The Practice of Being Both
Summary
Can a mixed race, mixed faith person feel fully “both?”
In Episode 4, Khyati traces her son’s journey from a backseat conversation with a Muslim friend to his dual rites of passage — a Hindu coming-of-age ceremony and confirmation in the Episcopal church — and the deliberate choices behind them: two prayers at the dinner table, a baptism blessed with water from both the Ganges and the River Jordan, and family's search for a church willing to make space for a Hindu mother without asking her to leave part of herself at the door.
Along the way, Khyati unpacks the quiet bureaucratic pressure to "check one" box — tracing how the U.S. Census only allowed Americans to mark more than one race starting in 2000. She reflects on the ways she and John helped Kedhar fit into social spaces where he didn’t "look" like he belonged.
Creator: Dr. Khyati Y. Joshi is a scholar-storyteller who bridges research, lived experience, and practical wisdom. She is a tenured, Full Professor in the School of Education at Fairleigh Dickinson University and the author of White Christian Privilege: The Illusion of Religious Equality in America (NYU Press, 2020) and several other books on race and religion in America.
Dr. Joshi is also part of a mixed marriage. Along with her husband John, they have raised their son to be Hindu and Christian; and to recognize, cherish, and embody his Indian and European heritages.
In this series, she blends scholarly expertise with her unique story, relaying the mistakes she’s made, the wisdom she’s gained, and the practical tips she can offer for cultivating mixed relationships and raising kids and adults to embrace their whole selves.
Find Dr. Joshi on Substack: https://khyatiyjoshi.substack.com/
Mixed was created by the Institute for Religion, Media, and Civic Engagement (IRMCE), in collaboration with the Asian Pacific American Religions Research Initiative (APARRI) through generous funding from the Henry Luce Foundation as part of the Under Gods project.
Executive Producer: Brad Onishi
Producer: Andrew Gill
Original Music, Scoring, and Engineering: Scott Okamoto
Story Editor: Leah Payne
Production Assistance: Kari Onishi
Cover Art: Jennifer Chen
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