Shama was born in Goa, India. Her grandfather was a well-known lawyer and ally to the freedom fighters seeking to free Goa from Portuguese colonial rule. In 1987 her marriage to Mahendra was arranged, and following the wedding she joined him in the United States. She is an engineer, is the chair for the Indian Caucus of Michigan Democratic Party, vice president for the Troy Foundation of Educational Excellence, and in the past has been involved with the leadership of her temple and its youth committee. Her advice to new immigrants: “Be positive, mingle, mix with others, don’t look down and no stereotyping. Just go with the flow.”
