Being American & South Asian (Recorded at UC Berkeley)

"Being Sri Lankan in America is to unapologetically claim my space as a South Asian..."The final episode of Season Two is a special that was recorded, on campus, at UC Berkeley, California interviewing young South Asian American womxn about their experiences. I talked to Sitara Bellam, Emma Desilva, Medhavi G & Shenali Pilapitiya, Students from The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley ’20 & ’21).They spoke about their identity, their individual struggles, about being South Asian and being American – and how the two fit together. We discussed the taboos faced by all South Asian womxn growing up worldwide:Not being able to dateHaving to hide your sexualityHaving to lead double livesIssues around female sexuality and periodsFighting to become strong powerful womenFabulous, fierce South Asian American womxn...Sitara Bellam: @sitarabellam “I think that as South Asian Americans we have to not only uplift the creatives and change-makers across our Diaspora but remain equally critical in how we engage with our culture and what stories we tell about our identities.”Emma DeSilva: @emmaadesilvaa “I hope South Asian Americans will have the confidence to go after their passions and interests, while not sacrificing their South Asian identities. And we’ll see more South Asian American representation in areas, like film, music, media, and politics.”Shenali Pilapitiya: @ _shenali “Being Sri Lankan in America is to unapologetically and proudly claim my space as a South-Asian woman, and to contribute to the culture, knowledge and stories of WOC that shape the foundations of America.”Mentioned in this episode:Inspiring feminist memoir Bad DaughterBad Daughter is my story of going from Mumbai’s slums to New York’s Billboards, with a healing stopover in Kerala. But it’s your story too. It doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter what happened to you. You still get to have the life you want. That's the message of this book. My memoir Bad Daughter is deeply personal. I talk about growing up in poverty. I talk about my father’s violence, my mother’s murder. I talk about how I turned my pain into power, navigating mental health, sexuality, spirituality & patriarchy. If you’re looking for a book to move you and inspire you to change your own life, buy this book on Amazon: https://shorturl.at/TDC7g. Or buy directly on my website: https://baddaughter.co.uk/about/ Bad Daughter is an essential feminist book, this inspirational memoir is for every woman who wants to break free. This powerful memoir is a reminder that the courage to be your authentic self can transform your own life – and the lives of those around you.