Latest stories

We’ve published over 1,650 stories at The Juggernaut diving into South Asian culture, politics, history, profiles, business, and tech. Here are all of our stories for you to peruse, with the most recent first.

M.I.A., born Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam, is a rapper, singer, filmmaker, and visual artist — not afraid to stir the hornet’s nest. (Coup d'Oreille/Flickr)

The Essential Legacy of M.I.A.

Her Brownness was palatable to the industry and their persistent search for a fresh eclectic star — but her politics were not.

Meher Manda

Models dressed in kurtas from Rina Singh’s first kurta collection, which launched in India in October 2019. (UNIQLO)

The Kurta Makes its Fast-Fashion Debut

UNIQLO’s kurta collection popularizes the ancient South Asian garment, but also elicits mixed reactions.

Sneha Mehta

Pranav Reddy is a resident physician in Connecticut. (Pranav Reddy)

Opinion: My New Normal on the Frontlines

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread, one doctor saw childhood rules in a new light.

Pranav Reddy

Stanford Men’s gymnast Akash Modi competing in March 2014. (Hector Garcia-Molina/ISIPhotos)

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.

Nirmal Mulaikal

India’s Battle for LGBTQ Rights is Far from Over

Two years after India’s Supreme Court revoked Section 377 — which criminalized homosexuality — violence, assaults, and discrimination are still the norm.

Dhruva Balram

The University of California-Berkeley campus (Charlie Nguyen/Flickr)

Why Test Scores Can Be a “Proxy for Privilege”

For many South Asian Americans — even those who excel at tests — test-based admissions are a flawed system.

Alia Wong

Dishoom Birmingham (John Carey, courtesy of Dishoom)

Ten Years of Dishoom

Co-founder Shamil Thakrar shares what it takes to build a food institution — deepen, don’t dilute.

Snigdha Sur

Maharaja Sovan Singh playing pachisi (c. 1868)

Ludo Under Lockdown

South Asians are rediscovering a classic board game that has been the center of intrigue for centuries.

Somdyuti Datta Ray

An artist acts in front of a mobile phone camera while making a TikTok video on the terrace of his residence in Hyderabad on February 14, 2020 (NOAH SEELAM / AFP via Getty Images)

Will Indians Replace TikTok?

Indian founders rush to fill the gap created by India’s Monday ban of 59 Chinese apps.

Varsha Bansal

Padma Lakshmi (Shyama Golden for The Juggernaut)

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.

Snigdha Sur

Ruhel Islam’s Gandhi Mahal Indian restaurant burned down during protests in late May — not far from the Third Precinct police headquarters in Minneapolis. (Krithika Varagur)

“Let My Building Burn”

Restaurateur Ruhel Islam is one of several South Asian Americans demonstrating a new kind of allyship with Black Lives Matter — one that is more vocal, forceful, and humble.

Krithika Varagur

Pakistani American poet Ifti Nasim (Hafsa Ashfaque for The Juggernaut)

Who’s Afraid of Ifti Nasim?

The swashbuckling life and legacy of a Pakistani American gay icon.

Alizeh Kohari

Sushant Singh Rajput died on June 14, at age 34. (Radio Rani for The Juggernaut)

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.

Siri Chilukuri

Lawmakers, community organizations, and unions — including Pramila Jayapal — gathered in 2017 on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol to voice concerns about the Trump administration’s budget. (AFGE)

Pramila Jayapal Goes Against the Grain

The first Indian American woman in the U.S. House is not afraid to fight for progressive policies.

Kiran Misra

Street food in Mumbai, India. (Vidya Balachander)

Amid COVID, Indian Street Food Vanishes

The COVID-19 lockdown has left street food vendors wondering how they’ll reclaim their hard-won places in the heart of cities.

Vidya Balachander

Because of their light skin and willingness to go on the stage, Jewish Bollywood stars such as Nadira (Florence Ezekiel) — pictured on right — ruled the silent era. (Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival/Shalom Bollywood)

The Jews of India

For 2,000 years, India has been home to a small but prominent Jewish community. So what makes India one of the safest places for Jews in the world?

Michaela Stone Cross

Hakka Chili Chicken at The MasalaWala in New York City. (The MasalaWala)

Indo-Chinese Is More Than Fusion

Indo-Chinese food takes the most electric, savory, and often spicy flavors from certain Chinese dishes and dials them up tenfold.

Priya Krishna

This month, Meena Harris published children’s book “Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea.” (Meena Harris)

“Everyone Can Do Something”

Entrepreneur Meena Harris talks about Black Lives Matter and her latest book: no one can do everything, but every person can play a role in effecting change.

The Juggernaut

BuzzFeed creative producer and TikToker Swasti Shukla (@iamswastishukla) makes both universally relatable and South Asian-specific TikToks, drawing on her upbringing to help her content hit home. (Swasti Shukla)

The Diaspora on Brown TikTok

South Asian Americans are navigating the fine line between sharing funny videos and perpetuating stereotypes.

Natasha Roy

Fair & Lovely ad excerpt (Fair & Lovely)

How Skin Whitening Became a $23 Billion Industry

With persistent colorism and the rise of consumerism, the idea of fair skin manifested as a product you could buy.

Anna Purna Kambhampaty