EP 28: A Mother’s Love: Punita Khanna on Giving Her Mixed-Race Son Options and Exposure

In this episode, we sit down with Punita Khanna, a first-generation Indian Punjabi immigrant and co-author of Mixed Daisies: Stories of Multiracial South Asians. As the mother of Rahul, featured in Episode 27, Punita reflects on her journey of raising a mixed-race child in a context where such families were relatively rare. Punita shares her experiences of feeling like an outsider—facing discrimination as a brown person in the United States and struggling with acceptance in India. Despite these challenges, her unwavering dedication to providing Rahul with the best opportunities, resources, and community support shines through. Being the first mixed child on both sides of their families, Punita discusses the dynamics of raising a mixed-race child in a predominantly white society, including recognizing her husband John’s white privilege and the contrasting parenting styles between her Indian heritage and his more relaxed American approach. Punita also reflects on marrying and having a child later in life, her efforts to expose Rahul to various cultures and religions, and giving him the freedom to choose his own path. She shares her journey as a breast cancer survivor and passionate advocate for breast cancer awareness within the South Asian community. Her story highlights the importance of early detection, the challenges of dealing with a lack of representation in healthcare narratives, and her decision to shield Rahul from the emotional burden of her illness. Ultimately, this episode is a monoracial South Asian mother’s love letter to her mixed-race son. It sheds light on the many overlaps between their journeys as they find acceptance, build community, and cultivate resources and spaces for mixed families and individuals. Punita and Rahul’s Book! Mixed Dasis: Stories Of Multiracial South Asians  www.amazon.com/Mixed-Desis-Stories-Multiracial-Asians-ebook/dp/B0CQ93G46D   Mentions: www.humsubglobalteen.com Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua   Recommendations from Punita:   Raising Mixed Race: Multiracial Asian Children in a Post-Racial World by Sharon H. Chang Raising Multiracial Children: Tools for Nurturing Identity in a Racialized World by Farzana Nayani   Patreon! https://patron.podbean.com/mixunderstoodpod    Follow Mixunderstood! Instagram: @mixunderstoodpod Facebook: @mixunderstoodpod Twitter/X: @Mix_understood Tik Tok: @mixunderstood.pod   Contact: Email: [email protected]   Music by Mathias Kunzli www.mathiaskunzli.com   Patreon! https://patron.podbean.com/mixunderstoodpod