"You must be from India, right?" "Actually… I'm South African." "South African? But you look Indian!"It's a question I've been asked so many times I've lost count. At dinner tables, airport gates, classrooms, and crowded city sidewalks, especially while living in China. Each time, it opens the door to a fascinating detour through history, one where I explain that my ancestors were part of a wave of indentured laborers who left India between 1860 and 1911, bound for the sugar cane plantations along South Africa's east coast. They came hoping to return home one day, but most stayed, planting roots that would grow into generations, including mine.There are about 1.7 million people of Indian descent in South Africa, yet this vibrant community remains invisible to much of the world. The threads of British colonialism wove India into a global migration map; South Africa is just one stop among many. As a result, I belong to the largest diaspora on the planet, a living, breathing bridge between continents, languages, and legacies.In this ever-turning kaleidoscope of culture, identity, and memory, I navigate the spaces between "Where are you from?" and "Who are you really?" Each question invites a new reflection, another shard of color in the mosaic that shapes who I am and my place in the culture kaleidoscope. Ms. Pillay has been an English teacher for the past 25 years. She hails from South Africa and has been in China for the past 8 years. She is married with one son. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx