Tiffany Puett
This interview is with Tiffany Puett, the founder and director of the Institute for Diversity and Civic Life, in Austin, TX. Tiffany describes her childhood in small town America and the influence of evangelical Christianity on the culture. They talk about exploring different religious communities during college, then later about how they exposed their children to religion. She shares about her educational journey up through a PhD in religious studies as well as her work experience in interfaith and religion education. They discuss the founding of IDCL, its challenges and goals, and their hopes for both the organization and Texas.
Tinny Widjaja
This interview is with Tinny Widjaja, a Chinese-Indonesian immigrant and political and interfaith activist living in Austin, TX. Tinny talks about growing up Chinese in Indonesia, and the discrimination she and her family faced there, as well as her decision to leave the country. She describes working abroad, meeting her African-American husband in Singapore, and moving to the US after having a son. Tinny shares how she went from politically ambivalent to politically active in the wake of the George Floyd protests, in hopes of making a safer world for her son.
Jin-Ya Huang
This interview is with Jin-Ya Huang, an artist and immigrant from Taiwan living in Dallas, TX. Jin-Ya describes her childhood in Taiwan and memories of the stark differences between her mother’s and father’s families. She shares about coming to the States, including the challenges of her parents’ career changes and working in family restaurants. Jin-Ya talks about influences on her life both good and bad, from keeping her cultural traditions to experiencing intergenerational trauma.
Alexia Leclerqc
This interview is with Alexia Leclerqc, an environmental justice activist working with PODER in Austin, TX. Alexia discusses moving around a lot in childhood and struggling with others’ lack of respect for her family’s Taiwanese and Buddhist traditions. They talk about coming into environmental justice work via their education and witnessing injustice and contradiction in the world. She shares about the work she does, such as water testing and meeting with politicians and scientists. Alexia also describes Start:Empowerment, the nonprofit organization they cofounded to get environmental justice curriculum into high schools.
Somboon Rattanawerapong
This interview is with Somboon Rattanawerapong, who is a Buddhist monk in Arlington, Texas. He shares his story of growing up in Uttaradit, Thailand, working as an elephant trainer and later joining the Nanum temple in Northern Thailand at the age of 20.
He arrived in America in 1995 with a Buddhist missionary. Today, Somboon leads prayers and group meditations at the Chua Buddhamahamunee Buddhist Meditation Center in Arlington. He is involved with the broader community through his Theravada Buddhist group in Fort Worth, Texas who host drive-thru food pantries and lead interfaith meditation sessions. In this narration, we hear Somboon’s account of his life events and his life now, centered around mindfulness and his path to enlightenment.