Mr. Punit Jasuja (Broadening Narratives)

Description

Punit Jasuja, 51, is a designer and special events producer who lives between Oak Brook, New York and New Delhi. The interview focuses on his family’s background in India, their immigration from Multan, Pakistan, to Chicago, his childhood in Oak Brook, Illinois, and his coming out as gay. The discussion includes Jasuja’s relationship with his mother, a beautician and interior designer whose creativity deeply influenced his own career path. He reflects on frequent childhood trips to India with his family and the time spent watching Bollywood films in theaters owned by his relatives. Jasuja shares how he navigated the cultural differences between South Asian and American life, and the process of adaptation and acculturation that many South Asian American youth experience. He opens up about coming out to his family and friends, describing how that moment led to the breaking down of barriers within his family and community. Through time, dialogue, and mutual understanding, they worked toward acceptance. Other themes explored in the interview include Jasuja’s journey into entrepreneurship in design and special events, his perspectives on gender, and the importance of family, community, and identity.