Still Waking Up

My wonderful mother, Shirnett Khorran-Gajaraj M.D., M.P.H, R.N. is on to talk about the process of IVF and her experiences with it.

Kathryn Nielsen is on to talk about being a Chinese-American adopted to white parents. We discuss her experiences and navigating the complexities and nuances of this identity.

My father, a psychiatrist with 50 years of experience, is back to talk about the horrifying violence caused by the police against those with mental illness. We discuss some of the roots of this problem and how we need to move forward.

Andy is back and is sharing his personal story of coming to the U.S. when he was 10. He discusses the challenges he faced and working to find his sense of self.

I’m joined by my friend Gizela Zaqueu to talk about our feelings about the 2020 election results. There is so much to unpack, from party rhetoric to voting demographics. While we are excited and can sigh a breathe of relief, there is so much work to be done!

In this episode I’m joined by Thomas Curran, a left leaning independent who grew up in a conservative Catholic household. We discuss the influence religion has in American politics and the issues voters are using to choose their parties.

I’m joined in this episode by Jayaur Bello, who grew up in Nigeria and is outspoken about the corruption of the Special Anti- Robbery Unit. We discuss police brutality, both within Nigeria and the U.S. and what causes groups like this to thrive. Jayaur shares his personal experiences with both SARS and police in the U.S. Please listen!

After a bit of a hiatus, I’m back with an episode recorded a while ago with my friend Brandon Clayville, an athletic trainer. He discusses the connection between keeping the mind and the body healthy. We hope that during these difficult times of trauma, confusion, and stress, that everyone is listening to their body and taking care of themselves however they need.

I am honored to have my uncle, Detective Edward Johnson, on this episode to give his insight on not only what it is like being a black man in America right now but also having had worked for the police force for 38 years. Now more than ever we need to listen, empathize, and amplify the black voices around us.

In this episode I talk about the show Never Have I Ever, being part of Indian culture when I don’t share many of the common customs or the language and the difficulty in navigating these cultural complexities.