Collected Item: “Sid Azmi Oral History, 2022/07/20”
Title
Sid Azmi
Who conducted the interview? List all names, separated by comma.
Kit Heintzman
Who was interviewed? List all names, separated by commas.
Sid Azmi
Email Address(es) for all interviewers. Separated by comma.
kheintzman@gmail.com
Use one-word hashtags (separated by commas) to describe your oral history. For example: Where did it originate? How does this object make you feel? How does this object relate to the pandemic?
#abuse, #Asian, #AsianAmerican, #astrology, #birthing, #France, #homeschooling, #hospitals, #immigration, #Malay, #motherhood, #Muslim, #NewYork, #pregnancy, #sex, #sexuality, #Singapore, #testing, #therapy, #trauma, #travel, #Trump, #vaccination
What is the format of your recording?
Audio
In what ZIP code is the primary residence of the interviewee? (enter 5-digit ZIP code; for example, 00544 or 94305)? In what city/town/village does the interviewee live? In what country does the interviewee live? All comma-separated.
France, Pau
What is the gender of the interviewee? Be sure to allow interviewees to self-identify their gender in the pre-interview or interview. *Do not assign a gender identity to interviewees.*
F/she/her
What is the age of the interviewee?
35 to 44
How does the interviewee describe their race or ethnicity? Be sure to allow interviewees to self-identify their race/ethnicity in the pre-interview or interview. *Do not assign a racial or ethnic identity to interviewees.*
Asian/indian
Describe the oral history.
Some of the things we discussed include:
Moving to the USA as an immigrant from Singapore.
Coming from a poor background to a place of financial stability and freedom.
Early childhood experiences impacting adult experiences.
Immigrating to France in early 2020 with son, while continuing to run the business in New York.
Being the small business owner of Please, a pleasure shop in Brooklyn, New York.
Store closing during lock down, transitioning to online sales, and reopening with shorter hours.
Inadequate small business support.
The the realities of unsafe working conditions and shipping delays of products in the sex toy industry.
Immigration borders between the USA and France throughout the pandemic; changing regulations.
Watching the news with son; stopping watching the news and being more selective about information consumption.
Homeschooling son; not having received any training to be a teacher; cultural values about education.
Giving birth to a daughter during the pandemic; changing hospital regulations.
Sex, hedonism, and partnership during the pandemic.
The 2016 election.
Watching from France what was happening in the USA under Trump; comparisons between France’s, the USA’s, and Singapore’s pandemic policies.
Changes in the US, transphobic policies, Roe v. Wade.
Free, accessible, and fast testing in France
France’s “Health Pass” in contrast to the American “Vaccination Card”.
Getting vaccinated as quickly as possible; friends taking a wait-and-see approach to possible adverse effects.
An astrologer having portended in 2019 a global big change coming in the spring of 2020.
How one talks about their own privileges and the privileges of others; shame, relief, and gratitude.
Different about death in Asian and Western countries; different cultural ideas about joy.
Staying in touch with loved ones in Singapore and the USA while living in lockdown; long distance emotional support.
Other cultural references: Marie Kondo
See also:
https://www.pleasenyc.com
http://www.lornebehrman.com/sidazmi
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bogardandhoffman/2017/07/13/growing-up-in-a-malay-muslim-home-this-founder-broke-free-from-tradition-to-open-a-pleasure-shop/?sh=5f3c57ca49b7
https://www.audacy.com/podcasts/bodytonic-radio-with-host-jennifer-deluca-57663/bodytonic-radio-episode-5-guest-sexual-health-expert-sid-azmi-374812663
http://www.nyspirit.com/living/conversations-on-sex/love-will-get-way-happy-valentines-day/
https://www.sourpeachfilms.com/please
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/07/style/sex-toys-online-coronavirus.html
Moving to the USA as an immigrant from Singapore.
Coming from a poor background to a place of financial stability and freedom.
Early childhood experiences impacting adult experiences.
Immigrating to France in early 2020 with son, while continuing to run the business in New York.
Being the small business owner of Please, a pleasure shop in Brooklyn, New York.
Store closing during lock down, transitioning to online sales, and reopening with shorter hours.
Inadequate small business support.
The the realities of unsafe working conditions and shipping delays of products in the sex toy industry.
Immigration borders between the USA and France throughout the pandemic; changing regulations.
Watching the news with son; stopping watching the news and being more selective about information consumption.
Homeschooling son; not having received any training to be a teacher; cultural values about education.
Giving birth to a daughter during the pandemic; changing hospital regulations.
Sex, hedonism, and partnership during the pandemic.
The 2016 election.
Watching from France what was happening in the USA under Trump; comparisons between France’s, the USA’s, and Singapore’s pandemic policies.
Changes in the US, transphobic policies, Roe v. Wade.
Free, accessible, and fast testing in France
France’s “Health Pass” in contrast to the American “Vaccination Card”.
Getting vaccinated as quickly as possible; friends taking a wait-and-see approach to possible adverse effects.
An astrologer having portended in 2019 a global big change coming in the spring of 2020.
How one talks about their own privileges and the privileges of others; shame, relief, and gratitude.
Different about death in Asian and Western countries; different cultural ideas about joy.
Staying in touch with loved ones in Singapore and the USA while living in lockdown; long distance emotional support.
Other cultural references: Marie Kondo
See also:
https://www.pleasenyc.com
http://www.lornebehrman.com/sidazmi
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bogardandhoffman/2017/07/13/growing-up-in-a-malay-muslim-home-this-founder-broke-free-from-tradition-to-open-a-pleasure-shop/?sh=5f3c57ca49b7
https://www.audacy.com/podcasts/bodytonic-radio-with-host-jennifer-deluca-57663/bodytonic-radio-episode-5-guest-sexual-health-expert-sid-azmi-374812663
http://www.nyspirit.com/living/conversations-on-sex/love-will-get-way-happy-valentines-day/
https://www.sourpeachfilms.com/please
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/07/style/sex-toys-online-coronavirus.html
On what date did you record this oral history?
2022-07-20T14:07