Shaila & Thomas

Elmer Bobst Library

10/17/2015
My recorded interview with Shaila & Thomas lasted 2 minutes and 46 seconds.

Is there something specific that's really cool about being in an interracial couple in particular?

Thomas: The jokes about being an interracial couple.
Shaila: Yeah, we make a lot of jokes about that.
Thomas: Definitely.
Shaila: Is there anything else besides that?
Thomas: It's hard to underestimate how cool that is.
Shaila: It's pretty cool.

Shaila: I think conversations are a lot more interesting right? He's Greek and I'm Bangladeshi so it's very like we can tell each other stuff about his culture that we normally wouldn't talk about if we were both the same race.
Thomas: Yeah, definitely. Yesterday we went to a Muslim Thai place. What was it again?
Shaila: Yeah, it was a Halal Thai place. I only eat Halal food so it's kind of difficult.
Thomas: I experience a lot of stuff that I wouldn't otherwise.

What's the most challenging part about being in an interracial relationship?

Thomas: Your parents.
Shaila: Yeah parents. My parents, probably.
Thomas: Who I've never seen or met before.
Shaila: Yeah because my parents are fairly conservative but it's also a Bangladeshi cultural thing to not really introduce someone you're dating to your parents unless it's like oh this is the person you want to marry kind of thing.
Thomas: She met my mom over Skype and it was fine.