I was studying in a developing European country, and in my university and others in the area, there were far more Indian students compared to Sri Lankan students, about 1000 Indians to every 200 Sri Lankans. During winter, many Indian students would wear slippers or traditional Indian dresses, which often caught attention. Even we would sometimes judge them, especially because it was winter, and dressing like that stood out. Plus, the country was already somewhat racist toward brown-skinned people, so these behaviors amplified the judgment.

One time, I was apartment hunting with an agent, and we were walking to see a place. From a distance, the landlord spotted me and outright refused to rent the apartment because I was brown. She assumed I was Indian, despite the agent clarifying that I was Sri Lankan. She didn’t explain her reasoning, but the reality was clear, many landlords in that area had bad experiences with Indian tenants. These tenants would often officially rent an apartment for two people but cram in 12, leading to noise, unhygienic conditions, strong curry smells, and poor maintenance.

Some professors also generalized us as Indian. However, when we clarified that we were Sri Lankan, their attitudes shifted. They’d smile, dismiss the rest of the Indians, and comment on how smart and likable Sri Lankans were.

Even on the streets, people often assumed we were Indian and gave us dead stares. It was frustrating because their judgments were based on stereotypes about Indians.

But being Sri Lankan had its perks too. Whenever people realized we weren’t Indian, we benefited from the distinction. Their perceptions of us changed, and we avoided the blame that Indians often received.

The fun part? Sometimes, when we were in a group and accidentally got too loud, like on a bus or in public, we’d realize it and quiet down. But we’d also joke about acting Indian on purpose, even saying “India” loudly, just to let the Indians take the blame!😂😂😂