Mahendran Thiruvarangan Oral History Interview
At the time of this interview, Mahendran Thiruvarangan ('Thiru') is a senior lecturer at the University of Jaffna Department of Linguistics and English, and is a scholar who focuses on postcolonial literatures, the relationships between land and literature, radical democracy, and nationalism and co-existence. He received his PhD in English in 2019 from the City University of New York.
Tahmoures Hormozdyaran Oral History Interview
The interview was conducted as part of SAADA's ACFP 2021-2022. This interviewee discussed his early childhood and family life in Karachi, Pakistan, moving to a Parsi neighborhood as well as childhood memories of being a Zoroastrian in Yazd, Iran. He shared experiences of him and his family migrating to the U.S. and settling down in Centreville, Virginia for 30 or so years.
Asha Magrati and Deepak Rauniyar Oral History Interview
Asha Magrati and Deepak Rauniyar speak about caste and ethnicity as a Hill Dalit and Madhesi couple, about hiding caste in Kathmandu, how caste can be hidden but not the skin color/ethnicity, and how casteism and colorism continue from Nepal to US.
Angela Nawang Oral History Interview
Angela Nawang speaks about her experience growing up in boarding school in India and coming to New York, limitations of identity, and multiple marginalizations.
In this slideshow, you will see:
Mount Hermon School Kindergarten class picture. Angela is seated in front of the school’s main doors, front row 3rd seat from right to left.
Pabitra Khati Benjamin Oral History Interview
Pabitra Khati Benjamin speaks about her childhood, moving to the US as a child, going back to Nepal with more privilege, and her journey to become an organizer. She reflects on race, caste, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and the relative privilege Asians have compared to Black, Native American, and Latinx communities.
In this slideshow, you will see:
Prarthana Gurung and Maya Oral History Interview
Conversation with Prarthana Gurung and Maya (name changed) about growing up in the U.S. (Prarthana) and in Nepal (Maya), flattening of identity, feeling alienated within Nepali community because of gender and ethnicity, finding chosen family, and the privilege of having the luxury to explore identity not bogged down by day-to-day survival
In this slideshow, you will see:
Rajan Maharjan Oral History Interview
Rajan Maharjan is a first generation immigrant from Nepal currently living in Queens, NY and working in Manhattan. The interviewee discussed growing up in Yala in Kathmandu valley, coming from a farming community, his family, struggles of early days in New York, his literary forays, and hopes for his young daughter. Also discussed: caste, ethnicity, class in Nepal and Nepali diaspora.