HAMRO KATHA means "OUR STORY" in Nepali. 

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Oral History Collection

Throughout the summer of 2022, I interviewed 30+ Nepali immigrants from around the U.S. Their stories' and journeys' are captured in the interviews page. The interview locations are show on the map to the right.

 

Writing

I am working on a manuscript of creative nonfiction short stories based on the Nepali experience. Through the lens of generational differences in cultural preservation and assimilation, I hope to explore themes of acculturation, idealism, dissonance, and cultural pride in my writing. I hope my writing will resonate with and validate the experiences of Nepalis living in the West. I want Nepalis living in the West to see their experiences represented and celebrated, to know that their voices, their struggles, and their stories matter. I hope this work will open the door for more such literature to permeate this space in the future. 

 

Acknowledgements

This project is funded by a Chapell Lougee Grant from Stanford University and mentored by Professor Jenn Trahan, a Jones Lecturer in the Stanford Creative Writing Department. Transcript translating and transcribing was aided by the app Descript and Nishan Shrestha.

 

I want to thank my parents who encouraged me to pursue this project and supported my interview journey. A special thank you to everyone who took time out of their day to do an interview, for those who opened their homes and lives to me and gave me a glimpse of their stories—  none of this would be possible without you. 

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~ Priyanka Shrestha (reach out to me at shrestp@stanford.edu!)