“we’re both fighting for something universal and something specific, and the specificity is about being an Indian-American, a desi Muslim American running to represent our communities which have been shut out of the conversation for far too long.”
Author: Lavina Melwani
Lavina Melwani
Lavina Melwani is a New York-based journalist who writes for several international publications. Twitter@lavinamelwani & @lassiwithlavina Sign up for the free newsletter to get your dose of Lassi!
Dr. Nirmal Mattoo may be far away from the Vale of Kashmir, the place where he was born, but its sheer beauty, sense of community and native customs have stayed with him, even in far-off New York. He has tried to bring the wisdom and beauty of India, including that of his hometown, to share with the larger world.
The 800 lb gorilla in America is still the issue of immigration and affects so many lives. Be it the construction of the border wall, detention centers, the elimination of chain migration and the visa lottery and the limbo lives of so many green card hopefuls – most of them Indian and the possibility they may still be waiting 50 years later.
Yet as South Asians turn to political activism and support civic organisations that fight for immigrant rights and human rights in America, we see some famous names in the arts taking on these issues on television and on the big screen.
“We should never forget the roots of America’s Gay Liberation, which is the Stonewall riots of ‘69. My family immigrated to America from Kuwait in 1997. I was 18 and started college. I struggled with coming out publicly for many years.”
We all know about the birth of a restaurant – but what happens when a restaurant closes and reopens after several years – is that a rebirth?
Back in 2015 when restaurateur and chef Anita Trehan announced she was opening the Chaiwali in Harlem there was a lot of buzz about it. The name wasn’t the ‘chaiwala’ but ‘chaiwali’, a rare phenomenon in those days and to have a woman chef or chaiwali move into Harlem and seek her fortune that was even more exciting!
Director Swati Bhise and actor Devika Bhise have brought the story of Lakshmibai, The Warrior Queen of Jhansi to the big screen, a tribute to Indian womanhood.
Some stories have so much power – and there’s such a need for them! I had done this in-depth story on adoption four years ago & I’m amazed readers who are looking to adopt come to it even today for information. So I thought I’d share it again and would love your input and personal experiences with the process of adopting children from India. I do intend to revisit this topic in the coming months and would love your insights.
When young Hindu girls go to school in the morning in Sindh, Pakistan, their parents are never sure whether they will ever see them again: a report on the refugees who have escaped to Jodhpur from Sindh and are starting a new life in India.
Meet the Boss Ladies of the 2020 Elections, creating a new political narrative.
Adoption from India – one family shares its experiences in bringing a child from India to America
Lassi with Lavina reaches 100.5 k monthly visitors on Pinterest with evocative images from Indian art, Bollywood, celebrities, food & travel for the India lover
Deepika Padukone stars in ‘Chhapaak’ a true-life story of an acid survivor. It co-stars Vikrant Massey, is directed by Meghna Gulzar & co-produced by Padukone.
Senator Kamala Harris has pulled out of the US Presidential Race
Senator Elizabeth Warren’s daughter, Amelia, is married to Indian-American entrepreneur Sushil Tyagi. He opens up for the first time about Warren, calling her a fighter who knows exactly what families go through every day in America.
Nazanin Boniadi in Hotel Mumbai: “It is a face-off between good and evil, one that was emotionally and physically exhausting for me to portray.”
4180 people reached on Lassi with Lavina FB page – 33 Likes – 302 post clicks Sunita Saxena Manjrekar, Ap Ny and 18 others like it on Lassi with Lavina FB page Hotel Mumbai Finally Releases in India Hotel Mumbai: A Story of Courage, Hope and Survival [dropcap]H[/dropcap]otel Mumbai is so much more than a film – it is a nightmare brought to life. You sit in your seat reliving the horror of this real event which blasted the city of Mumbai in 2008 when terrorists seized the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel and several other key locations, holding…
the first time in a generation, the swing state of Virginia went completely blue and this is partly thanks to the strong showing of two Indian-American candidates – Suhas Subramanyam and Ghazala Hashmi.
The Warrior Queen of Jhansi brings the valor and passion of Rani Lakshmibai to the big screen, highlighting this freedom fighter’s efforts to take on the mighty East India Company
New York is a place of new beginnings and something innovative is always happening in the Big City. The digital age may have sounded the death-knell of the printed word but we are in Manhattan, celebrating new books in a new country. Indian writers and books, long unsung in the mainstream, are getting their moment in the limelight with the Wonderland@IAAC Literary festival which is the fifth literary festival organized by the Indo-American Arts Council.
Prabal Gurung is a reigning prince of style in New York, but never far from the issues of the larger world, be it women’s power or the impact of education for children in forgotten corners of Nepal.