Name/Title
Oral History of Usha WelaratnaEntry/Object ID
2015.098.001Scope and Content
Welaratna earned her master’s degree at San Jose State University and her Ph.D. in cultural anthropology at UC Berkeley. She and her husband, Sri, moved to Los Altos in 1979 due to her husband's employment with Hewlett-Packard. She teaches the concepts and applications of Mindfulness Meditation locally and started the Sri Lankan-American Cultural Association.
Usha Welaratna begins by describing her early days growing up in Sri Lanka, then her experience going to England to be married and where her three children were born, followed by their move to Los Altos due to her husband's employment with Hewlett-Packard. She describes how they became involved in the community and some of the cultural differences she experienced and observed. She continues with her decision to pursue a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology and her research on the Cambodian refugee experience. She discusses the need for communities to be sensitive and aware of cultural differences, especially when trying to assist others in the face of disaster. She concludes with reflections on the concepts and applications of Mindfulness Meditation, which she teaches locally.Collection
Oral History CollectionOral History Details
Interviewee
Usha WelaratnaInterviewer
Kristin MorrisInterview Date
Oct 29, 2015