Department of Religious Studies
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/2152/82553
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Browsing Department of Religious Studies by Author "Anedda, Eleonora"
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Item Elizabeth Melton Interview(2023-04-13) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious StudiesThis interview is with Elizabeth Melton, the public engagement director at IDCL, from Crumpler, NC. Elizabeth describes her childhood in Longview, TX, where she was surrounded by her extended family with deep ties to public education and the Presbyterian Church (USA). She shares how her childhood involvement in theater eventually led to her PhD in performance studies. Elizabeth talks about her experience of the Texas Freeze of 2021. She also discusses her complicated relationship to Texas as both a beloved home and site of political strife.Item Juan Coronado Interview(2021-08-18) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious StudiesThis interview is with Dr. Juan Coronado, a professor from the Río Grande Valley. Juan reflects on growing up surrounded by Latino culture and on his exposure to migration and the presence of the border. He talks as a historian about his impressions of changes at the border and in the US at large that followed 9/11. Juan also discusses the effects of wars in the Middle East on Middle Eastern populations, American troops, and American culture.Item Miguel Robles Interview(2021-01-25) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious StudiesItem Moureen Kaki Interview(2022-03-29) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious StudiesThis interview is with Moureen Kaki, a Palestine solidarity activist with Jewish Voice for Peace in San Antonio, TX. Moureen describes her experiences of seeing the ills of settler-colonialism in Palestine first-hand, and how that direct exposure as a Palestinian-American has catalyzed her work. She talks about the politicization of her identity as a Palestinian, and of Muslim identities as well, and how she has felt uncomfortable sharing her identity and culture with others at different points in her life. Moureen also discusses misconceptions she would like to clear up about Palestinian solidarity and the nature of the conflict.Item Negena Haidary Interview(2021-03-28) Institute for Diversity & Civic LifeThis interview is with Negena Haidary, an Afghan-American Shia Muslim woman. Negena speaks about her relationships and experiences with her family, particularly as a first-generation American. She speaks about the impacts of 9/11 on her family, the difficulty of finding community as a member of a minority group, and the ongoing act of balancing immigrant parents’ expectations with the necessity of participating in American culture. Negena also discusses the challenges of navigating mental health and finding one’s own life path, sharing the wisdom she has gathered through her own journey of healing and growth.Item Steven Kling Interview(2021-11-19) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious StudiesThis interview is with Steven Kling, a US Army veteran and former candidate for the Texas Senate. Steven talks about growing up in conservative settings and developing progressive values along the way, including his values of strength and service. He shares his story of joining Civil Affairs in the US Army at the age of thirty and serving tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. Steven also talks about running for the Texas Senate and aiding Afghan immigrants during the Fall of Kabul.Item Tina Byram Interview(2022-03-18) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious StudiesThis interview is with Tina Byram, an advocate active in local politics in the extra-territorial jurisdiction of Hornsby Bend. Tina talks about her work advocating for underserved members of her community who do not have the time or resources to get involved in local politics. She describes the differences between political activity at the local level versus the national level, including overlooked issues such as shifting districts and water privatization. She also tells about her journey through local activism, which has involved non-profit work, collaboration with representatives, and voter registration.Item Tinny Widjaja Interview(2021-02-06) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious StudiesThis interview is with Tinny Widjaja, a Chinese-Indonesian immigrant and political and interfaith activist living in Austin, TX. Tinny talks about growing up Chinese in Indonesia, and the discrimination she and her family faced there, as well as her decision to leave the country. She describes working abroad, meeting her African-American husband in Singapore, and moving to the US after having a son. Tinny shares how she went from politically ambivalent to politically active in the wake of the George Floyd protests, in hopes of making a safer world for her son.Item Van Wagner Interview(2023-04-11) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious StudiesThis interview is with Van Wagner, IDCL’s Community Archive Director, in Austin, TX. Van talks about growing up in a military family, moving around, and living in conservative Christian culture in Georgia. They describe their experiences in high school and college, including music, religious studies, and involvement in a student organization. Van discusses their relationship to Texas, especially as a queer person with a Jewish partner. They also describe their current life and musical involvement.Item Victoria Ferrell-Ortiz Interview(2022-03-17) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious StudiesThis interview is with Victoria Ferrell-Ortiz, an education and urban planning organizer in Dallas. Victoria describes the disconnect she saw at a young age between the resources available to the Mexican-American side of her family and to the White side. She talks about other organizers she has worked with and been inspired by in Dallas, including her co-founders of the Rayo Planning nonprofit. Victoria shares her experiences of religion throughout her life, and how her relationship to Christianity has changed over the years. She also details her work, such as with educational and urban planning nonprofits and with oral history.