A vocal female immigrant in the US: Reena Kapoor’s story

In the second of CIW’s diaspora stories (the first one being that of Shruti Tewari’s, an investment banker turned actor), we profile Reena Kapoor, who first landed on the US shores for education and stayed on. She is now part of the highly skilled, professional Indian community in the country, who is as vocal about political ideas as she is concerned about social causes.

Kapoor first arrived at US shores, like scores of other Indians, for higher education. An engineer from IIT Delhi, Reena did her Masters in Engineering from the Northwestern University before working with firms like Procter & Gamble and Kraft Foods. She then worked for a number of smaller firms and is now an advisor to Bay Area based iMerit Technology and also to Global Social Benefit Institute, Santa Clara University. In terms of her social involvement, Reena has always supported women related causes in both India and in the US.

That she is as supportive as she is of women’s causes is perhaps at least partly on account of her unique initial experiences as woman. Her early years were spent in army areas, since her father was a doctor in the Indian army. Looking back, she appreciates not having the additional social pressures that come from having a “joint” or extended family close by as a young girl. When she joined IIT, she was one of 2 girls in a class of 300. While the numbers today are better, the skewed sex ratio speaks volumes about how engineering is still more a man’s profession than not. 


Despite social challenges, however, Reena feels that women have a whole lot going for them. “We are typically better in touch with our emotions, more resilient, and have stronger support networks in sisters, girlfriends, and even men” she says. In this context, she further mentions how in the American professional workplace, there is an increasing recognition of authenticity over fake professionalism. “I recall clearly how one of my favorite male bosses let me cry in his office and treated it like the most natural thing in the world, which incidentally it is; and another one who constantly modelled valuing more time with his kids “before they took off for college”. Both kept it real and were also a source of empowerment to me and my own choices” she says.

In reflecting over how women could approach their lives and careers, she says “If you are happiest being competitive and ambitious professionally then go out and be it, if you are happier having a balance of the many different flavors in your life then seek that out, or if you find your bliss in creating a beautiful home and haven for your family then do just that”.

For all the women who are doing well for themselves, Reena has a solid piece of advise: “Don’t let anyone make you feel like you don’t belong, or that you’re a fake in your (powerful) position - this in particular can be a landmine for many women…I am not of course suggesting lying about your capabilities or being inauthentic ever, but quite the contrary -- be real and remind yourself of the truth that you’re in this position you worked hard to get to for good reason. It just takes a bit of time to get your head used to it”, something many women struggle with.

At a time when women have been particularly vocal about their dissent against President Trump, Kapoor too, has been outspoken in her opinion. For the likes of Kapoor, though it is not just about being a woman, but about being an immigrant too. “In my view President Trump is not only dead wrong, he’s playing with fire stoking fears over globalisation and the economic impact of immigrants. Fortunately there’s a lot of opposition to these bad ideas” she says. She adds, that though she would never have voted for Trump, she has some empathy for those who did. “I think the privileged classes in America (well-to-do, college educated) - and that clearly includes us Indians - have been asleep, if not downright elitist, in paying too little attention to some very real economic and social issues plaguing small town America” she says. There will always be biases and challenges in the world, but smart women, with strong voices can shed a lot of light on them!

Reena lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, their daughter and two dogs.

If you know/are an interesting Indian diaspora story, please write in to us at continwo@gmail.com and we could feature you in a forthcoming post.

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