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India Currents gave me a voice in days I was very lost. Having my articles selected for publishing was very validating – Shailaja Dixit, Executive Director, Narika, Fremont
1987: A new immigrant in a foreign land. Incredible loneliness. Phone calls to India are $3.50 per minute. Aerograms cost 36c. It takes 28 days to get a reply. Were there others like me? How did they cope?
I scan the local newspapers—no news of anything familiar. Iran Contra crisis. India, if ever mentioned, was in the “News of the Weird!” Dow Jones at 2372. Was this my new reality?
Mother to twin boys. Satisfaction of creating a family, a home. And yet, nothing familiar to anchor me. Craving the tastes of home. Craving the sounds of home. Rasmalai? Make it with ricotta cheese. Croon to Lata and Kishore on spooling cassette tapes. Were there others like me? How do I reach them?
India Currents is born. A platform to share events and thoughts that were familiar. No plans, forecasts or ROI. A hunger to share. The desire to explore our hyphenated identities. The challenge of finding resources. The thrill of discovering fellow travelers. The hunger to belong!
2017: Vibrant social life. Facetime Mummy every day. Whats app for free. Share life with family across the globe via Facebook. A connected world.
I scan the local newspapers–now featuring Indian-Americans regularly! Read about the global rush to harness the “buying power of the Indian middle-class.” The Dow Jones at 20, 668.
I am a mother-in-law now. I buy rasmalai at Costco. Stream Hindi music on my iPhone.
India Currents celebrates its 30th anniversary. The original quest to explore our hyphenated identities stays strong. The aspirations of our community have not changed. The hunger remains—the hunger to belong, the hunger to connect!
What started as a community platform remains a labor of love for me. Readers, writers, editors and advertisers—we could not have done it without you. Thanks to all that have been a part of this fabulous journey!
—Vandana Kumar
This month’s cover story is a look back on our editorials written over 30 years. Racism, sexism, gay rights, the political scene in America and India, raising children in America—a part of your identity is reflected in these editorials. Our editorials reveal our best and worst selves as a community. Our words are by, of, and for you—our readers.
We stand up and speak on your behalf. An honor indeed!
—Nirupama Vaidhyanathan, Managing Editor