Walter Celestine
This interview is with Walter Celestine, Program Director of the Native American Employment Training Program at the American Indian Center of Houston, who is from the Alabama-Coushatta reservation in Livingston, Texas. Walter discusses the history of the reservation, their traditional practices, and finally, integrating with society off of the reservation. The First Indian Baptist church was created by Walter’s family and the reservation has changed significantly. He speaks to the importance of dispelling stereotypes of Native American culture and taking care of Mother Earth. He also speaks to the challenges the Alabama-Coushatta community have faced through the COVID-19 pandemic.
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.
Grace Carlin
This interview is with Grace Carlin, a San Antonio-based environmentalist. Grace discusses finding her passion for nature through exposure to national parks and educational opportunities. She talks about her work coordinating the Urban Land & Water program with the Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas, describing the impacts and challenges of community gardens. Grace also shares her interest in youth engagement, particularly the value of young people’s contributions and their right to a future with a stable global climate.
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.
Miqdaad Bhuriwala
This interview is with Miqdaad Bhuriwala, a current master's student in urban planning and a member of the Dawoodi Bhora Muslim community. Miqdaad immigrated to America right after 9/11 and speaks to the experience of uprooting his life, losing parts of his cultural heritage, like language, and learning how to fit in as a Pakistani-American. Miqdaad also discusses how living through a global pandemic has allowed him the chance to work on his mental health and focus on his goal of making the world a better place for both humans and our environment.