IPL Origin Stories

Immigration Policy Lab
  • 5.0 (1)
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES

Coming to you from the Immigration Policy Lab at Stanford University and ETH Zurich, Origin Stories is a podcast that explores migration through research and storytelling.

  1. Alumni Edition: Dhru & Maria

    08/18/2023

    Alumni Edition: Dhru & Maria

    Our guests in this episode are Dhruti (Dhru) Gopaluni and Maria Cristina Chicuen. Both came to the U.S. at age six, Dhru from Radmadri, Andhra Pradesh, India, and Maria from Havana, Cuba. Their conversation touches on the ways studying at Stanford exposed them to people, cuisines, and ways of being from around the world—pushing them to redefine their own identities and relationship to their respective cultures. Dhru is a Management Program Analyst at NASA. Maria is a Principal at Kivvit. Both graduated from Stanford in 2017.

    32 min
  2. Alumni Edition: Sheela & Sonja

    08/10/2023

    Alumni Edition: Sheela & Sonja

    Our guests in this episode are Sheela Chari and Sonja Srinivasan. Both grew up Indian American in parts of the US where few shared their cultural heritage. Together, they discuss their trajectories as writers, their relationship to the Tamil language and cooking, and representations of Indian characters and stories in literature. Sheela is a fiction and middle grade writer and faculty member at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Sonja is a fiction writer, opera singer, and freelance editor and academic. Both graduated from Stanford in 1995.

    37 min
  3. Alumni Edition: Petros & Anurag

    08/03/2023

    Alumni Edition: Petros & Anurag

    Our guests in this episode are Petros Perselis and Anurag Kadasne. Following their upbringings in Greece and United Arab Emirates, respectively, each attended undergrad in the U.S. before meeting at Stanford. The pair discuss the ways Stanford's diverse student body, interactive learning approaches, and culture of questioning, enthusiasm, and entrepreneurship influenced their professional interests and contributed to a new lens on culture and identity. Anurag is Senior Product Manager at Amazon. Petros is Vice President of Customer Success at Cutover. Both graduated from Stanford in 2013.

    36 min
  4. Alumni Edition: Mona & Yeganeh

    07/27/2023

    Alumni Edition: Mona & Yeganeh

    Our guests in this episode are Mona Azadkia and Yeganeh Alimohammadi. Mona and Yeganeh met in high school in Tehran and came to the U.S. to study. Their conversation touches on the ways Trump's travel ban impacted their time in the US and the ways becoming an immigrant offered new insights on Iranian culture and opportunities to redefine themselves. Mona is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Statistics at the London School of Economics. Yeganeh is a PhD candidate in the Operations Research group in Management Science & Engineering at Stanford University. Mona graduated from Stanford in 2020, and Yeganeh in 2022.

    37 min
  5. Alumni Edition: Jen & Sherlene

    07/20/2023

    Alumni Edition: Jen & Sherlene

    Our guests in this episode are Jen and Sherlene. Jen and Sherlene both grew up in Singapore and came to Stanford for their undergraduate degrees. In their conversation, they reflect on how this experience influenced their perspectives on race and identity both internationally and in Singapore and opened the door to further exploration of their interests, career paths, and self-expression. Jen is a PhD candidate in counseling psychology at New York University. Sherlene is Senior Assistant Director of Income Security Policy at the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore. Jen graduated from Stanford in 2013, Sherlene in 2014.

    36 min
  6. Alumni Edition: Alessia & Xiaorong

    07/13/2023

    Alumni Edition: Alessia & Xiaorong

    Our guests in this episode are Alessia and Xiaorong. In their conversation, they note the surprising similarities they discovered across their Chinese and Italian backgrounds, how their experiences in California shifted or reinforced aspects of their identity and approach to learning, and the warm and supportive community they found at Stanford alongside students from all over the world. Alessia is a sustainable finance expert, author, and adjunct faculty member at the University of Chicago. Xiaorong is Associate Director of Statistics at AbbVie Inc. Alessia graduated from Stanford in 2003, Xiaorong in 2004.

    29 min
  7. Alumni Edition: Sheba & Samira

    07/06/2023

    Alumni Edition: Sheba & Samira

    Our guests in this episode are Sheba Najmi and Samira Khan. Looking back over their personal and family heritage from British India and Pakistan, they reflect on how their their experiences and identities contributed to their careers merging social impact with technology. Sheba is the Founder and Executive Director at Tech for Change. Samira is Director of Campaign and Field Insights in Global Public Affairs at Microsoft. Sheba graduated from Stanford in 2002 and Samira in 2003.

    1h 26m
  8. Alumni Edition: Charlene & Rachele

    06/29/2023

    Alumni Edition: Charlene & Rachele

    Our guests in this episode are Charlene Wang and her daughter Rachele Lam. Together, they discuss the ways personal loss, the challenges of fitting in, and the joys of finding community have shaped Charlene's journey from Hong Kong and Rachele's upbringing between New York and Hong Kong. Charlene is currently a counselor at Redeemer Counseling Services in New York. Rachele is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist and founder of Fountyn Acupuncture. Charlene graduated from Stanford in 1983, Rachele in 2013.

    25 min
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About

Coming to you from the Immigration Policy Lab at Stanford University and ETH Zurich, Origin Stories is a podcast that explores migration through research and storytelling.

Information

  • Creator
    Immigration Policy Lab
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Immigration Policy Lab
  • Show Website
    IPL Origin Stories