India Philanthropy Alliance Formed to Coordinate Diaspora Giving
Indiaspora convened the India Philanthropy Alliance on October 2, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, bringing together 23 major nonprofits and philanthropic organizations operating across the United States. The launch was the culmination of Indiaspora’s work to structure and coordinate the Indian-American philanthropic sector, which raises over $100 million annually, into a unified […]
Indian Americans Mobilize as a Domestic Emergency Response Force
When America has faced its gravest domestic crises, Indian American communities have mobilized as an organized civic force. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Indian American organizations, temples, and gurdwaras raised funds and coordinated volunteers. Saket Soni founded Resilience Force to organize the largely immigrant workforce that physically rebuilds American communities after disasters.
Indian Americans Build Grassroots Civic Infrastructure Across the U.S.
Indian Americans have built lasting civic infrastructure at the community level across the United States. Anil and Gautam Godhwani co-founded the India Community Center in the San Francisco Bay Area, a model of physical civic infrastructure serving simultaneously as a community foundation, cultural center, and civic gathering space. The Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) has […]
Indian Americans Build a National Movement Against Hunger in America
Indian Americans have channeled two distinct traditions, the Sikh langar and diaspora civic organizing into a sustained movement against hunger in the United States. Sikh gurdwaras across New York, New Jersey, and California operated free community kitchens during COVID-19, serving tens of thousands of meals to Americans of all backgrounds. Anna and Raj Asava founded […]
Indian Americans Emerge as a Major Force in US Political Fundraising
Indian Americans have become one of the most significant donor communities in American electoral politics, raising tens of millions of dollars across federal election cycles and reshaping how both parties court the diaspora. Shekhar Narsimhan helped establish the community’s presence at the highest levels of Democratic fundraising. Asha Jadeja brought Silicon Valley diaspora wealth into […]
Indian Americans Build New Philanthropic Mechanisms Across the US
In the late 1990s and 2000s, Indian Americans transformed personal wealth into new philanthropic infrastructure. Dr. Suri Sehgal and Edda Sehgal founded their private foundation in Des Moines, Iowa in 1998, one of the earliest diaspora-led philanthropic institutions in America. Dr. Romesh Wadhwani directed Silicon Valley wealth toward large-scale job creation through the Wadhwani Foundation. […]
Indian Americans Lead Major US Philanthropic Institutions
Indian Americans lead institutions directing billions of dollars to impact the lives of all Americans. Kavita Ramdas served as president of the Global Fund for Women from 1996 to 2010, placing an Indian American woman at the center of international philanthropic leadership. Rajiv Shah became President of the Rockefeller Foundation in 2017, deploying hundreds of […]
Aruna Masih Breaks Barriers on State Judiciary and Labor Law
In 2023, Aruna Masih’s appointment to the Oregon Supreme Court expanded Indian American representation beyond the federal bench and into state courts, where the vast majority of American legal disputes are resolved. A former labor and civil rights attorney, she brought diaspora representation into both the judiciary and an area of law where it had […]
Preet Bharara Becomes Sheriff of Wall Street
From 2009 to 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York became the nation’s most prominent financial law-enforcement body, securing over 80 insider trading convictions and prosecuting major cases in terrorism, cybercrime, and public corruption. The office’s aggressive record under Preet Bharara earned him the title ‘Sheriff of Wall Street’ and […]
Indian Americans Ascend the Federal Judiciary
In 2007, Amul Thapar became the first Indian American to hold an Article III federal judgeship. Cathy Bissoon followed in 2011 as the first South Asian American woman confirmed to the federal bench. In 2013, Sri Srinivasan was confirmed to the D.C. Circuit by a 97-0 Senate vote and later became the first person of […]