Navigating the Immigrant Experience: A Conversation with Krishnni Khanna

At ten years old, Krishnni Khanna left India for the United States. The move meant leaving friends, family, and the everyday familiarity of home behind.

Krishnni joins Jay Hicks to discuss the childhood experiences that helped shape her novel I Am Not Who You See. Sixteen at the time of this interview, she talks about arriving in a new country, being judged for how she spoke, and trying to understand herself through other people's reactions.

They explore what writing allowed her to express, the difference supportive friendships can make, and why young people need room to talk about difficult feelings. Krishnni also shares her interest in psychology and neuroscience and the peer support work behind Detoximind.

What We Explore

• Immigrating from India to the United States as a child
• Leaving familiar relationships and building new ones
• Bullying, exclusion, and the effect of other people's words
• Turning personal experience into fiction
• Finding ways to express difficult emotions
• Peer support and Krishnni's interest in the mind

About Krishnni Khanna

Krishnni Khanna is an author, TEDx speaker, and youth mental health advocate. She created Detoximind, a student-led initiative offering peer support, and published I Am Not Who You See in 2024.

Connect with Krishnni

Website • I Am Not Who You See • Detoximind

The Tragedy Academy

Candid conversations exploring the human experience through tragedy and triumph.

Hosted by Jay Hicks.

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The Tragedy Academy is a show created to bridge societal divides in a judgment-free zone using candor and humor. 

Be cool. Keep Learning.