Ms. Daksha Patel (Masala Chat Project)

Description

Daksha Patel, 76, is a pioneering neonatal physician who now consults for the Department of Social Security. The interview includes discussion of her average day as a child and how she charted an uncommon path in her family by deciding to become a doctor and hot having an arranged marriage. She describes facing difficulties of social isolation, discrimination against women in medicine, and the guilt of not returning to India permanently. She reflects on different housewife duties of across the generations of her family and how her marriage, to someone she fell in love with, is a happy partnership. Daksha spent most of her career at Cook County Hospital and believes it is important to enjoy your work. Other topics discussed include: difficulty of getting childcare, speaking Hindi to her children, and Americanization.