Breaking Taboos
Hi! My name is Rhea Krishnan, and I’m a Junior in South Brunswick High School in New Jersey. Being a high schooler, growing up in a predominantly Indian town, I’ve noticed the stigmas that are so prevalent in my culture. Amongst South Asian teens today, there are certain ideologies we don’t talk about. For example, the idea that fairer equals prettier, “mental health isn’t real”, and even gender identity. I felt the need to address these topics once and for all, so I reached out to numerous South Asian social workers, authors, and doctors to record interviews. My goal is to create a safe space for us to break Indian stigmas one step at a time.
When I started this vision in 2022, I envisioned it as my safe place. At first, I used this website to express my own thoughts about various things that I have seen people in Indian culture deal with. I used this website to essentially rant to my readers.
Today, I see this blog as so much more. Breaking Taboos is a voice for the minorities, it is a vision of what Indian culture can be, and it is a community in which we break stigmas together. I am constantly overwhelmed by the encouragement and feedback I receive from readers. Creating a community where people feel heard, safe, and empowered is my passion in life, so please don’t hesitate to let me know exactly what topics you would like to read about.
In the blog section, readers can find posts I have written and interviews I have done. I also encourage readers to share their struggles (whether it be anonymously or not) with the rest of our readers. It can always help others when they know that they aren’t alone in what they’re going through. In the contact section, you can ask to either be interviewed or write for Breaking Taboos if you decide to. Remember, everyone is welcome to share their story.
The end goal of Breaking Taboos is to inspire readers to embrace their differences, and create an Indian culture where we accept everyone, no matter what. By listening to my interviews and reading what others write, I hope that we can truly create a stigma-free Indian community.