Teen publishes book on growing up as an Indian-American

Washington: Aahana Chowdhuri, a student in San Jose, California, recently self-published "The Colors of My Dreams: An anthology about youth and emotion", a collection of poems and other writings about her experiences as an Indian-American teen.

"I wrote these pieces when I started to feel lost about who I was," the India-West newspaper said in a report citing an excerpt from her book.

"They reminded me about who I am and who I can grow to become from time to time we get sidetracked into the expectations that others have of us. To me, its important that we reaffirm ourselves of what we truly believe in."

Chowdhuri is a junior at the Evergreen Valley High School in San Jose.

She is also part of the East Side Union High School District's Articulation is Power programme, which offers students the opportunity to grow and discover their potential as writers, to develop their own creative spirit, and to publish an original piece after the completion of the second year of the program.

"The Articulation is Power programme gave me an avenue to develop my style as a writer, and it gave me the confidence I needed to express my thoughts and venture into the world of self-publishing," India-West quoted Chowdhuri as saying.

"I am an avid believer in the ability to be true to yourself and to share your own story, so I am grateful that I received the opportunity to express myself."