to do what she wants to do.”

These changes are subtle, and they’re often internal, hidden from view. Often, the only way you will know your parents have changed is if you are willing to talk to them and have those potentially uncomfortable conversations—about romantic partners, career goals, or whatever else you’ve been avoiding speaking to your parents about.
I can’t guarantee how your parents will react, and they may not have changed as much as you’d like. But there’s a chance they will surprise you. Their identity and values may have been established in India, but they’re continually being shaped by America as well.