Why We Listen
Community journalism at India Currents is an ongoing experiment in listening, learning, and storytelling that matters. For 40 years, we’ve reported on Indian American community life rooted in shared cultural understanding. Our stories do more than inform; they connect us, create a sense of belonging, and serve as the social glue that binds our diverse and growing diaspora.
At the heart of our stories are the people we serve- they reach out to us to share reflections, opinions, achievements, concerns, and their joys and struggles.
So we have learned to listen.
Through surveys, focus groups, and listening circles, community outreach at India Currents offers a platform where people can share what matters to them. Listening is not just an add-on to our journalism; it forms the bedrock of our reporting.
That approach has shaped our Aging with Dignity project for Indian American seniors: We wanted to share solutions on aging through our stories, but also wanted to bring the conversation into the community itself.
So we planned a gathering for seniors in collaboration with India Community Center (ICC), a local community-based organization that has served Indian American families for decades. Our goal was simple: listen, learn, and create a space where our seniors could share experiences that would shape the stories we tell in this project.
First, we listened to the ICC senior program coordinators, who, said Audience Engagement Editor Prachi Singh, clearly understood “the needs and concerns of the senior members.” Doing so “made all the difference.”
Icebreakers & Conversations
On September 15, the India Currents team spent an afternoon with seniors at ICC. Our staff greeted guests as they came in; some shy, some curious, and some excited, and helped seat them at tables arranged in a warm, intimate setting that encouraged interaction and conversation.
We began with an introduction to the team by publisher Vandana Kumar, followed by an icebreaker led by Audience Engagement Editor Prachi Singh and CFO Vijay Rajvaidya.
They asked seniors to discuss questions about cherished traditions, and share concerns about growing older in America, away from where they grew up, what’s become harder, and how they have adapted.
“It took a few minutes to warm up,” said Prachi Singh, “but as the questions went around, more people opened up about real concerns and hopes. The conversation moved fluidly between Hindi, English, and Bengali, with stories, questions, and plenty of laughter. (They) didn’t just answer us; they traded experiences and advice with each other!”
Seniors expressed a variety of concerns: the desire to share their Indian culture and native language with their grandchildren, the lack of household help here that they were used to back in India, the difficulties with multitasking, travel, and going to medical appointments. They were worried about the high costs of healthcare, especially in retirement, and apprehensive about technology, taxes, and issues with memory loss. “Things take time,” said a senior.
Much of the conversation revolved around family. Seniors wanted their grandchildren to know their culture, their mother tongue, and their stories. One senior expressed a yearning for Apnapan (belonging) as she aged.
Particularly poignant was how seniors shared the impact of changing family dynamics and distances that were physical and sometimes generational. “Children have their own lives,” said a senior. “We don’t live together – physical distance creates a distance in the family.”
Aging with Dignity
Next, Contributing Editors Snigdha Sen and Nandita Bose introduced the Aging with Dignity project, explaining that it is designed to empower seniors and caregivers with the resources and stories that celebrate aging with confidence, dignity, and belonging. They displayed the Aging with Dignity landing page and described its offerings – stories, podcasts, and a resource hub that provides tools and information for both seniors and caregivers.
Vijay Rajvaidya shared his unique experience undertaking a padyatra, walking 25 miles a day on a pilgrimage in India, which became a conversation about staying physically active as we age.
Reporter Anjana. Nagarajan Butaney explained simple steps to creating a senior-friendly home using an infographic that was distributed as a handout, while Bulbul Dasanj assisted seniors who wanted to sign up for India Currents newsletters. As a thank you, seniors received pencils, magnets, and sweets.
In a brief survey that followed, seniors identified specific needs for AI education and training, finding trustworthy, culturally competent caregivers, and help understanding Medicare.
Learning from Lived Experience
The room was full of accumulated wisdom,” said Snigdha Sen. “Theirs were lived experiences that we can only learn from. I told them about my own coverage of caregiver shortages, but I realized it was easy to overlook the everyday challenges of seniors. One woman told me she needed trustworthy, affordable help around the house, like moving a heavy piece of furniture or an appliance. Or a ride to places, since she no longer drives. It made us realize we need to meet them where they are, ask more, listen more.”
The team clarified that audience feedback would be used to develop content for the project, and shared the India Currents WhatsApp number for seniors to stay in touch with our online community.
Prachi Singh, who organized the event, wanted to ensure that the seniors and their families found it relevant and left with a sense of empowerment and community. “This drove what questions we ask them, what activities we plan, and how we distribute the information,” she said. “What stayed with me was how willing people were to share, not just with us, but with each other.
“We didn’t want this to feel like a presentation. Every part of the hour was planned so we could listen more than we talked. It took a few minutes for people to warm up, and then they took it from there, where at one point I was running around with a microphone because many people wanted to share their thoughts!”
