Sharjeel Syed
This interview is with Sharjeel Syed, a first-generation undocumented Pakistani Muslim-American, who is currently in his first year of residency in Chicago, Illinois. Sharjeel’s experience of growing up in San Antonio, going to the local mosque, and feeling a close kinship with Islam, has shaped who he is today. He speaks to wanting to impart systemic changes in the healthcare system in America while also being involved in advocacy or social justice work.
Sarah Elsunni
This interview is with Sarah Elsunni, a Sudanese-American digital marketer living in San Antonio. Sarah was born and raised in Louisiana, where she attended Islamic School, fleeing to Texas after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She speaks to the importance of diversity and inclusivity in the public school system as one of the few Black identifying and the only hijabi students. In college, Sarah had the opportunity to experience several study abroad trips that further solidified her appreciation for multicultural understanding and led to a passion for digital marketing in grassroots organizations. Sarah currently works for Malikah, a gender justice organization.
Rene Slataper
This interview is with Rene Slataper, who is currently seeking a ministry license and ordination at Chicago Theological Seminary. He shares his upbringing in San Antonio, coming from a military town and navigating his identity at a young age. Rene is now preaching at the student ministry at UT, guiding students in the process of bridging the experience of being queer and Christian. In this interview, we learn of his own journey in understanding himself and his faith, and the newfound challenges brought by the pandemic.
Jake Maxwell
This interview is with Jake Maxwell, Pastor of Second Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas. Jake is interested in contemplative or meditative practice within organized religion and uses that knowledge to run a progressive Baptist church. Jake also speaks to the struggles of maintaining one’s mental health during a global pandemic and the importance of recognizing his own privilege as a white man.
Sarah Pearose
This interview is with Sarah Pearose, an Afghan-American medical student living in San Antonio, where she grew up. Sarah comes from a family of medical professionals and attends University of Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine in pursuit of her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. She speaks about growing up as the daughter of immigrants, her interest in medicine, and the lessons she values from Shia Islam. Sarah also shares her experience of deciding to wear the hijab and how that decision impacted her relationships with God, other people, and her own sense of self.
Husaina Yusuf
This interview is with Husaina Yusuf, a young Muslim woman who was born in California and raised in Texas. In this interview, she discusses her upbringing in Houston, the cultural dynamics of her religious sect, and her life experiences. Yusuf was raised as a Bohri Muslim, a subsect of Shia Islam. She shares stories of her family dynamic, her community, and observations of Bohri culture. She also discusses her experiences as a woman navigating gender roles in her religion and personal life.
Shameem Azizad
This interview is with Shameem Azizad, a radiologist and a mother who lives in Austin, Texas. Shameem discusses navigating her faith from her childhood to adulthood and the potential challenges she sees her children face, her background as the child of refugee parents, and her relationship with the state of Texas. Shameem also defines the label “American-Muslim” as it pertains to her views of American culture. Finally, Shameem recounts her work with Muslim Community Support Services, an organization that strives to support indigent and abused in the Muslim community.
María Del Carmen Unda
This interview is with María Del Carmen Unda, a doctoral student and community organizer in Austin, Texas. Maria was born and raised in California, later moving to Texas when she enrolled as a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin. Through relationships with her professors, Maria was exposed to activist movements in Austin, inspiring her to join as a program coordinator at Academia Cuauhtli, a weekend cultural revitalization school. Maria shares her experiences as an activist, teacher, and her perspective on decolonizing education for students. She also discusses the ways in which the pandemic has affected Academia Cuauhtli and the community.
Faiza Susan
This interview is with Faiza Susan, an Ahmadi Muslim woman and aspiring counselor. Faiza talks about her experiences growing up in an insular minority community and the bigotry she was subjected to at a young age in North Texas. She tells the stories of her mother and grandfather who experienced persecution in Pakistan for being Ahmadi. Having seen and felt traumas common among South Asians, Faiza is working toward her masters in rehabilitation counseling in order to become a counselor for the Desi Muslim community.
Rhyma Castillo
This interview is with Rhyma Castillo, a journalist whose work focuses on the systemic challenges that face underprivileged communities. Rhyma speaks about the path and social concerns that led her into the field of journalism and how she believes in using her platform to speak for those whose voices are suppressed. She details her experience during the polar vortex, describing its impact on communities of color as well as her own mental health, in contrast with its lessened cost to the wealthy and privileged. She closes by speaking against ideas of profit over people and in favor of community engagement.