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:
Rabin K. Biswokarma Oral History Interview
Rabin Biswokarma speaks about his experience growing up in western Nepal, traveling to the US through various countries in Asia and Latin America, and the pervasiveness of caste-based discrimination, both overt and subtle, from the villages in Nepal to Kathmandu and in the US.
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.
Bamiyan Buddhas
Photo of the Bamiyan Buddhas taken by RD in April 2019. RD traveled all over Afghanistan to document the beauty and history of the country. Having lived in Iran as a refugee and going back to study for her Master's degree there made her realize how little people know about Afghanistan.
A Haft Seen
Photo of a haft seen that RD set up at her apartment in Kabul. This was the last time that she celebrated Nowruz in Kabul in March 2021. RD talks about leaving behind family, friends, traditions and everything that was dear to her. She misses that community that she had worked hard to build. Moving forward she will have to build a new life in the U.S. and create new traditions.
A City Street in Kabul, Afghanistan
Photograph of a city street in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2018. Freaba Morrad's father visited Afghanistan in 2018. You can see people going about their lives. Freaba talks about Afghans immigrating only due to war and poverty. If Afghanistan was peaceful, as shown in this picture, no one would leave.
Mountain Range in Faryab, Afghanistan
The mountain range where Freaba Morrad's family currently lives in Faryab, Afghanistan. This picture showcases the serenity and natural beauty of Freaba's ancestral town in Afghanistan. Freaba talks about the deep connection that she feels to Afghanistan in general but to Faryab in particular and the natural landscape is one of the reasons for that connection.