Negena Haidary
This interview is with Negena Haidary, an Afghan-American Shia Muslim woman. Negena speaks about her relationships and experiences with her family, particularly as a first-generation American. She speaks about the impacts of 9/11 on her family, the difficulty of finding community as a member of a minority group, and the ongoing act of balancing immigrant parents’ expectations with the necessity of participating in American culture. Negena also discusses the challenges of navigating mental health and finding one’s own life path, sharing the wisdom she has gathered through her own journey of healing and growth.
Sharon Mathew
This interview is with Sharon Mathew, a medical student and aspiring reproductive healthcare provider in Clearwater, FL. Sharon talks about growing up as a first-generation American in a Malayali home, and how that affected their experiences of gender dynamics and relationships to peers. She shares her journey of relating to her heritage, from shying away from Mohiniyattam dance due to childhood bullying to embracing wearing pottu and learning Malayalam as an adult. Sharon discusses their passion for reproductive healthcare as a powerful freedom and describes their activist work as well as their career aspirations and inspirations.