First Days Project • 10th June 2021

Ponni Sivaraman's First Day

My name is Ponni Sivaraman.

Originally from Chennai, India, Mrs. Ponni Sivaraman migrated to the US at a very young age after getting married. Barely out of her teens, Mrs. Sivaraman had to adjust to a totally new lifestyle in a totally foreign country. She completed her bachelor’s degree and went on to work for 30 years at the Bank of America, retiring as a bank manager. Now she helps buy and sell properties in real estate. She has two kids – a son, who is a professor at North Carolina Univers

First Days Project • 11th May 2021

Sudha Krishnan's First Day

My name is Sudha Krishnan.

A Tanjore-style Bharatanatyam dancer, Sudha Krishnan’s career spans over two decades. She is currently teaching over fifty students at Nritya Laya Darpan, her dance school established in 2009, imparting Bharatanatyam to young children and adults. Originally from New Delhi, India, Krishnan immigrated to the US after her marriage, and has managed to pull off a balancing act like no other: maintaining the South Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam in an ever-mode

First Days Project • 2nd March 2021

Rahul Diddi's First Day

My name is Rahul Diddi.

" In capitalism, it gives you a notion that you can, if you play your cards right, maybe you can grow to the skies, but actually very few can."

Born in Ludhiana and raised in Chandigarh, India, Mr. Rahul Diddi migrated to Russia in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) for studies. For his MBA, Mr. Diddi moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, passing through New York. Now he lives in Central New Jersey.

Where (city and country) were you living before you came to

First Days Project • 12th February 2021

Viji Raman's First Day

My name is Viji Raman.

Mrs. Raman was born in Cochin, in the southern state of Kerala in India. She got married to Jay Raman, a doctor serving in the Indian Army, and then moved to Delhi. In the 70s, she made the journey to Rochester, New York, where her husband did his residency. In 1980, she moved to Houston. She was busy raising a family with two children. In the 90s, she became part of a group of women (who were wives of the Indian doctors in Houston, known as the Auxiliary of Indian Doctor

First Days Project • 12th February 2021

Jay Raman's First Day

My name is Jay Raman.

Dr. Jay Raman was born in India and worked as a doctor in the Indian Army in New Delhi. He soon realized that the army life was not fit for him, and left for New York. Dr. Raman did his general surgery residency at the University of Rochester. In 1980, he moved to Houston to train under Dr. Cooley at the Texas Heart Institute in CV surgery. He started a private practice (North West Houston Surgical Associates) in September 1981. He has been practicing for nearly 40 years.

First Days Project • 14th January 2021

Rajan Radhakrishnan's First Day

My name is Rajan Radhakrishnan.

Born in Chennai, Mr. Radhakrishnan’s journey from “hero to zero, and then hero again” reflects the human spirit of perseverance and he shows great strength through difficulties. He began his career as an actor in South Indian films, but soon left India to pursue a new life in the United States. This is where his dream of being a restauranteur came true. Moving up the ranks from a busboy in New York to a manager in Chicago, he finally became the mastermind behind

First Days Project • 14th January 2021

Champak Panchal's First Day

My name is Champak Panchal.

Mr. Panchal, a retired engineer, was born in the coastal city of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. After completing his schooling in Tanzania, he moved to England, then to Canada, and finally he moved in 1996 to his current home city of Sugar Land, Texas.

Where (city and country) were you living before you came to the U.S.?

I was living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I had lived in India long time ago. Oh, my goodness me. Maybe when I was 10 or 11 years old. So it was very l

First Days Project • 2nd December 2020

Orpheus John's First Day

My name is Orpheus John.

Orpheus John is an award-winning photographer who grew up in Kerala, India. He moved to Staten Island, NY in 2007 and moved to his current home of Houston, TX in 2018.

Where (city and country) were you living before you came to the U.S.?

I was living in Kerala, India.

What caused you to migrate from your home country to the US?

I got a job in New York and came to the US through that company.

How old were you when you came to the US?

I was only 27 when I came he

First Days Project • 5th November 2020

Harish Jajoo's First Day

My name is Harish Jajoo.

Mr. Harish Jajoo is currently serving as president of HJ Consulting, Inc., a small engineering consulting firm experienced in design and construction management of municipal projects. He has a twenty-nine-year track record of successfully managing large Public Works and Infrastructure programs for the City of Houston. He has been responsible for managing the planning, design and construction for the City of Houston. He also is a Councilman for the city of Sugar Land, Te

First Days Project • 14th October 2020

Venugopal Menon's First Day

My name is Venugopal Menon.

Dr. Venugopal Menon is a successful allergist-immunologist and author. His autobiography, My Mother Called Me Unni, was a bestseller. Born in Kerala, India, he moved at the age of 30 to Scotland and then came to the US in pursuit of post-grad education and a better career. He lives in Pearland, Texas in a Kerala-style house with his wife Sreedevi.

Where (city and country) were you living before you came to the U.S.?

I was born and raised in Kerala, India, and I sp

First Days Project • 15th September 2020

Rathi Menon's First Day

My name is Rathi Menon.

Rathi Menon is a leading wedding planner and the founder and CEO of Rathi Menon Events. She has worked in Dubai, and then visited every country in the world aboard a navy ship with her family, after which she moved to Singapore and then to the US, which she is proud to call home.

Where (city and country) were you living before you came to the U.S.?

I was living in Singapore.

What caused you to migrate from your home country to the US?

My home country is India. We h

First Days Project • 15th September 2020

Brandon Shamim's First Day

My name is Brandon Shamim.

Brandon Shamim is a Pakistani-American entrepreneur, leadership coach, and professor at California State, LA.

Where (city and country) were you living before you came to the U.S.?

I was actually born in Lahore, Pakistan, and I had the opportunity to migrate to the US when I was three years old. I came in 1976, the bicentennial year in the US. So that was a good year to move to the US.

What caused you to migrate from your home country to the US?

We were escaping

First Days Project • 15th September 2020

Aisha Siddiqui's First Day

My name is Aisha Siddiqui.

Dr. Aisha Siddiqui is a Doctor of Public Health and founder of CHAT, a nonprofit organization focused on bringing a culture of health, art, and happiness to refugee and immigrant communities in Houston. Born in Pakistan, Siddiqui moved to Mecca for work and continued on to Parkersburg, WV, USA.

Where (city and country) were you living before you came to the U.S.?

I was living in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

What caused you to migrate from your home country to the US?

Wh

First Days Project • 18th August 2020

Inder Singh Randhawa's First Day

My name is Inder Singh Randhawa.

Inder Singh Randhawa, or ISR, enjoys his job writing and publishing lyrics, producing songs and creating videos. He uses music to bridge cultures and people, and there’s no better place to do it than the most diverse city in USA; Houston, Texas.

Where (city and country) were you living before you came to the U.S.?

I was born in Jalandhar, Punjab, India.

What caused you to migrate from your home country to the US?

My parents made the decision to move here a

First Days Project • 18th August 2020

Zeeshan Vasaya's First Day

My name is Zeeshan Vasaya.

Zeeshan Vasaya, or DJ Zee, is one of the top DJs in the Houston area. He is ‘Houston’s Party Rocker’ and truly knows how to bring life to a party.

Where (city and country) were you living before you came to the U.S.?

I was living in Mumbai, India.

What caused you to migrate from your home country to the US?

It was a family decision to move here for a better future.

How old were you when you came to the US?

About 14 or 15 years old.

What year and where (city

First Days Project • 18th August 2020

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's First Day

My name is Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.

"Being an immigrant helped me grow hugely. I got to know people of so many different backgrounds and cultures. I learned so much from them. I learned the ethics of hard work and the dignity of labor. For my first year in the US, I was working to save money to go to graduate school. I was working minimum pay jobs, but I always felt good about the fact that I was working and saving and being independent."

Mrs. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is an award-winning

First Days Project • 14th August 2020

Periyanan Vaduganathan's First Day

My name is Periyanan Vaduganathan.

Dr. Nathan is a leading cardiologist at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston and also runs a charity clinic. He is an active member of the South Asian community in Houston and is greatly involved in the local Hindu place of worship, the Meenakshi Temple in Pearland, TX having served on its Board.

Where (city and country) were you living before you came to the U.S.?

Well, I first went to England before I arrived in the United States. We were living in the cou

First Days Project • 14th August 2020

Nirmala Garimella's First Day

My name is Nirmala Garimella.

Nirmala Garimella is the co-founder of Lokvani, a community media website for Indian Americans in New England and Co-Founder of Circle of Hope at AIF. She also served as a town meeting member in her previous hometown of Lexington, MA and currently serves on the Board of Directors at Vision-Aid Inc, which serves the visually impaired. She has lived in the US for 25 years and has embraced the concept of being American.

Where (city and country) were you living before

First Days Project • 14th August 2020

Kumar Bashyam's First Day

My name is Kumar Bashyam.

"I think being American is a state of mind. I cannot put it in a box. These are the attributes of being an American – respect, tolerance of religion, race, language, culture, and bringing around the best of what humankind can do. I do believe this is the week we are celebrating 50 years of space. Neil Armstrong said 'One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.' That is an example of Americanism. Think mankind. It is not I."

Kumar Bashyam is a serial entrepre