Indah Gunawan

Transient: The Bridge Between Worlds Indah Gunawan

A few years ago, an email from AT& T misspelled Indah Gunawan's name as "India Guinea Pig." Every time she told people she was an international student from Indonesia, the most common follow-up question was about why her "English is so good" and how she "doesn't even have an accent."




Growing up at international schools gave Indah a skewed sense of identity. Her sense of belonging always rested in her relationships with other third-culture kids who understood how she felt. She never qualified as just Chinese, or as just Indonesian. When Indah moved to Los Angeles she was "too Asian" for America, but when she'd come back to Jakarta she was "too White" for Asia.




Transient takes a hilarious and heartfelt look at what it means to be an international student, and the obstacles that come with it. Read insights and stories from fellow international students like actor and comedian Ronny Chieng, US Senator Tammy Duckworth, and over a hundred others from around the globe. Gain deeper insight and experience through Indah's authentic and honest journey on what it means to be an international student experiencing the Anglosphere for the first time.




If you don't mind a little brutal honesty, some swearing, crass humor, and a sassy attitude, Transient might just be the book you're looking for!