The South Asian stories you need to know
Smart journalism on South Asia and South Asians around the world.
Latest Stories
September 18, 2020
The Chaiwala of TikTok
Kevin Wilson, a 30-year-old Sri Lankan native and associate pastor, has found fame on the short video platform by sharing the gospel of chai.
September 16, 2020
How Kala Bagai Came Home
In the streets of U.S. cities, Brown history is often invisible. It took a group of historians and Berkeley activists to address an injustice committed over a hundred years ago.
September 17, 2020
Decolonizing Design
A $100 laptop was supposed to change the world. Its failure reveals the dangers of the design and tech industry’s Western-centric conditioning.
September 15, 2020
Stick Figures and Subversion
Despite shrinking space for dissent, amateur comic artists are continuing India’s long tradition of political cartoons and commentary.
Editor's Picks
July 01, 2020
The Evolution of Padma Lakshmi
Her latest show “Taste the Nation” is just the culmination of who she’s always been: an authentic food writer, history nerd, and steward of culture.
June 04, 2020
Revisiting the Model Minority Myth, 20 Years Later
Two decades after the publication of ‘The Karma of Brown Folk,’ Vijay Prashad revisits his seminal book and advocates for concrete change today.
June 29, 2020
Who’s Afraid of Ifti Nasim?
The swashbuckling life and legacy of a Pakistani American gay icon.
May 28, 2020
The Deal of a Lifetime: Reliance’s Jio Platforms
Major investments into an ostensibly asset-light tech business are actually betting on Jio’s telco dominance. Everything else is just the cherry on top.
Business & Tech
September 17, 2020
Decolonizing Design
A $100 laptop was supposed to change the world. Its failure reveals the dangers of the design and tech industry’s Western-centric conditioning.
September 04, 2020
Thiru Kumar, Legendary Dosa Man
Kumar’s dosa cart is more than just a popular lunch spot in the heart of New York City — it’s a destination where the key draw is the owner himself.
September 08, 2020
How Ancestry Test Results Became Browner
South Asians curious about their genetic ancestry have had a front-row seat to the technology's evolution — and some are left wanting for more accurate results.
August 04, 2020
For Kashmir’s Startups, Slow Internet is the New Normal
India’s internet throttling has cost Kashmir dearly, leaving internet businesses fighting for their livelihood.
Culture
September 18, 2020
The Chaiwala of TikTok
Kevin Wilson, a 30-year-old Sri Lankan native and associate pastor, has found fame on the short video platform by sharing the gospel of chai.
September 16, 2020
How Kala Bagai Came Home
In the streets of U.S. cities, Brown history is often invisible. It took a group of historians and Berkeley activists to address an injustice committed over a hundred years ago.
September 17, 2020
Decolonizing Design
A $100 laptop was supposed to change the world. Its failure reveals the dangers of the design and tech industry’s Western-centric conditioning.
September 15, 2020
Stick Figures and Subversion
Despite shrinking space for dissent, amateur comic artists are continuing India’s long tradition of political cartoons and commentary.
Opinion
August 03, 2020
Opinion: A Paean to the Rakhi
Despite Raksha Bandhan’s patriarchal origins, for some, the holiday is less about religion and more about bringing together siblings.
July 10, 2020
Opinion: My New Normal on the Frontlines
As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, one doctor saw childhood rules in a new light.
July 17, 2020
Opinion: Britain’s Forgotten Immigrants
The U.K. repeatedly forgets the legacy of South Asian immigrants on its frontlines — from the trenches to hospital wards.
June 26, 2020
Opinion: Sushant Singh Rajput’s Suicide is Yet Another Wake-Up Call
We shouldn’t have to wait until someone attempts suicide to talk about mental health issues.
Politics
September 16, 2020
How Kala Bagai Came Home
In the streets of U.S. cities, Brown history is often invisible. It took a group of historians and Berkeley activists to address an injustice committed over a hundred years ago.
September 09, 2020
Pranab Mukherjee, The Improbable President
The greatest skill of the former President of India was his ability to guide power — even when it thwarted his ambitions to become prime minister.
September 15, 2020
Stick Figures and Subversion
Despite shrinking space for dissent, amateur comic artists are continuing India’s long tradition of political cartoons and commentary.
September 03, 2020
'A Political Awakening': South Asians Play Growing Role in U.S. Elections
From ‘Hindus for Trump’ to the Kamala Harris effect, the fast-growing group could tilt the election in key states.
Sports
July 09, 2020
A Pommel Horse, Masala Macaroni, and an Olympic Dream
Gymnast Akash Modi — part of a “tight-knit” group of South Asian Americans in the sport — is aiming for an Olympic medal.
November 01, 2019
Running the World’s Largest Marathon
Ahead of this Sunday’s New York Marathon, reflections on training for a marathon as a chef and a vegan.
January 30, 2020
The Random, Solitary Path of Sumit Nagal
Pursuing a tennis singles career in India is a lonely, expensive, largely anonymous journey.
October 10, 2019
For the NBA, India Can’t Replace China Just Yet
The NBA’s operations in China are already $4b. Its future in India may be just as rosy — but it comes with political choices and isn't as simple as swapping a billion-plus country for another.
The Juggernaut tells untold, smart South Asian stories and news you won't find anywhere else.
The Weekly
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