Connections Through Culture and Body Modification

by Olivia Appleton

I hear the buzz of the tattoo gun as I feel a sharp pain spreading throughout my arm. I look across the room at my boyfriend, also getting a tattoo, as we sit and smile. A lot has led to this moment.

Ever since I can remember, I have always been interested in my culture. I am half South Asian and half El Salvadorean, so my ancestors of both countries are on opposite sides of the world. My parents, having both been adopted from their home countries, met on the Cape through their job as camp counselors. They are still at a loss regarding some aspects of their culture from their home countries. This resulted in my curiosity about who my ancestors are and where my roots belong. I never had an Indian grandmother telling me stories about the motherland or a Hispanic grandfather teaching me Spanish. There has always been a gap between me and my culture.

When I was a little girl, I hated looking different. Growing up on Cape Cod, being a brown skinned girl who had no idea about her culture was isolating. I would feel insecure and try to be like everyone else and blend in. It wasn’t until I hit middle school that I finally met a girl my age from India. Of course, we became fast friends, and she was able to teach me some about our culture. I finally didn’t feel alone anymore.

As I got older, I had to learn to embrace my culture. I give much credit to my high school English teacher, Lisa Doyle, who really pushed me in all those ways. It started with little things at first, like making tikka masala with rice for a cultural fair in high school. I remember being so excited that there was no food left at my table because everyone loved it so much, they ate it all. Then, I took a brave step and got henna done by a professional henna artist for my graduation. Looking back, that was one of the happiest moments in my life. I had finally gotten to the point where I did not feel isolated because of my culture. I learned how to embrace it fully by my standards.

It wasn’t until I had gotten a tarot card reading that I got a small inkling of what I was in for. The woman giving me my reading sensed a very strong ancestral energy around me. After explaining that I don’t know any one of my ancestors, she recommended that I learn more about the Hindu gods and goddesses so they could help me. I immediately became excited. This moment is the only moment so far that I have even gotten a sign from my ancestors. The idea that my ancestors were guiding me baffled me as much as shocked me.

I began researching more about Hindu gods and goddesses as well as searching for tattoo ideas from my South Asian side for my culture. By getting a South Asian inspired tattoo, I can

celebrate the beauty of that side of my culture. I soon came across the goddess Durga, whom I envied for her strong feminine power. She is often depicted by riding a tiger. I began to play with ideas of tiger tattoos as well as incorporating henna-like designs to it. As I was pondering this tattoo idea, my ancestors were hard at work sending me signs.

It started slowly, beginning with signs I considered coincidences. But, over time, the coincidences happened so often where I no longer believed it to be just by chance. No matter where I went or what I was doing, I saw images of tigers. Whether on a person’s shirt, on my phone, in public, there were images of tigers following me. Whether this was a sign from my ancestors or not, I did not want to ignore it.

Even after I got my tattoo done, the signs did not stop. To this day, I still see tigers everywhere. They have become a reminder for me that even though I do not know my ancestors fully, they are always with me, and I am not alone.

Tattoo done at Spilt Milk Mooncusser Tattoo. (Austin Digeloromo)

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