Editorial June 2011

June 2011

Dear Readers,

On behalf of the entire Desh-Videsh team, I would like to wish everyone a Happy, and more importantly, a Healthy New Year.

Once again, I would like to focus on the best of the best with regards to Indians living in America. This time we proudly present the accomplishments of Indian American youth. Though labeled as labeled ABCD (American Born Confused Desi) or FOB (Fresh of the Boat), we think it is time to rethink the way we think about our youth. This month’s cover article details the many successes of our youth today.

The latest National Foundation for American Policy analysis report indicates that while only 12 percent of the U.S. population is foreign-born, 70 percent of the finalists in the 2011 Intel Science Talent Search competition were the children of Immigrants and among those close to 25 percent of Indian descent. A very noteworthy achievement!

And this noteworthy success is not only in science, math or academia. Ashley Madhukar, a South Florida resident is making her mark in the music industry, a field that is still uncharted by Indian Americans. Similarly, Rujul Zaparde is among ten young Americans selected in the 2011 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program for national recognition based on their outstanding achievements in community service.

Now let me turn to equally important and crucial area, helping children in India. Madhu Sridhar, the president and CEO of Akshaya Patra Foundation USA, has taken on the remarkable project of feeding underprivileged children each day in schools across India. Presently, her organization feeds more than 1.2 million children in India at a cost of $28 per child for an entire year. She is yet another Indian American making a mark in a field where not too many Indians have gone.

After taking a break for a few issues, the “Books We are Reading” section is back. If memory serves correct, we usually discuss books connected to India, either written by an Indian author or one about India. In this issue, we present two books on health. Though not written by Indians, the remedies discussed in the books are mostly natural remedies that come from the Indian culture. Both are certainly informative reads.

This issue, you will notice we have taken a trip back in time. Following through on suggestions from staff and readers, we will highlight older issues of Desh-Videsh. The Table of Contents page will take a look at a previous issue’s cover. This month, we admire a cover photo of Gandhiji from 18 years ago. As a lifelong admirer of Gandhiji, it was refreshing to see that even then, we were discussing his life and teachings.

Finally, July will be a Desh-Videsh wedding issue, and our next MyShadi Bridal Expo will be held on September 18 at the Hilton Orlando. We look forward to introducing new and exciting things the next Expo. Please visit our website www.myshaidbridalexpo. com for announcements.

Raj Shah
Managing Editor
Desh-Videsh