Desis of Silicon Valley Speak: An Oral History

'Desis of Silicon Valley: An Oral History' is an archive of the Asian Indian, often known as Desi, experience in Silicon Valley. The oral history methodology helps us hear from them directly about the mutual relationship between Silicon Valley and the Desi community. How have the Silicon Valley and the Desi community transformed each other? What makes the Silicon Valley home to so many Desis? How does the technology-rich culture of Silicon Valley become more diverse and vibrant because of the Desi presence? In this archive, we collect stories of Desis who have lived in the area from at least the 1980s. We hear from people who may have techie day jobs but have led the cultivation of the arts from India in their evenings and weekends. On the other hand, Desis in the service sector, including gas station workers and owners, grocery store owners and workers, cooks and nannies, cab drivers and owners of cab agencies, support and enrich Silicon Valley as much as software engineers. Desis in healthcare and education, in religious institutions, play equally critical roles in Silicon Valley. This archive is an inclusive collection of Desi voices in their own words.