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About these Stories

Since 2017, Southern Mix has been conducting oral history interviews with Asians and Asian Americans throughout the American South. This collection of distinctive and powerful interviews engages in meaningful conversations about race, identity, migration, and the pursuit of belonging in the multifaceted landscape of the South. Browse through to listen and read some of these stories.

Access the entire library of Southern Mix Oral Histories at the Southern Oral History Program Database.

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Pirya Matai

“I’m a Southern brown girl.” If you asked Pirya Matai for a list of terms to describe herself, “Southern girl” would be pretty high on the list. Scratch that — “a brown Southern girl,” to be specific.

Hindu, India, Iran, Pakistan
Saroj Sharma is sitting down and looking into the camera.

Saroj Sharma

“I can [say I’m] Southern. Because always, I stayed here. So I have to be. It’s all learned from here.” Nestled just off Aviation Parkway in Morrisville, N.C., the Hindu Bhavan is more than just a mandir. It’s a dream … Read more

Asian American, Hindu, Indian American, South Asian,