“Two teens share growing up in Mauritius and America as Hindus”, Hinduism Today, June 01, 2026
“On our recent visit to kauai’s hindu monastery, we met for the first time and quickly bonded over a shared experience: facing racism on our way to Hawaii. In my (Kapil’s) case, my mother and I were scolded by a fellow passenger as we rushed to get our carry-on, who called us typical foreigners causing trouble. In Naavalan’s case, he was asked by the taxi driver on the way to the airport if he belonged to the religion that worships millions of Gods—usually an opening for a conversion attempt. Our two experiences sparked a deeper exchange about what it’s like being Hindu in our respective countries—Naavalan in the United States and myself in Mauritius. While both of us are proud Hindus, our experiences are shaped by the vastly different proportions of Hindus in our countries—just 1% in America and nearly 48% in Mauritius. Our stories reflect the realities of living as a religious minority versus a majority and what that means for our identity, traditions and freedom to practice.
Naavalan: Practicing Hinduism as a Minority
Being Hindu in America can be challenging. As a small minority, we often struggle to maintain our traditions in a predominantly Christian society. This can weaken our connection to our religion, especially when exclusion and stereotyping are common.
It’s not unusual for Hindu kids to be bullied or teased for wearing traditional attire like a kurta, rudraksha beads or applying vibhuti. Sometimes we are mocked with stereotypes—being told we worship cows or have “millions of Gods,” or ridiculed for revering Deities like Ganesha or Hanuman, who have animal forms. Such comments make it harder to feel accepted, and they discourage open expression of our faith……”
Read full article at hinduismtoday.com
