Acclaimed Author Prachi Gupta to Speak at Seattle University

Award-wining author Prachi Gupta will discuss her memoir They Called Us Exceptional with Seattle-based inclusion strategist Ruchika Tulshyan on February 20 from 7-8 p.m. at Seattle University's Pigott Auditorium. The event is sponsored by the RoundGlass India Center at Seattle University in partnership with Elliott Bay Books.

“We are honored to host Prachi Gupta and hear her reflections on the ways immigration, education, class, and gender can impact family dynamics and identity development for Indian Americans,” says RoundGlass India Center Executive Director and Law Professor Sital Kalantry. “Every Indian immigrant raising children in the United States should read Prachi Gupta’s memoir about the challenges and expectations that their children may face.” 

Described by the Washington Post as “vulnerable and courageous,” They Called Us Exceptional is widely considered one of the best books of 2023. The coming-of-age memoir explores the convoluted and painful experiences of a second-generation Indian American woman who faces detrimental cultural assumptions and struggles with mental health and family dysfunction. Gupta will be in conversation with Inclusion on Purpose author Tulshyan. The discussion will explore how to better support South Asian communities impacted by a Model Minority Myth that hyper-focuses on educational and professional achievement, while downplaying private struggles such as abuse, addiction or mental illness.  

“I look forward to unpacking cultures of silence [together] and how destigmatizing mental health could be transformational in our society, particularly within historically marginalized communities,” says Tulshyan. “Ms. Gupta’s book has unlocked how much nuance exists in these topics and I’m honored to be in conversation with her.”

Register for this free event.

About the RoundGlass India Center:

The RoundGlass India Center at Seattle University builds academic, business and cultural bridges between Seattle and India through events, collaborations with educational institutions, scholarships and by supporting faculty scholarship in India.

For media inquiries, contact Shannon Young at syoung7@seattleu.edu or Lincoln Vander Veen at vanderv1@seattleu.edu.

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