White House Initiative Outlines Asian American Objectives
United States: Asian American and Pacific Islander officials in the Obama administration and leaders from AAPI groups from around the country held a Google+ Hangout Feb. 20 to outline federal outreach efforts aimed at addressing issues of concern to AAPIs. If not loaded with specifics, at least the teleconference detailed Web sites where Asian Americans […]
Indian Americans Place 8th and 10th in Intel Science Contest
Two Indian American high school seniors captured the 8th and 10th place awards March 11 in the Intel Science Talent Search competition, the country’s most prestigious pre-college science and math contest. Anand Srinivasan of Roswell High School in Roswell, Georgia, won a $20,000 award for his eighth place finish. His project featured a neural-network-based computer model, RNNScan, […]
Women of Courage’ Award
SAN LEANDRO, Calif., United States Laxmi, a young Indian woman disfigured by acid who has become an outspoken activist for women’s rights; and Roshika Deo, a Fiji-Indian feminist and political aspirant, were among a group of influential women honored by First Lady Michelle Obama and leaders of the State Department at the International Women of […]
Nursing Student Jasmine Joseph, 22, Missing Since February 24
SAN LEANDRO, Calif., United States A young Indian American nursing student has gone missing in New York, and her family has been frantically searching for her. Jasmine Joseph, 22, of Syosset, Long Island, claimed to be in her junior year as a student at the New York Institute of Technology, but school records state that […]
Nisha Agarwal Named NY Immigrant Affairs Commissioner
United States Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Feb. 28 the appointment of immigrants advocate Nisha Agarwal as commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. A public interest lawyer, she will focus on implementing a new resident ID card system for undocumented immigrants, improving outreach to immigrant-owned businesses and ensuring that victims of crimes in […]
The executive committee of the Los Angeles chapter of OFBJP
ARTESIA, Calif., United States An Overseas Friends of the BJP-LA chapter was formally inaugurated Jan. 26 at the Haveli Restaurant here with Artesia Mayor Tony Lima as the chief guest. After Anil Mahajan welcomed the gathering, Dilip Butani explained to the audience details about BJP’s “Mission 272+, 2014.” National OFBJP-USA president Chandrakant Patel then formally […]
Four University of South Florida Students Killed in Crash
TAMPA, Fla., United States Florida Highway Patrol troopers say they’re trying to determine what entrance a driver took on Interstate 275 to end up going the wrong way and crashing into a car carrying four University of South Florida students. All five died in the morning crash Feb. 9. The crash claimed the lives of […]
Texas Doctor Honored by Board of Obesity Medicine
Dr. Suresh Prasad’s knowledge and background in the area of obesity was recently recognized when he was honored as a Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, one of the relatively few doctors in Texas to be so honored. Prasad was among only 158 physicians nationally who successfully completed this year’s exam out of […]
Coke Defies Critics with Multilingual ‘It’s Beautiful’ Ad
SAN LEANDRO, Calif., India: ABC News reported Feb. 7 that soft drink giant Coca-Cola would release an even longer version of an ad, previously aired on the Super Bowl, which embraces cultural diversity. Coke’s original, 60-second Super Bowl ad had enraged xenophobes with its multilingual version of “America the Beautiful,” sung in Hindi, English, Spanish […]
Axe Ad Campaign Featuring Sikh Model Spurs Xenophobic Outrage
SAN LEANDRO, United States: After a Gap ad campaign drew attention to hip young Sikhs with its photo of model Waris Ahluwalia being fondled by a non-Indian model, Axe body spray is now on the bandwagon as well, featuring a turbaned Sikh model kissing a woman on the New York City subway in its new campaign […]
Eleven Indian American Students Named Intel Science Finalists
SANTA CLARA, Calif., United States: Eleven Indian American students and one Bangladeshi American are among 40 high school seniors from across the United States selected as finalists Jan. 22 in the country’s oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition, the Intel Science Talent Search, a program of Society for Science & the Public. The 40 […]
A.R. Rahman Attends Grammy Awards in LA
LOS ANGELES, Calif., United States: Indian music maestro A.R. Rahman attended the 56th Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The 48-year-old composer, who won two Grammy awards for his hit track “Jai Ho” for “Slumdog Millionaire” in 2010, posted a picture of himself from the awards ceremony Jan. 26. “At the Grammys,” he […]
Bhojpuri Parivar Determined to Preserve Bhojpuri Culture
LOS ANGELES, Calif., United States: Living miles away from the home state, it is difficult to sustain your original roots and pass on to the upcoming generation one’s own language and culture. Now, those individuals seeking to preserve their Bhojpuri culture need not to worry as Bhojpuri Parivar is one such association which is trying its […]
Aziz Ansari and the Evolution of Indian Americans
United States: The other night, I was walking in downtown San Francisco after work near two other pedestrians, two men probably in their mid-twenties. I could overhear parts of their conversation when one of them said, “I hate technology. I forwarded the email to her, and then she posted it on . . . .” […]
Tennessee Doctor Threatened to Kill Wife After Plans to Leave: Police
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn:Dr. Vijay R. Singh, a Johnson City physician, threatened to shoot and kill his wife Dec. 4 after she told him she planned to return home to their native India, police said in a court document. Police confiscated several fire arms and a cache of ammunition from the house. According to the Johnson […]
Obama Nominates Shamina Singh to Community Service Board
President Barack Obama Jan. 16 nominated Shamina Singh, the current executive director of the MasterCard Center for Inclusive Growth, to the board of directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Singh has held the position at the MasterCard Center since December 2013. She is also global director of government social programs in MasterCard’s […]
US Energy Secretary Cancels India Trip Amid Strain in Ties
WASHINGTON, United States: U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz Jan. 8 canceled his crucial trip to India next week in view of the strained bilateral ties over the arrest of a senior Indian diplomat on alleged visa fraud charges, the most serious fallout of the ordeal yet. Moniz’s planned visit to India next week has been […]
The Serial Philanthropist: Romesh Wadhwani Nurtures Entrepreneurship in India
LOS ALTOS HILLS, Calif., United States: Romesh Wadhwani, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of strategic private equity firm Symphony Technology Group in Palo Alto, Calif., relishes solving large problems, not small ones. Whether it is sowing the seeds of innovation like an entrepreneurial Johnny Appleseed, urging President Obama to consider policy changes for the U.S. […]
Indian American Rights Groups Support Diplomat’s Maid
WASHINGTON D.C., United States: A coalition of South Asian rights bodies in the U.S. has came out in support of Devyani Khobragade’s maid Sangeeta Richard, who has claimed that she suffered while working for the Indian diplomat. “We stand with Sangeeta Richard and call upon our community members to support her and domestic workers around the […]
Indian Passenger Arrested After Allegedly Attacking JetBlue Crew
By Indiawest A Southern California woman heading to Bogota, Colombia to meet her family for the holidays was arrested on Christmas Eve after allegedly attacking a JetBlue crew member on a flight from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Trisha Sen, 39, was arrested early morning Dec. 24 by Broward County sheriffs immediately upon landing, […]
