Saamiya Seraj
This interview is with Saamiya Seraj, a Bangladeshi-American immigrant and entrepreneur in Austin, TX. Saamiya shares memories of Bangladesh and her family, then talks about her decision to come to the US for college and graduate school. She talks about her education and work as an engineer, both in the US and in Bangladesh. Saamiya describes the founding of A Better Force, a professional development company that focuses on empowering women and people of color. Saamiya also shares her experiences with cancer, including medical sexism and racism.
Hadi Jawad
This interview is with Hadi Jawad, an activist in Dallas, TX. Hadi shares memories of growing up in Pakistan and coming to the US for college. He talks about his business and how he began activism work against US military involvement in Iraq. Hadi describes the impacts of post-9/11 Islamophobia on his community and his own interactions with the FBI.
Samira Abed
This interview is with Samira Abed, a Palestinian-American businesswoman living in Florida. Samira describes her youth in Brazil, her time in Palestine, and her immigration to the US after her marriage. She talks about raising her family in Texas and becoming a businesswoman. Samira shares about a car accident that left one of her sons permanently disabled and talks about how this affected her family. She also discusses her family’s experiences of Islamophobia after 9/11 and her relationship with Islam today.
Sarah Aburumuh
This interview is with Sarah Aburumuh, a high school teacher in San Antonio, TX. Sarah describes growing up in her large Muslim family, memories of 9/11, and her decision to put on the hijab in middle school. She talks about her experiences as a teacher, especially with regards to race, religion, and teaching diversity. Sarah shares about being seen as a representative of Islam because of her hijab as well as her approaches to prejudice. She also talks about her inspirations and influences.
Ahmad Kaki
This interview is with Ahmad Kaki, a legal assistant and law student in Arlington, VA. Ahmad describes growing up Palestinian and Muslim in Texas and how his life changed after 9/11. He talks about his college experiences of involvement in the Muslim Students Association and pro-Palestine organizing. Ahmad shares the trajectory of his career, which brought him to law school and his current work as a legal assistant with the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
Ramon Mejia
This interview is with Ramon Mejia, a veteran of the Marine Corps and anti-war organizer in Waxahachie, TX. Ramon describes his childhood in Oak Cliff, Dallas, leading up to his decision to join the Marines. He shares about his experience in the military, his deployment in Kuwait and Iraq, and being discharged for his health. He talks about his curiosity about Islam after deployment and his decision to convert. Ramon goes on to describe his work as an educator and organizer. He talks about how his intersecting identities influence the work he does, particularly in the post-9/11 United States.
Muna Hussaini
This interview is with Muna Hussaini, an Indian-American Muslim and tech professional in Austin, TX. Muna describes her childhood in an expat community in Saudi Arabia and the transition to moving back to the US. She discusses the impact of gender roles on her and how her relationship with hijab changed over time. Muna shares her experiences of hate crimes and harassment as a hijabi woman post-9/11. She talks about how the kindness of others helped her through those times, and how she strives for kindness in her daily life and work with Muslim Space.
Rais Bhuiyan
This interview is with Rais Bhuiyan, the founder of World Without Hate, who currently lives in Seattle, WA. Rais describes his youth in Bangladesh and his first career in the Bangladeshi military before coming to the US for school. He describes his experience of 9/11, after which he was the victim of Islamophobic gun violence, and then experienced food insecurity and medical debt due to his lack of medical insurance. He shares about his decision to try to save his attacker from death row with the help of Amnesty International and fellow humanitarians. Rais also talks about World Without Hate and its current projects.
Content Warning: The following interview contains sensitive material. Please note that the interview includes description of graphic violence and hate crimes. These subjects will be discussed at 21:17 - 26:27 (in the transcript p. 5).
Therese Quinto
This interview is with Therese Marie Quinto, a first-generation Filipino-American nursing student living in San Antonio, TX. Therese talks about her parents’ experiences as immigrants and how being a daughter of immigrants has shaped her. She describes the cultural influence of her Filipino-American community as well as her relationship to Catholicism and her non-profit work with Catholic Charities. She also talks about her friendships and her exposure to many cultures through them.
Jennifer Kamara
This interview is with Jennifer Kamara, an engineer living in Houston, TX. Jennifer describes the various cultural and religious influences on her life, such as the countries she has lived in, the Christian traditions she has been exposed to, and her marriage. She talks about her relationship with her husband and navigating an inter-religious, intercultural marriage. Jennifer also talks about her activity in supporting diversity in her workplace and gives her perspectives on prejudice and stereotypes.