In Transit Project

About the Project

Conceived and conducted by Dharshani Lakmali Jayasinghe as part of her graduate work at Stanford, the oral history project “In Transit” aimed to create a digital archive of oral histories that capture the lived realities of those who experience rights violations and indignities as a consequence of pandemic-triggered visa restrictions. Oral history interviews were conducted with immigrants, international students, as well as administrative staff who work on visa-related issues. This project collected twenty-five interviews with international students, both graduate and undergraduate, at Stanford University from twenty-three countries on the topic of immigration and visas. A long-form oral history interview was also conducted with John Pearson, Director Emeritus of the Bechtel International Center at Stanford University. The Stanford Historical Society Oral History Program and the Poetic Media Lab supported the project.

Please note that most interviews have been embargoed until 2026 and will require a Stanford University ID to access. Interviews can be accessed through the SHS Collections digital exhibit as they become available.

An Interview with the Project Organizer