Aarzu Punjani
This interview is with Aarzu Punjani, a business manager and first-generation Indian-American living in San Antonio, TX. Aarzu talks about her early experiences with and without Indian and Ismaili communities. She describes growing up as the daughter of immigrants and how their constant hard work to provide in the US influenced her upbringing. She talks about her involvement with her family’s business, her college experience, and work-life balance. Aarzu also shares about her experiences with racism and xenophobia in the US, as well as her relationship to her Indian heritage and family.
Jessica Pires-Jancose
This interview is with Jessica Pires-Jancose, an abortion rights organizer working for Avow Texas in Dallas, TX. Jessica talks about moving around a lot in their childhood and their impressions of the different places they have lived. She describes relationships with her family and her heritage, including exploring gender with her sibling and getting in touch with her Goan roots. Jessica reflects on the lessons they have learned from working in the reproductive healthcare field, such as the importance of intersectional knowledge and care. She also shares the challenges of the field, both combating anti-abortion legislation and getting democratic lawmakers to be bold in their support of abortion access.
Nasriya Witt
This interview is with Nasriya Witt, an Indian immigrant and refugee youth mentor. Nasriya talks about her experiences of living in India, Oman, and Saudia Arabia as a child before moving to the United States. She discusses her acclimation to the US as well as her schooling and fascination with research psychology. Nasriya also describes her current job as a mentor for refugee youth in San Antonio.
Shuchita Chaitanya
This interview is with Brahmacharini Shuchita Chaitanya, a monk in training at the Chinmaya Mission of Austin. Shuchita tells the story of how her questions about happiness, balance, and goodness led her toward the path to monkhood. She describes the process of taking a Vedanta course through the Chinmaya Mission in India, and how she decided at the course’s end to take the yellow robes of a monk in training. Shuchita also talks about acclimating to her duties in Austin and getting to know her community before and during the pandemic.
Roshnara Mustafa
This interview is with Roshnara Mustafa, an Indian Muslim who lives in Austin, Texas. Roshnara shares her story of growing up in Kerala, India and her exposure to different sects of Islam, including Sufism. Roshnara discusses her own path in strengthening her faith and religious identity and advocates for accepting pluralism within Islam.