Interviewer: So thank you Vandana for coming for letting us come to your home and talk to us
I: So we are from the University of... from San Jose State University and we are creating an oral history project
I: on the Desi voice of Silicon Valley.
I: So we wanted to talk to you about your perspective, your experience of
I: being Desi and the Desi impact in Silicon Valley. So
I: if you begin with, you know, with your name, who you are, what you do, and then your journey up until now in Silicon Valley.
Vandana: Well, thank you Mantra for inviting me to be a part of this project.
V: My name is Vandana Kumar. I came to this country in 1986, February
V: 23rd
V: 1986 and
V: ---
V: I came to this country as an arranged marriage bride. You know
V: it was ... those of us who grew up in India are very familiar with the institution of arranged marriage and
V: ---
V: it was the norm, you know, I came here. My husband was an engineer and in Silicon Valley.
V: We didn't call it the Silicon Valley then. He was he was in San Jose, California and the suburbs of San Francisco, you know.
It was-it was San Francisco.
V: ---
V: So I came at a time ...
V: It was only a little over 35-34 years, about-about that time
V: But it feels like a
V: such a-such a long time ago
V: simply because
V: technology has changed the way we look at the world.
V: What seems so far, what seemed
V: so alien, so unknown
V: seems completely unthinkable today.
V: I grew up in a small town called Jamshedpur.
V: And
V: I never really went outside my small city. I mean to study or we went out for vacations and things like that, but
V: I had no exposure to the big world in the United States.
V: ---
V: Also
V: because my knowledge was limited by what I knew and what I had access to, which was the written word,
V: the printed newspapers that came to my small hometown, the
V: libraries carried books about James Hadley Chase or
V: showed the Western movies at the local movie theater. So it was limited to a very
V: Hollywood-Hollywood version of America. And if you compare, it's not quite that.
Interviewer: Yeah Yeah I want you to talk about that. You know, you know,
I: what you knew or heard or read about and your actual experience. V: So at the academic level
V: you do understand that, you know, the exposure that I'd had was very limited. Meaning
V: the movies weren't probably just the way that the whole country was, but that was all that I actually saw.
V: ---
V: So yeah, oh my gosh, you know it's -there's like so much to talk about,
V: but
V: I think Hollywood plays a big role in how the world sees America even today.
V: But today the big difference being that
V: with the internet being accessible even now in the remotest part of the globe,
V: ---
V: anyone who has a smartphone can actually find out
V: details about any small town in any part of the world. And people are empowered to be with that information.
V: I felt you know - looking back, I can say that I didn't have that
V: ---
V: advantage. I had very lim- little and limited knowledge.
V: But when you are young
V: ---
V: the worl- everything, life's an adventure.
V: And you take to everything with equal enthusiasm, you know.
V: There are no barriers.
V: And --- so even though I came from a really small place
V: to a place to a country that was
V: ---
V: so vast and
V: when I didn't know a single person actually. I did not know a single person in this huge country.
V: The nearest person that I did know was
V: 10,000 miles away: my family in India.
V: So it can be an incredibly isolating experience.
V: And I think
V: that experience for the new immigrant has changed today
V: simply because distances have become so close. You know distances are not really there anymore.
I: So you said that it wasn't called Sil-Silicon Valley in the 80s, but you knew it was a suburb of San Francisco.
V: Yes. I: So what did San Francisco mean to you at the time?
V: Oh, San Francisco, what a romantic place, you know.
V: What a beautiful city. It was featured in many Hollywood movies.
V: So it certainly had cachet. You know, it had that recognition, like
V: it's this beautiful place.
V: ---
V: It was America, you know. It was considered to be the land of opportunity. So coming here -
V: I mean it was not-not a hardship in any way, you know, I...
V: It's just like learning to
V: exist in a new place, learning to navigate
V: in a new environment.
V: And ---
V: Silicon Valley - I think that term was just about
V: being introduced at that time because of the mushrooming of all these
V: technology companies.
V: But I think the term Silicon Valley really came into its own a little while later
V: where
V: It - what is that-What does that really mean?
V: What does it mean to an average person even across the globe? Really, Silicon Valley
V: stands for innovation,
V: the hub of innovation,
V: and the incredible
V: diversity that's here in this
V: place.
V: It's ...
V: It's amazing and it's amazing because of the energy that it brings.
V: I think immigrants no matter where they come from in the world,
V: they bring with them a drive to succeed.
V: A drive to
V: make their mark in their new homeland and
V: America has thrived across the ages because of this immigrant energy, and
V: in the Silicon Valley it brought energy of a
V: certain kind:
V: educated,
V: engineering people with an engineering
V: ---
V: background.
V: And slowly an ecosystem was built over here that allowed entrepreneurs no matter where they came from in the world
V: to find the talent, to find the legal help, to find everything that they might need to actually start a business
V: around technology.
V: Even today I think even across the globe, the Silicon Valley is recognized for the talent that's available here.
I: Hmm.
V: But you know, it's something that we grew into and I was happy to be actually a part of that
V: realization like "Oh, I actually lived in the Silicon Valley".
I: Mmm. V: You know that was sort of an enviable place across the globe.
I: Great, so-so is it-is it right to say that you identify yourself as a Desi of Silicon Valley?
V: Absolutely. I: And what does that mean to you? V: So Desi is a Hindi word, which means
V: country.
V: You know, in colloquialism you, instead of saying "Desh," you say "Dess."
V: You, you, you may have grown up with the watching Hindi movies
V: That's if they always talk about going back to Dess.
V: You know, "Chal Aaj Desava Ki Aur"[Hindi: Let's go to our homeland], you know
V:---
V: So the word Dess is really, relates, I think, to the Indian American community in the Silicon Valley.
V: ---
V: You know, I'm not exactly sure when that term came about.
V: ---
V: We-we always called ourselves Indian American.
I: Hmm.
V: But I think as the numbers grew with the late 90s,
V: we saw huge influx of Indians that actually came into the Silicon Valley.
V: Now this was a different kind of immigrant because till that time
V: we'd had
V: people who came to the United States as
V: ---
V: students and
V: after becoming, you know, getting their Master's degree or
V: PhD or whatever it is, higher education that they came for,
V: they got a job and then they started from scratch, you know.
V: Why do I say that
V: there was a new breed of people? Because this was a whole bunch of people that came to the United States on an H-1B on H1
V: H1 visa I: Hmm.
V: which was the demand of the industry at that point because they were looking to get more people
V: working here on legacy systems and
V: India was producing these engineers that were knowledgeable about the legacy systems and
V: this
V: and this was, you know, it heralded a
V: mass migration of engineers from India across the globe. What was called the Y2K
V: problem I: Hmm.
V: where computer systems were switching over from
V: two-digit years to a four-digit year and people had all kinds of, you know,
V: ---
V: there were uncertainties around this. Like what how would the computer systems handle it and
V: was there going to be any apocalypse, you know, was there going to be,
V: ---
V: you know, malfunction or failure of computer systems on a massive scale. People didn't know that.
V: But this influx this these people that went out across the globe including to the Silicon Valley
V: they came with jobs, they were young and
V: in some ways they came with a disposable income, you know, which was different from the Indians that were there earlier because
V: students who just graduated, by definition poor, I: Of course.
V: you know, and with less disposable income I: Hmm. V: It changed the
V: dynamics in the Valley.
V: You see till that time. We had a
V: few Indian restaurants. Actually, when I came here there was one or two Indian restaurants.
V: There was maybe one or two Indian grocery stores.
I: Hmm.
V: Now all these guys who came and they were largely guys I: Hmm. V: who came.
V: They wanted to eat a good Indian meal, I: Hmm.
V:No compromises, you know, I'm ready to pay, I want this good.
V: Yeah, so all these all-you-can-eat buffets. I: Hmm.
V: So many of them! I mean, literally hundreds every ---
V: around every office area there were all these Indian places because there was a demand.
V: So they were willing to have, you know, pay for
V: services like that. Now, when I came, I didn't have that same experience. If you wanted to eat Indian food you wanted, you know,
V: you learn how to make it, you learn how to cook it. I: (Laughs).
V: You want to learn you want to make "mithai"[Hindi: Sweet],
V: you want to eat "mithai"[Hindi: Sweet]. Well, make it, you know.
V: That's actually an experience I wrote about in our
V: magazine on our 30th anniversary
V: because
V: You know India Currents was born ... I want to show you this now. I want to talk a little bit about it.
I: yes yes. Vandana: Because
V: see this started. ---
V: Volume one, number one, April 1987. I: Hmm
Vandana: It started because there was
V: no place for
V: Indians to come together. We were looking to create a community. I was, I was one of the people
V: and ---
V: I talked about how isolating things can be, about the experiences of an immigrant could be at that time.
I: Hmm.
V: Again I realize, you know, I think about somebody who might be watching this today is like what's she talking about?
V: You know, but it was a different world. When you don't know anyone. There's no way to connect.
V: ---
V: Starting "India Currents" was the idea of trying to find other people like us because when you realize that
V: I'm feeling so lonely, surely there are other people out there that are feeling the same.
V: I just don't know who they are. I: Hmm.
V: I don't know how to reach them.
V: But surely they are there, and
V: the magazine in all of this started without any plans of it becoming a business.
V: But it filled a need for us, and it clearly touched a nerve in the larger
V: community, you know. It was, it clearly met. Yeah.
V: Entrepreneurship is all about
V: meeting the unmet need, I: Hmm. V: and
V: today we can talk about "Oh, what a wonderful entrepreneurial idea", but
V: we didn't know it was an entrepreneurial idea. It was something we did because it was a labor of love. I: Hmm.
V: You know, something that
V: it fulfilled for us.
V: But the beautiful thing that "India Currents" did is, it actually built a community.
V: They became a platform that the community could rally around. I: Hmm.
V: It was the one place that you could all, anyone could come and come and share their point of view, and
V: we were very accepting because we didn't really have any resources. We didn't really have
V: even a background in publishing or journalism or anything like that. But what we knew is
V: there was a void in our lives and sentiments, and
V: we are looking to find others on this journey.
V: Because surely they were there,
V: and we would see them occasionally here and there. Not like today, where there are, you know,
V: people everywhere. We are a visible minority today, but it didn't, it wasn't always like that.
V: So people are always looking, you know, looking to find other people like us.
I: Yes. V:We have this feeling. I mean, that's a human need, right? And
V: for our 30th anniversary, somebody, you know, my editor was asking me is like
V: Ab(Hindi: now) Share your reflections about 30 years of the Silicon Valley,
V: being part of India Currents, and I wrote a very small little piece. Did I share this with you already?
V: I don't remember.
V: But if it's okay, could I can I read this?
I: Yeah.
V: ---
V: "1987, a new immigrant in a foreign land.
V: Incredible loneliness.
V: Phone calls to India are three dollars and fifty cents a minute.
V: Aerograms cost 36 cents.
V: It takes 28 days to get a reply.
V: Were there others like me?
V: How did they cope?
V: I scan the local newspapers. No news of anything familiar.
V: Iran-Contra crisis.
V: India, if ever mentioned, was in the news of the weird.
V: Dow Jones was at
V: 2372. Was this my new reality?
V: Mother to twin boys.
V: Satisfaction of creating a family, a home, and yet nothing familiar to ground me.
V: Craving the taste of home, craving the sounds of home. Rasmalai?
Interviewer: [Laugh]
V: Make it with cottage cheese.
V: Croon to Lata and Kishore [music legends] on spooling cassette tapes. Were there others like me?
V: How do I reach them?
V: "India Currents" is born. A
V: platform to share events and thoughts that are familiar.
V: No plans,
V: forecasts, or ROI. A hunger to share, the desire to explore our hyphenated identities.
V: The challenge of finding resources, the thrill of discovering fellow travelers, the hunger to belong.
V: 2017.
V: After 30 years from then,
V: vibrant social life, FaceTime Mummy every day, WhatsApp for free.
V: Share life with family across the globe, a connected world. I
V: scan the local newspapers now, featuring Indian Americans regularly. Read about the global
V: rush to harness the middle, the buying power of the Indian middle class.
V: The Dow Jones is twenty thousand six hundred sixty eight.
V: I'm a mother-in-law now, I buy rasmalai at Costco. I stream Hindi music on my iPhone.
V: "India Currents" celebrates 30 years.
V: The original quest to explore our hyphenated identities
V: stays strong.
V: The aspirations of a community have not changed. The hunger-the hunger remains. The hunger to belong,
V: the hunger to connect.
V: What started as a community platform remains a labor of love for me.
V: Readers, writers, editors,
V: advertisers, we could not have done this without you. Thanks to all that have been a part of this journey."
I: Great, very well done, too.
V: So it captures, you know, what
V: life was like for
V: me. It's a very personal experience.
V: Then,
V: you know, and what it became 30 years later. So in some ways,
V: my experiences taught me a lot of things: the value of human connections, of interactions, and of the helping hand.
V: And because I felt so lonely, I
V: made it a point that anytime I would meet a young woman who was new from India,
V: no matter where the scenario was, whether it was in a grocery store or a restaurant or at the library or
V: any place, I always
V: offered advice or help, maybe unsolicited, but I
V: offered
V: my number saying that if you have any questions,
V: feel free to call me. I'm happy to answer them. Because that was something that I felt,
V: I did not have. I did not have anybody to ask,
V: if I were going to a store, what size is my clothes?
V: What size?
V: How do you know your size? What is a size 2 or 4 or 6? How do you
V: know what size underwear to buy?
V: And it's incredibly personal, it's incredibly ... but it's one that affects everybody and
V: I wanted to offer that help. And as a result, you know, for a lot of people
V: I built a vast network of
V: largely women that I connected with. And
V: that
V: appreciated this, you know, and we have the concept of calling Didi, right? I: Yes. V: I became Didi to a lot of people. [Laughs]
I: That's great. That's very needed-very needed. V: Yeah. And
V: we started, I was actually the founder of an organization called Bihar Samaj because I was from Bihar and
V: I was also raising a family. Unlike today where we have such a vibrant community,
V: we didn't have that that, but I wanted my children to
V: experience some of the festivals the way I had experienced, the foods that were,
V: you know, a part of our celebrations. And
V: the music and dance that were part of the Bihar that I grew up in. I
V: wanted to share all of that with them.
V: So because there was nothing else then, you know, you start it yourselves. Like, okay.
V: So we started. But today I think kids don't have any of, any such needs
V: because
V: the opportunities for knowing your culture, again with technology, which has brought everything so close. Whether it's YouTube,
V: Google, or you know, Facebook that allows you to share so much.
V: It has bridged these distances in a way that was not possible for me when I had a computer. And
V: we built strong relationships, you know, even doing
V: festivals that were important for the place that I grew up in, you know, Dusshera and Holi, the festivals that you have, Durga Pooja.
V: So we organized two events around the year, whole bunch of families that, you know, were raising kids just like I was,
Interviewer: Hmm.
Vandana: you know, would participate. We would cook, you know, local foods till it grew to a point, like
V: okay, we can't do this anymore. It has to be catered.
I: Laughs. V: Laughs. I: Right yes.
I: So since you have been so involved and almost kind of initiating
I: --- ---
I: Like I said, described India Currents as a platform, of course, but you almost initiated a kind of a
I: cohesiveness in all the Indians in-in the region so that they could all come together
I: socially and then through a piece like "India Currents." V: Yes. I: Right?
V: Yeah. I: In that sense why-why do you think
I: this whole, you know, the Desi culture is so, so vibrant in Silicon Valley? Why is it so vibrant here?
V: I think India Currents has a big role to play I: Hmm.
V: and has had a big role to play I: Hmm. V: in that. I mentioned at the beginning, you know this feeling of
V: disconnectedness that everybody had you know. I mean, I was an example, right?
V: And
V: knowing that
V: what I again, I'd mentioned earlier, knowing that surely there were others like me.
I: Hmm.
V: What India Currents did is, it
V: built a community. While we were all individuals at that-until that time,
V: because there was no one place that we could all come together.
I: Hmm. V: And
V: India Currents became a platform around culture. I: Hmm. V: And was something that as first-generation
V: immigrants we all, it was a binding force. It wasn't a divisive force in any way.
V: We all create, in fact, you know, I learned so much more about Hindustani music, Co-Carnatic music
V: or about the classical arts of India after I left India.
I: Okay.
V: When I am starting-when I started living here, I: Hmm. V: I had that, you know,
V: desire to know.
V: And as I was raising a family here, I also realized like I
V: want to give a strong sense of identity to my children. I: Hmm.
V: Because I had a strong sense of identity. You know, I knew I was
V: Indian. I
V: had Indian heritage. And I was very familiar with the Indian
V: culture as I had grown up. I: Hmm.
V: And I was learning to navigate the space of being an
V: Indian-American because there was no denying my Indianess. I: Hmm.
V: My accent, my skin color, my choice of words.
V: Everything reflected that I was this hyphenated
V: Indian. My children on the other hand would tell me that, "Mom, you are Indian. I am American." And
V: I wanted my children to grow up with ...
V: not
V: apologizing for who they were. I wanted them to be proud of who they were.
V: And
V: I felt some of that was coming from that place of trying to distance. Say that
V: being Indian is one thing and being
V: American is another thing.
But I realized we were really Indian-Americans.
I: Hmm..
V: And if we were in a place, and perhaps a lot of hyphenated cultures are like that, you have the advantage of taking the best
V: of both cultures that you've had exposure to.
V: So why not take that? And
V: I think ... I
V: wanted to tell my children through my work and through everything that I did, I think I've been ... I- I am
V: I know that I am a role model for my children.
V: But we create role models out of everyday people. I: Hmm. V: By people who embrace who they are.
V: And I think I-I-I
V: have this funny story that I tell a lot of people.
V: You know when we had moved here, my children were
V: you know, they were in elementary school. And my son we'd had this exchange about you are Indian, I am American.
V: So I said, you know, let's go stand at the corner of[street names - inaudible].
V: Ask every person who goes by what they think I am and what they think you are.
I: Hmm.
V: And we will, let's talk after that. I: Hmm. V:So my son thought about that first.
V: And then he got really mad at me. He said, how are they going to know? I said my point exactly.
V: If you are brown, people will always think of you. You're always going to be asked this question-
V: where are you from? I: Hmm.
V: So you might as well embrace it, I:Hmm. V: you know. And
V: ---
V: because people judge just the way-on the way you look, so be comfortable with who you are.
V: You're American, you know. I mean, born and raised in America.
V: So you're going to think differently, but you have the advantage of living at home, having a grandfather live at home, having a multi-
V: generational family.
V: Having, you know, being familiar with the cultures that we are,
V: ---
V: that we have taught you about. Oh this is how things are done. This is how we celebrate Holi.
V: This is how. Today Holi is such a big deal.
V: I mean universities across, certainly in California and many other places, now they have these color runs
V: and fun runs and it's become a big,
V: you know,
V: cultural activity. I: Hmm.
V: But it wasn't then. I: Hmm.
V: But I think a lot of immigrants and a lot of students and a lot of people have had a role to play in that.
V: And
V: India Currents became the place that everybody would come to share their experience,
V: their cultural experience. And
V: this sharing group and
V: there's power of
V: multiplication, right? One person has an experience,
V: we share it. We print it; Now, so many more other people know about it and it's an idea for them.
I: Hmm.Hmm.
V: Because now they're empowered. -- so-and-so has done it. Oh, what a wonderful idea. I: Hmm.
V: And you know, just
V: earlier this month, my niece who was born, raised, everything is raising kids of her own over here.
V: Biracial family,
V: multi-faith family, all of this. In her son's
V: elementary school,
V: they organized Holi. Her husband is not Indian. I mean, she's
V: Indian-American. Her husband is
V: Jewish, of Jewish faith. They organized in their school
V: Holi for all students.
V: They let the parents know. They had the kids come in white
V: t-shirts and made the parents, let them wear old t-shirts and [unclear]. They provided color,
V: talked about Holi. She ... like if I think of the time that I started telling my children about that.
V: 35 years later, I: Hmm.
V: how wonderful-how wonderful that
V: ---
V: a class of, you know, kids in Santa Monica are learning about Holi through
V: a completely different family. I:Hmm.Hmm.
V: That so many people are so comfortable and so proud of their culture I: Hmm.
V: to be able to share, and I think the more we know about
V: other cultures, it makes us
V: less of "the other", you know, I:Hmm. V: here less,
V: we are always afraid of the unknown. And
V: there are all these entities that take advantage of the
V: fear, I: Hmm. V: and I think the more we share our culture
V: with other people and they understand where you're coming from, what it is that you're celebrating.
V: We ...
V: we are ambassadors for our culture,
I: Hmm.
V: and that's the point that you open. You had asked, I think, that
V: what I sensed here,
V: your question to me,
V: what is the role of a Desi
I: in Silicon Valley. V: in Silicon Valley today? I: Hmm.
V: And I think I've come to that point where I think we are all ambassadors of our culture.
V: And it's a responsibility, and one that we should not take lightly because
V: ---
V: we are still a small
V: minority. Here in the Valley we are visible minority now, I: Hmm.Hmm.
V: but in the whole country there is still a very small community.
V: But we come from, and we have such a rich heritage that
V: the world is only going to be enriched when it learns about it. And so I think it's important for all of us I: Hmm
V: to be ambassadors. I:Hmm. V: To go around,
V: ---
V: explain, not explain, share. I:Hmm.
V: I think sharing is actually a better word to say that this is who I am and
V: I do that and-and personal capacity also and-and so there are many, many, many other people.
I: So.---
I: You describe. I mean, these are the great stories to hear about the Silicon Valley and the community.
I: But also like, you know
I: If you ... you may have lived in other cities in the country, or have traveled or have family in other parts of the country.
I: So what is unique about Silicon Valley that you think makes the Desis here
I: different from maybe Desis in other cities, other parts of this country?
I: Is there something unique that you have noticed over the years of Silicon Valley?
V: I think ...
V: There's, first of all, there's a sense of cohesiveness. I: So, how does that happen? How does that
happen? V: So, how does that happen? It's a-it's an interesting question, I'm not sure I, we have
V: an
V: answer for that. But it was a certain kind of immigrant that came to the valley.
V: It wasn't people interested in acting or in, you know,
V: people who have interest in the entertainment industry who may have navigated or gravitated towards the
V: Los Angeles area, I:Hmm.Hmm. V: the southern or people in the finance
V: space that may have navigated move to the
V: eastern part of the country where the financial capital is. I: Hmm.
V: This is where nerdy engineers came. I: Hmm.
V: And we know that India produces
V: lots of engineers I: Yes
V: and doctors. I: Yes V: And
V: ---.
V: the-the-the
V: timing of the
V: H1 visa, I think,
V: brought a whole .. but, well, I am phrasing this very badly. But,
V: how should I say what makes these people different? I think largely because
V: it's only, it's largely engineers who came here. I: Hmm.
V: Not a lot of other kinds of Indians, and they're also looking to connect.
I: Hmm.
V: They're also connected because a large number of their engineering schools in India are connected.
I: Yeah. V: So ... and then we're living in a place of technology
I: Hmm. V: where there is Facebook and this
V: Google I: Hmm. V: and Apple and ...
V: ---.
V: So being connected was like, became part of their DNA and then we had a variable platform
I: Hmm.
V: where people were connecting. I: Sure V: And
V: today people may not know me
V: as individually, but
V: people know the magazine. I: Yes Yes. V: They know the platform, it's like "Oh, India Currents."
V: "I know about that. Oh, I-this was my life savior when I came to the United States,
V: this was the place where I found myself,
V: this is where I found, bought my tickets to India before you were buying it, everything online.
I: Hmm. V: You know, this is how I found specialty items."
I: Yeah V: This is where people bought their
V: clothes. This is where people found out about teaching culture to their generations of, you know, they're raising a
V: family. I want to teach them how to dance. I want to teach them how to
V: sing Indian classical music. I: Yeah, this is something I want to ask. Like when I was reading up
I: about in general, there is this huge
I: flourishing of Carnatic music for example, right? And even Hindustani music but Carnatic music is thriving in this region.
I: In fact, some people said that it's doing better than in-in
V: In India. I: In India.
I: And especially in Chennai regions, doing better than there. But, you know,
I: typically the engineers are very tech focus, tech-savvy people. V: Vijay. I: But why are they
I: connecting like that? Yeah. V: Apologies. We're talking about engineers, I think it's really important to
V: bring in engineers in this conversation. I: Yes..
V: I think we are pioneers,
V: and that's why I said the reason it's different here I: Yes V: is because of India Currents. Because since
V: 1987, we have built this,
V: an
V: ecosystem where they could thrive. I: Hmm. V: Because if somebody was teaching Carnatic music
I: Hmm. V: in their home, how are they able to find students?
I: Hmm.
I: Right. V: Could they afford to advertise in the Mercury News?
I: Hmm. V: Or the New York Times? No. I: Hmm. Vijay: No, they will look at ...
V: They, we were able to deliver a target audience
I: Hmm.
V: for small businesses. Now, whether it was the local restaurant that offered all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for $5.99
I: Hmm.
V: or a Carnatic music teacher who was teaching music in her garage I: Hmm. V: or the Kathak
V: dancer who was teaching
V: Kathak dance in in her home.
I: Hmm.
V: So,
V: we started, you know, now that they were able to advertise for a very nominal price in our
V: magazine.
V: The magazine was being sent out to
V: 30,000 people, I: Hmm.Hmm.
V: 30,000 homes, I: Hmm. V: at no cost.
I: Hmm. V: And we had a very unique model, you know.
V: We were printing, mailing, distributing, at no cost to the end-user. I: ---, Hmm.
V: And ---
V: It's getting into people's homes, it's getting into...
V: ---
V: So I'm getting into people's homes. The thing about
V: any advertiser was that they could be guaranteed. Like, I'm getting to a place that people are actually interested.
I: Hmm. Hmm. V: And they saw their businesses grow. I: Hmm.
V: That the whole bunch of other people who were also
V: quietly doing things in their homes also wanted to be visible I: Hmm. V: said, "Hey, me too."
V: "I also offer these services. You can come to my space, too." The Bay area is very unique geographically. I: Hmm.
V: Because in about half an hour to 45 minutes, you can really go from anywhere to anywhere. I: Hmm.
V: And
V: if you are living in San Jose, well, you can find a teacher near you. I: Hmm.
V: You don't Have to go to Berkeley, I: Hmm. V: which is what earlier people would have to do.
I : Yes. V: And
V: I think that's also a difference between here and LA, Los Angeles. I: Hmm. V: Which is so widespread
V: that there wasn't a place, for one place for people to come, I: Hmm. V: come together, you know.
V: Even for us to distribute in that area was hard because it's so widespread. I: Hmm.
V: But the Bay Area was concentrated all around the Bay.
V: You know, people were constantly moving, I: Hmm.
V: and we were able to get ... we are also based here and I think that helps.
Vijay: Coming back to your first question. I: Yes. engineer. Vijay: Yes..yeah. Engineer. I have a very -- --
I: Before saying that, would you introduce yourself? Vijay: My name is Vijay Rajvaidya, and I'm also a co-publisher now
Vijay: with "India Currents." "Now" I say because my
Vijay: career was with clients. So here I speak with some authority. I: Laugh. Vijay: Like some authority, not all.
Vijay: Vandana speaks with full authority because she has been in this
Vijay: single platform all her life. I: Hmm.
Vijay: I did switch, made a switch. So the point is that, like
Vijay: Vandana mentioned, this place developed as a
Vijay: center or hub for the innovators and the technology innovators, by the way,
Vijay: not in some other field, technology innovators. And from India
Vijay: a lot of technologists came over here. It so happened that in India
Vijay: the similar focus was happening in the geography called Bangalore
I: Hmm.
Vijay: or
Vijay: Hyderabad or little bit in Chennai.
I: Hmm.
Vijay: The northern cities came later on. I: Hmm.
Vijay: So when the American companies sourced these younger people who were to come and work for
Vijay: them over here. It happened that they were more from these southern cities of India. I: Yes.
Vijay: Southern India, South Indian.
I: Hmm. Vijay: That is where you find so much of Carnatic music,
Vijay: focused development and all,
Vijay: because-because they were South Indian and in the food also.
I: Yes. Vijay: I guess in culture everywhere, so this is the
Vijay: distinctness of it. I: Hmm.Hmm. Vijay: Second thing is technology brings more innovators.
Vijay: I mean, you have innovators in finance industry also, but by the nature of it the
Vijay: finance industry is conservative. I: Hmm. Vijay: By nature, it is conservative.
I: Yes. Vijay: Technology by nature is looking for ... entertainment is also very
Vijay: innovative, actually. But innovative ... it is, but there is only one big huge Hollywood over there.
I: Hmm. Vijay: So there, people maybe went over there.
Vijay: From that point of view, this place was distinct.
Vijay: Yes. I: But-but the practice of cultural forms ... I mean, like okay, engineer.
I: It's like, you know, making great salaries, you know, maybe two-household incomes. Vijay: true. true. I: or everything but
I: then why this need to you know find the music class for the kids? Why the need to teach an instrument and
I: then start a class or not, and then send kids. Why this? Vijay: Yes.
Vijay: Did you notice one sentence what Vandana said that
Vijay: in the beginning itself that she learned about
Vijay: Hindustani music, Indian culture after coming here. I: Yeah.
Vijay: So what happens when the culture surrounds you, you'll pick it up.
Vijay: But when that culture doesn't surround you, your longing makes you to learn. I : Yeah, that's true.
Vijay: Isn't it. So that is exactly what happened. Vandana: Yeah, and I think all of us. ---
V: We may have learned ourselves.
V: But we definitely want to make sure our children I: Hmm..
V: knew about it.
V: Yes, you know only when they're young, they're under your control [Laughs]
V: So you can expose whatever things you think are important to them.
I: Yeah
V: As children grow up and develop their own interests and as they become adults then they're going to do
V: whatever they're going to do. I: Hmm.
V: But it's very interesting. And certainly, I think I've had the opportunity to see that dance
V: classes that were advertised here, students that joined because of the dance classes that were advertised here have
V: gone on to complete their
V: graduation and get jobs. I: Hmm.
V: Gone on to even get, you know, get married, have kids, have a family. Then-then their children,
V: sending them to dance classes that are advertised here. I: Hmm. V: So in a way that legacy
I:Hmm.
V: continues and ---
V: Because I think all of us. I've actually met people here,
V: young women, maybe in their 30s,
V: who said they grew up with "India Currents." I:Hmm. V: Always taking it for granted.
V: It was something that was always there on their coffee tables in their, in their homes.
V: But I
V: knew that their parents really liked, you know, what was written.
V: What was there in the magazine and we always used it for,
V: you know, finding resources. I:Hmm
V: We became like the yellow pages then, you know, the yellow pages for the Desi community, you know, trying to find
V: food services,
V: culture,
V: events. You know, when we had our 25th
V: anniversary celebration, the Consulate General of India had come to the event, and he said a sentence that I
V: absolutely loved. Because he said, if an event is not listed in "India Currents," is it really happening? I: Yes. I remember
I: reading that.
I: I know the gesture.
V: So I think we built that reputation, that if an event was happening it had to be listed in "India Currents." I: Yeah
V: And it really became the go-to source. Now many people also told us,
V: I don't have the time to actually go to all of these events,
V: but I love looking through the pages and seeing what all is happening. I: Yes.
I: I do that, too. V: And you know, you see that "Oh, you know, oh, there's a play, there's a dance."
V: "There's a, you know, fair, there's a book reading" and we're seeing, we are a vibrant, you know,
V: culturally aware I: Yes
V: community here. I: Yes. V: And people, they value that.
Vijay: If I may add a comment to that earlier question today, why would they send their children to learn
I: Hmm.
Vijay: music lessons? So it comes from what, when I was saying earlier, the identity part of it. I:Hmm.
Vijay: So there is a desire to have your identity. You are looking, you look different,
Vijay: so you have that identity and take pride in that identity. I: Hmm.
Vijay: But when you want to take pride, you need to have some anchor, what are you anchoring into?
I: Hmm..
Vijay: Fortunately, we come from a
Vijay: community, society, culture, or the country or the
Vijay: region,
Vijay: which is an ancient civilization.
I:Hmm.
Vijay: There is a lot of cultural development over there. I:Yes. Vijay: in every part of it, right?
Vijay: In the subcontinent of India. So we have something available.
Vijay: Immediately, the attention turns to, let me connect to that.
I: Hmm.
Vijay: You know, that is what gives you the reason to take pride in your identity. It becomes the reason for that.
I: Yes.
Vijay: So, we all --- my boys took jazz classes for, in saxophone in the school and at home in tabla.
I: Hmm. Yes. Vijay: So it was tabla and jazz combined. That is how we did it [Laughs].
I: Hmm..Hmm... it is wonderful.
I: Yeah, so, you know, I mean you have touched upon this, you know, in all the stories have shared, but
I: how do you think, you know, being in Silicon Valley that influenced your identity as a Desi?
I: Silicon Valley's role. Like when you came, how different it was. Over the years the way
I: it has transformed, and with so many Indians coming in,
I: your network has increased. Like social, personal, and professional networks.
I: So how do you think Silicon Valley influences your identity today?
Vijay: I ... if I may take take a crack at it first?
Vijay: That also goes to my identity. I
Vijay: This is my personal experience. I: Hmm. Vijay: I ...
Vijay: when I go and I was in tech industry, went everywhere in the world. I was at the front-end marketing
Vijay: sales, so I was traveling all over the world.
Vijay: The pride it gives you, that you're coming from the center of technology. I: Hmm.
Vijay: Oh, my god. Your head is high. I:Hmm. Vijay: Everytime.
Vijay: And all over the world, you are identified with that, whether you want it or not. I:Hmm.
Vijay: So that right away gives you that difference, you know.
Vijay: You know something. Little bit above ... everybody less or more..everybody is less or more.
Vijay: Technology will make. I: Technology.. Vijay: Yes. Even this morning, when I am talking on a technology
Vijay: subject with a friend, and they're discussing that something the director of IIT
Vijay: You know, IIT brand in India. I: Yes. Yes, of course.
Vijay: and the whole thing becomes very full of gravity and attention because they said that we were,
Vijay: we are associated to the people in Silicon Valley.
I: Hmm.
Vijay: They know how much pride it brings. I: Sure. Vijay: So the identity, right?
I: And that connected with the fact that you are of Indian origin.
Vijay: Exactly. I: How does that connect?
Vijay: There-there is a I: I mean, it's a, unlike
I: people from India, you know, who have come at a similar time, but in different parts of the country, somebody in
I : Minnesota, somebody in
I: Alabama, right?
I: I mean not to under, then downplay any other, any other region of the country,
I: but their identities as Desis and your identity as Desi of Silicon Valley. They're very different. So, how does that
I: Silicon Valley influence you?
Vijay: There's an anecdote that I used to tell you about. When I was traveling,
Vijay: that's technology the store room where I landed in Sydney,
Vijay: Sydney in Australia. It was an afternoon flight.
Vijay: There is nobody at the airport for, anyway. I: Hmm.
Vijay: So like this, and I get a cab, and this is an Australian white guy, and he looks at me and he says,
Vijay: "Indian?" I: Hmm. Vijay: And I said, yes, and
Vijay: next ten minutes he is just talking what makes you Indians so
Vijay: much superior in technology and mathematics and physics?
Vijay: Isn't it, that's it.
Vijay: We have, it's in. Laughs..so to you. You wanted to say.
Vandana: I think there is something to be said for the branding of Silicon Valley. And
V: in ... you grew up in India, so you know that.
V: ---
V: You know, you grew up at slightly different time, but when I was growing up if you were a smart
V: person, smart student,
V: you did.
V: You became an engineer or a doctor. I: Hmm. V: You definitely studied science, I: Laughs.
V: you know? So
V: that was my dad, too. I was
V: considered a smart kid, and
V: I always loved language and literature.
V: My mother is actually a professor of Hindi. I: Hmm. V: And I wanted to do something different,
V: but I
V: don't think, I didn't really have that option. I: Hmm. V: You know, because I was a smart kid. I: Hmm.
V: So I had to study science. So I actually have a degree in chemistry.
I: Okay. Vijay: Laughs.
V: And ...
V: and I know that many people like me,
V: who went into doing science and engineering, and, you know, became doctors.
V: Not because that's what they were driven towards.
V: Though that's where the
V: opportunity was I: Yes V: in those days.
V: Things are really changed. I think you know that
V: opportunities have opened up in every aspect. Kids who are growing up in India today are not, don't have the same
V: choices that I had. I:Hmm.
V: But certainly for
V: many, many years that was the norm. I: Hmm. V: You know, if people
V: were considered smart. They actually became engineers. They were the ones who went into
V: administrative services.
V: They were the ones who went on to a higher, you know,
V: government officers also.
V: Not politicians, not elections, but, you know, in the other administrative side. As a result,
V: I mean, India has so many engineers that they sent to the
V: United States, and these engineers have their
V: own way of thinking. I: Hmm. V: You know, it's the nerdiness continues.
Vijay: Laugh.
V: Which is the ...
V: the approach, you know. There's a certain approach that you find in people with an engineering background.
V: Their approach, it's-its methodical. I: Yes. V: And it's also, and in some ways, then it's also a recipe for success
V: because you create a plan and then you create a path to reach that plan,
V: to achieve that goal. And that application
V: was also happening in the cultural space. A lot of these engineers, a lot of people that were writing for us or
V: that were teaching
V: music. They had a day job; they were engineers. I: Yes. Yes V: And by evening they were tabla players. I: Hmm.
V: Or they were, you know, playing
V: Veena, or they were playing other things or acting.
V: Other things. But it was those ... it was the engineering job
V: and the engineering mindset that actually allowed them the
V: freedom to do all these other things.
I: Hmm.
V: And I think a new generation of people don't have those constraints, you know. There are people that I know- I know people
V: here, whose children are now pursuing music full-time as a career. I: Hmm. V: Or acting or
V: theatre designing or, you know, like the ...
V: They're not going just towards engineering, not trying to become engineers or doctors. I: Hmm.
V: Although their parents would naturally strive to say this. This is what gave me a life of success,
V: this is what you need to do.
V: I
V: have friends whose children say to their parents, like, well,
V: you have achieved this success so that I can try and pursue my passion. I: Hmm. V: I have the
V: luxury of pursuing I: Hmm. V: my passion.
V: But I understand parents' concerns. Everyone wants their children to stand on their own feet.
V: People may have all come. And I ... and I'm sure you've done, come across many people who say, "I came to this country with,
V: you know, one suitcase." I: Hmm. V: And I remind my children of that all the time.
V: I said, "Your dad came to this country with one suitcase. I: Hmm. V: And today we have all of this.
V: It's because of his education, hard work, diligence, I: Hmm. V: that
V: we have been able to achieve this."
Vijay: The... If I can add to that, the ...
Vijay: the identity, our identity, got associated with technology because we came from Silicon Valley.
Vijay: You know, that-that is very ...
Vijay: not only from our point of view that we came from here,
Vijay: but that happened because of the importance that other person attaches to the technology. I: Hmm.
Vijay: You understand that-that demand side, I would say. Because
Vijay: I said ... and I can make this point from personal experience also, by giving with that ... by giving you the example of another
Vijay: industry.
Vijay: You know, when once I had gone on my business to Israel, I landed at Tel Aviv,
Vijay: and this is the very long time back, and I
Vijay: am at immigration counter and this girl, who is may be in her 20s, I: Hmm.
Vijay: okay? She looks up at me.
Vijay: I am coming from America, but she looks up at me, and didn't identify me
first of all as an Indian. I: Hmm. Vijay: While I have an American passport.
Vijay: Second thing she says astounds me. She said, "Oh, you look like Raj Kapoor. Raj Kapoor used to be an icon in
Vijay: Bollywood, and I look like him because of moustache.
Vijay: And by the way, he was dead six years, seven years, ten years before. I: Laugh. Vijay: I mean,
Vijay: the amazing thing was that she was doing this. And the moment I walk out of there, again the taxi driver,
Vijay: he says "Indian" and then he sings me a song "Mera Joota Hai Japani". I: Okay. Laughs.
Vijay: So then, there the entertainment industry was, kind of in their minds in one, but we got associated with it.
I: Yes. Yes. V: That's the soft power of India. I: True-true.
I: So, you know having had this great conversation, how do you see, you know, the future of
I: the Desis in Silicon Valley or Silicon Valley's future with respect to Desis?
V: I think Desis are going to continue to play a very important role in the Silicon Valley.
V: We have now raised a generation of overachievers.
I: Laughs. V: A lot of people in the
V: technology space. I mean, you know, I also want to say that in some ways, this is a skewed
V: demo-demo
V: demographic. I:Hmm.
V: Because not everybody from India was allowed to come to Silicon Valley, right? I: Sure. V: There's self-selection.
I: Hmm. Yes. V: As people with a certain skill set,
V: were able and had the ability to come. India is not across the border, right? We have crossed the seven
V: seas. Nobody is just jumping borders and coming into this country.
V: They're coming because they have a skill set that this country and the businesses in this country demands.
V: So these are people who have inherently, who have arrived here and, specifically talking about Silicon Valley,
V: with a certain ability, skill set, knowledge, education, I: Hmm. V: language. I: Hmm..
V: The families that they are raising here, they are coming with this additional privilege. I: Yes
V: It's not like everybody. I have friends who say "Oh my god,
V: India is a country of people all-all of like this." I said, "No
V: no, India is not a country full of people like this is."
V: Silicon Valley is like the crème de la crème of
V: India that's arrived here because they've had the privilege to come here. I: Yes
V: And now with family immigration, people are
V: able to bring their families no matter their skill sets into this country, and over time,
V: we're going to see a more diverse community. But at the moment, it's very
V: technology driven. I: Hmm. V: And
V: I
V: tell my children, I said, "You have genes, man." I: Laugh V: You know, you know with privilege it comes with,
V: you know, genes. You come with a background where your parents have the ability to support you in
V: enrichment, education.
V: You come from a family that
V: understands the value of education and the
V: opportunities that it opens up. So I, you know, education is a great
V: opener of the worlds to so many opportunities and I think
V: immigrants
V: from other, you know, from all over the globe and certainly from India are going to continue, to continue to be here and
V: Indians are going to play a big role in
V: the legacy of the
V: Silicon Valley. I: Hmm..
V: And what the new version is going to be, what they doing wrong with our is going to be, because that's also
changing, right? I: Yes. V: From the
V: the name Silicon Valley came from the silicon chips. I: Yeah
V: And today it's more, you know, the AI and the ... the social media
V: that is
V: connected and
V: connected the globe, and these are used by
V: individuals. You know, a Cisco chip
V: may have been inside a computer. I: Hmm. V: But people didn't know Cisco, but people know Facebook
V: and they know Google and they know Apple. The applications that are on every person's phone.
V: And
V: so I think the-the charm, the,
V: not novelty, I want to say,
V: the cachet of Silicon Valley is going for me, but I think it's also going to be, it's going to move us.
V: Because the pace at which technology is moving,
V: we're going to see big changes. I: Hmm. V: You know, in an average person's day-to-day life. It's when you affect
V: that - I: Hmm. V: that you become a household name. I: Yes. I
I: Just like "India Currents" has become. V: Laugh. Just like "India Currents" became. In our own small way,
V: I think, I
V: think we-we did play a role. I do recognize that-that "India Currents" did play a role in building this community. And
V: even today, I get a call from somebody at NPR who's looking to do, you know, an
V: afternoon special with
V: parents who are empty nesters and they want to connect with an Indian family.
V: And I have this phone call.
V: So, why do you want me? It's like,
V: well, I grew up with "India Currents." You know, that was our go-to source
V: to find any resources, and now I'm working at NPR and I'm still coming to "India Currents." So, that was a lovely talk
I : and we are talking about legacy right? Vijay: So what you asked about going forward
Vijay: and this, how will this go?
Vijay: Let me start with the small. First of all, there is a difference. We are actually standing at a watershed moment.
Vijay: I mean, this is, this was different before and now it's going to be different, certainly analogous like what the difference would be.
Vijay: But going with
Vijay: another anecdote,
Vijay: you might be familiar with the name Suhas Patil. He is one of the - the second
Vijay: billionaire of the Silicon Valley in 80's. I: Oh.
Vijay: So
Vijay: there he is among the first five
Vijay: successful entrepreneurs from India, technologists from India. I: Okay. Vijay: He was asked once, quite some time back --
Vijay: his company --
Vijay: Somebody asked him why there are so many Indians in it? I: Hmm.
Vijay: Okay. Yeah, so he answered, they were making silicon chips. I: Hmm.
Vijay: So he said that silicon chips is also known as integrated circuits. right? I: Hmm. Vijay: IC,
Vijay: IC, he said, "This is IC. It's just Indian and Chinese. That's it." I: Laughs. Vijay: Laughs.
Vijay: Because they are the ones who bring the skill there. So that was at that time, I: Hmm. Vijay: that skill
Vijay: was the thing that went in there. I: Yes. Vijay: but there were a lot of barriers to come here.
Vijay: When I came here, my god, they won't let you come in. Immigration people
Vijay: were very hard to get through the visa, the student visa itself, and they all came through the visitor visa.
Vijay: Suhas Patil also came through visitor visa and went to MIT. I: Hmm.Hmm.
Vijay: Okay, so these are all the barriers at the time because
Vijay: we were at the higher level. And by the way, again, "Indians Currents" has, to digress a little bit, we have
Vijay: documented that history, how the immigration has moved. I: Hmm.
Vijay: There was time in 40s when immigration was not allowed from India because Britishers didn't want it.
Vijay: We were the colonies, and they were afraid some of them will come here and raise the independence thing
Vijay: over here. I: Hmm. Vijay: So we were totally blocked. It is in the 60's that we
Vijay: started releasing that. V: After the Civil Rights Act was passed was really when the immigration
V: from India was restructured. Vijay: So, India's
Vijay: connection with Silicon Valley happened with a lot of
Vijay: difficult, structural difficulties. I: Hmm.Hmm.
Vijay: Still it overcame that. Why? Because they're two things: skill was there and demand was there. I: Hmm.
Vijay: So it did overcome. Going forward, this -
Vijay: this barrier is vanishing.
Vijay: Regardless of what you hear about H-1B visa and all. That is just a transition of the
Vijay: mechanics, not the structure. I: Hmm.
Vijay: Because today the world is so connected that there can be a collaboration
Vijay: without person coming in, working all his life over here.
I: Yes, Yes. Vijay: That is a kind of, what you call it, a little -
Vijay: little thing, you know, a little obstacle that is not the worry.
Vijay: Politically, India and America have aligned so much now in the world stage,
Vijay: that these two democracies have got the center of gravity now. Because 1.3 billion
Vijay: people from the open society has joined this 300 million from the open society at that level. I: Hmm.
Vijay: So the barriers are truly going away in the collaboration. I don't say barriers are going away in travel.
I: Hmm. Vijay: But barriers are going away in collaboration, the technology and the politics has brought together. What does it do?
Vijay: It does exactly to us that now this Silicon Valley thing, technology thing, if you go under the bottom, Silicon
Vijay: Valley, it is technology, of course. I: Yes. Vijay: So this technology base is expanding.
I: Hmm. Vijay: The collaboration is expanding.
Vijay: So, India is playing a very big role in America in technological development as
Vijay: well as globally. I: Hmm. Okay.
Vijay: Because where America could not have the influence, India does I: Hmm. Vijay: because of its soft power.
Vijay: So there is a lot of confluence taking place at this time. Lot of real and defined watershed moment.
I: Yes. That's ... Vijay: That's-that's the difference.
I: And
I: before we conclude,
I: I'll just say one thing, and we have talked about it, too, that we see a lot of Bollywood being represented as
I: if that was the only export from India, but I must say that "India Currents",
I: thankfully, I think it captures the intellect of the Indian community here.
V: Thank you, thank you. I: It is-it is very important I think.
V: It's so lovely to hear that. I: Yeah, very important.
V: Yeah, we stay-stayed away from Bollywood.
V: It has plenty of presence. I: Yes. Right.
V: Yeah, and I think I mentioned to you the responsibility that we bear as
V: ambassadors for our culture. I: Yes.
V: I cannot stress enough the importance of that. I: Yes. V: And so we've always
V: elevated
V: the culture, the arts, I: Yes V: and the heritage of India.
I: That's very important and especially as a community plan. V: As a, as a community. I: Because
I: academically, there is a lot of good research from Indians, by Indians.
I: But as a community platform, this is very ... V: And I think, you know,
V: the really proof is in the pudding. Simply look at the number of
V: students who are taking these classical I: Hmm.
V: dance forms of music, dance even in the summer season, and you, I don't know if you are aware
V: but the summer is the time when all the
V: 'arangetrams' happen. Now, the -
V: the graduations
V: from all these schools; students who are leaving, finishing high school going on to college.
V: They achieve a certain level before they head off to the college. I: Hmm. V: And now so many colleges have their
Indian dance team. I: Yeah. V: Yeah, all of this some of that continues. [Unclear] plays a big role. I: Yes V: And
V: makes it more popular. I: Hmm. V: But culture is constantly evolving
V: and I think it's hard to pin down.
V: Even classical, and this is a conversation that's happening among the classical dancers. Even in South
V: India is like, what is truly classical? Can you do Bharatanatyam only a certain way? I: Hmm. V: Can you move
V: out from that? So this is, but culture is constantly evolving. I: Yes V: And
V: our magazine was, it has remained a community platform and our content is constantly evolving because
V: our community is constantly evolving. I: Yes.
V: And to be truly reflective of being a community platform we morph and change. And that's why today we are a
V: digital platform. I: Hmm.
V: One that's connecting, certainly the Desis
V: in the Silicon Valley.
Vijay: There's a very good example of that, thinking of the Valley and expanding to whole California. You had two editions:
Vijay: Northern California and Southern California. I: Hmm.
Vijay: We had two editions, right? I: Yes. Vijay: And then when we went digital, it expanded to
Vijay: America, and you used to say, what was the slogan before? V: We used to call ourselves the complete Indian American
V: magazine. I: Hmm. Vijay: But today we got a different, we have changed the slogan
V: then.
V: Yeah, our tag line today is "Home of the Global Indian." I: Yes. Vijay: Why? Because our -
Vijay: if you look at the leadership in the digital it is very easy to measure the reader-readership. So our
Vijay: highest readership is of course in Silicon Valley, in San Francisco, and the Bay
Vijay: Area.
Vijay: Second-largest is by the way not in LA. I: Hmm. Vijay: It is in New York, United States. Okay.
Vijay: Then third would you assume that it is LA? No, it is not. Paris is the third. V: Paris, France.
Vijay: Can you believe that? Probably Indians over there are more starved of their culture. Because French are generally known to be chauvanistic about their culture.
Vijay: So they look to India Currents. That is my, unsupported totally I: Laugh Vijay: Theory. No validation, nothing.
Vijay: Laughs. That is why. Yeah. That is why we have become a global platform. And so our tagline changed because of that.
V: I think we had to change it to reflect what we were seeing. I: Yes V: on that
Vijay: Right, V: yeah, and I think we are
V: We are at a point, like he described in a watershed moment.
V: We are at that point of
V: rediscovering and
V: reinventing ourselves Vijay: Yes.
V: as a fully digital magazine. I: Hmm. V: And one that addresses the needs of the diaspora and
V: the more you talk to immigrants, no matter where in the world they are from,
V: you find that the concerns are all the same. I: Hmm. V: They all crave the sounds of home.
V: They all crave the tastes of home. I: Hmm.
V: They crave, you know, finding other people like them, so they can make the dish that they grew up with
V: in their homes. I: Hmm.
V: And it doesn't matter where in the world they come from, Mantra. I: Hmm.
V: You know, that desire is the same.
I: Yes.
V: And that's what unites us. I: Hmm.
V: And there is power in discovering that we have so many things in common.
I: Hmm. V: And I think "India Currents" has played a
V: wonderful role in bridging, I: Hmm. V: building these bridges across communities.
I: Thank you very much for your time. V: Thank you for
V: giving me the opportunity to share the "India Currents" story with you.