Stereotypes, Soft Power & Tradition: on His Terms | Part 3: Redefining the Future
Redefining Tradition, Creatively
For Gurtej, connection to culture doesn’t come from checking boxes or repeating rituals for the sake of it – it comes from meaning, creativity, and play.
He grew up with a loose connection to organized religion. While he respects the teachings of Sikhism, he’s wary of institutions that feel outdated or inaccessible to younger generations. “The values are amazing – care for others, protect nature, serve your community,” he explains. “But the way those values are taught doesn’t always meet people where they are.”
Instead of dismissing tradition, Gurtej dreams of reimagining it. What if temples had basketball courts or community gyms? What if spiritual teachings were paired with tangible actions – like planting trees instead of just reading verses about them?
He’s not anti-religion. He’s anti-passivity. “I want my future kids to inherit these values, but not out of guilt. I want it to be fun. Something they feel connected to, not just something they’re told to do.”
Cultural continuity, for him, isn’t about clinging to the past – it’s about keeping what’s valuable, and making it resonate in the present. Whether it’s music, food, or spiritual wisdom, the delivery matters just as much as the message.
It’s in these ideas – playful, practical, and progressive – that Gurtej’s multicultural experience comes full circle: not a tug-of-war between worlds, but a toolkit to build something new.
Gurtej’s story is a reminder that identity is not a fixed answer – it’s an evolving process. It’s formed in childhood classroom, late-night TV, awkward assumptions, and reclaimed confidence. It’s also shaped in the moments where someone chooses to show up fully, despite the friction, and where culture is redefined as something alive, not inherited.
To be multicultural, layered, or in-between isn’t to be confused – it’s to be dynamic. Gurtej doesn’t flatten his complexity to fit a mold. Instead, he uses it – sometimes gently, sometimes boldly – as a tool to connect, challenge, and reimagine.
His story isn’t about solving identity. It’s about living it. All of it.
