Seeking a future free from oppression or stigma, the mixed couple looked to the endless opportunities of a life in America. Beginning their family in the sleepy suburb of Beavercreek, Ohio, they bestowed names imbued with each of their histories and cultures. With the hope of their new American life, they named their son from the old Persian name for “sunshine”: Aftab.
“Karma” is Aftab’s Tibetan name, meaning “Destiny.”
Born in a mountainside tent, Aftab’s Tibetan mother fled Communist Chinese occupation as a child before growing up in a Southern Indian refugee camp. As a student, she met Aftab’s Punjabi father, whose last name, “Pureval,” harkens to the farming village his family hails from. In honor of his faith, Aftab’s father passed on the traditional male Sikh name “Singh,” meaning “Lion.”
Aftab Karma Singh Pureval
The eldest child of Tibetan-Punjabi parents from Beavercreek, Ohio, Aftab’s full name reflects the winding path of history and culture that led his family to the American heartland.
Seeking a future free from oppression or stigma, the mixed couple looked to the endless opportunities of a life in America. beginning their family in the sleepy suburb of Beavercreek, Ohio. Bestowed with names imbued with each of their histories and cultures, they gave their firstborn the hope of their new American life with the old Persian name for “sunshine”: Aftab.
In law school, Aftab worked with the UC Domestic ViolenceClinic, representing survivors of abuse who couldn’t afford an attorney in the Warren County Domestic Relations Court.
Raised in student government and school athletics, Aftab enrolled at The Ohio State University, where he studied political science before earning his law degree from the University of Cincinnati.