About Dr. Rajni Mandal:

Dr. Rajni Mandal lives in Oakland, California, and has had a fascinating path. She trained as a physician and is board-certified in molecular pathology, with degrees and training from Cornell, Duke, NYU, and Mass General. But right now, she’s on a break from medicine to focus on raising her kids, and in the process, she’s become deeply involved in local civic life.

She’s a regular contributor to The Oakland Report and often shows up at city council meetings, advocating for her community on issues like public safety and neighborhood wellbeing. She was born in Peru, moved to upstate New York in middle school, and has navigated her Indian identity across three countries and cultures. Her story is thoughtful, grounded, and heartwarmingly relatable.

💬 Favorite Quote from this episode:

“I’ve realized and accepted that my definition of ‘Indian’ may not be the same as someone else’s—and that’s fine.”

What was most fun about this conversation:

I loved hearing how Rajni accidentally became a neighborhood leader. It all started with her just wanting to know what was going on at city council—and ended with her sending out citywide email updates, showing up at meetings, and becoming a go-to person for her community. It was cool to see how something small like being a "block captain" and organizing donut parties in the driveway turned into real civic engagement. Also, her story about people trying to convert her at church in Peru because they didn't know any Indian people was wild (and kind of hilarious in hindsight).

What I was inspired by:

What hit me the most was how Rajni talked about the way her view of being Indian changed over time. As a kid in Peru and upstate New York, she often felt like "the only one." But in college, she finally met other Indian people—and realized how diverse Indian identity actually is. Some spoke Hindi, some didn’t. Some loved Bollywood, others didn’t care. She said it made her realize that there’s no one way to be Indian, and that was honestly freeing. It made me think that maybe we don’t have to fit into one version of our culture—we can shape it based on who we are.

What many of us Americans can relate with:

So much of what she said felt familiar. Like how parents from other cultures often raise you with super strict rules, and then you visit a friend’s house and their parents are way more chill—and you’re like, “Wait, people are allowed to talk back to their mom??” Or how your name changes depending on who’s saying it: Rajni becomes “Rah-nee” or “Rahzh-nee” or “Rash-nee,” depending on where she is. Or how people always ask, “Where are you really from?” like your zip code doesn’t count. These are things a lot of first- or second-gen kids deal with, and hearing her break it down so clearly made me feel seen.

What I will think more about:

Rajni talked about how food holds this secret power in how it connects you to home, to comfort, to identity. She didn’t appreciate her mom’s dosas growing up, but now she says she has “performance anxiety” trying to make them because they meant so much. It made me think about the stuff in our culture that we take for granted until it’s gone. Also, her advice at the end really stuck with me: she said the most important thing young Indian Americans can do is “just show up.” Whether that’s at a school meeting, a comedy stage, or city hall—it all starts with being present.

How this ties in with past guests like Nirav Pandya, Gagan Biyani, and Neha Gupta:

This episode felt like a continuation of a bigger story. Like Dr. Pandya, Rajni talked about the journey from hiding your Indian side to embracing it. They both realized that the parts they once tried to downplay were actually the parts that made them powerful and connected. And like Gagan Biyani, she had this really thoughtful take on cultural code-switching—how even small things like food or names can reflect huge differences in identity.

But what especially reminded me of Neha Gupta’s episode was the way Rajni talked about how culture isn’t just big obvious stuff—it’s all the little, invisible rules. Like how you’re expected to act at dinner, how people think about success, how your parents see your future. These are things you don’t even realize are cultural until you’re suddenly in a different environment and it all feels slightly off.

🎧 Thanks for listening and stay tuned for more stories that show how Indian American life is anything but one-size-fits-all.

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