Oral History Telling Evening with Madhuri Anji
September 25, 2010

I am the daughter of a German mother and an Indian father, and was born in Dresden, in what was then East Germany. My birthday, October 7th, was also the Tag der Republik, and according my mother I was born just as a marching band went by the hospital.

My mother had petitioned to emigrate out of East Germany soon after the wall was built, since my father lived and worked in the West. It took about 11 years before we were allowed to do so which is when we immigrated into India. I was one year old. I was fortunate that my parents spoke German at home, which allowed me to grow up bi-lingual. Although I learned and heard the local language (Kannada) around me all the time, I cannot speak it.

After high school I wanted to find out if living in Germany would be good for me, and moved to Breisach, close to Freiburg, to go to school. I finished up my Lehre as a Hotelfachfrau, which was only challenging because I now had to study all my material in German. I enjoyed my time in the little town, made some good friends, enjoyed a little too much beer, wine, Neuersuesser, and Flammekuchen, and unfortunately got to see the racist side of the people as well. Both my siblings had moved to America, which then became the next step in the journey. I moved here, where I am truly an immigrant, in a country of immigrants. I found a community of South Asian LGBT folks, who provided me a safe and welcoming space to come out to myself, family and community. I live in Oakland, with my life-partner and little doggie.

Although I do speak with my mother most everyday in German, I do miss conversing in the language. I look forward to sharing my story with you and hearing yours as well. I will tell my story in German with possibly a smattering of English.

You can read a more recent (2019) article about Madhuri (Mads) in the East Bay Express.