Life · Opinion · Pop Culture
On Yoga, Diversity Lite, & the Empire of American Wellness
I started learning Yoga at the age of 20 in Mumbai at The Yoga Institute, the oldest organized Yoga center in the world. I was in good health, had zero[…]
Category: Opinion
Weaponizing the Bible to Separate Families Is Unchristian
As immigrant families are torn apart, two South Asian American pastors speak out *** As South Asian American women and ordained Christian pastors in northern California, we take the Bible[…]
Immigrant Status, Power & Politics in the South Asian Diaspora
As someone who became an immigrant at the age of 9, I talk about my experiences quite often. Looking back there’s a lot of material I can write about. From[…]
Opinion · Pop Culture · TV
Stop Normalizing Racism & Bigotry on Twitter
Sounds like Roseanne Barr missed Starbucks’ racial bias training. After Roseanne Barr sent out that racist tweet last week, things escalated quickly and she had to issue a public apology[…]
Confronting Caste Privilege & The Need To End Hinduism (As We Know It)
I was 11 years old when I completed what my family describes as the “thread ceremony.” It took place in our ancestral village in West Bengal. Alongside my cousin who[…]
Movies · Opinion · Pop Culture
Feel-Good Film ‘Breaking the Bee’ Explores How Indian-American Kids Have Become Spelling Champs
“The way to win the bee is simply 90 percent hard work, 10 percent other.” That recipe for spelling bee success is from Akash Vukoti, who at age 6 was[…]
Life · Movies · Opinion · Politics · Pop Culture
Thoughts on the Sunken Place, Wakanda, & the Model Minority Myth
I sometimes wish I could go back in time and be my own guardian angel. I would reach down into that dark place of the Model Minority Myth and pull[…]
The Enduring Struggle for Immigration Reform: Talking About Race, Class & National Myths
It’s been a long two years for Carimer Noelia Andujar, an engineering student at Rutgers University and undocumented activist. “Sometimes, I feel completely exhausted and I’m doing everything I can[…]
We Need To Talk About Mental Health Among South Asian Americans
If you prayed more often, this wouldn’t happen. When I repeated my parents’ comments to my therapist, she asked me why they were not being supportive. I had no answer[…]
Movies · Opinion · Pop Culture · TV
The Simpsons Responds To Kondabolu’s Problem With Apu — “Don’t Have a Cow”
Viewers of last night’s episode of The Simpsons noticed that the show’s writers responded to critics of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, including one critic who made a film about Apu. Comedian Hari Kondabolu’s[…]