Published inSecret Desi HistoryA Tamil sailor (and pirate?) in Gold Rush San FranciscoThe story of Samuel Variapa, the “Hindoo centenarian of North Beach”Dec 9, 2023Dec 9, 2023
Published inSecret Desi HistoryA Sikh American Christmas story from 1911“The Strangest Christmas Party” by Jack CumberlandDec 25, 2022Dec 25, 2022
Published inSecret Desi HistoryThe 1940 Singh Census, and the attack on Indian immigrantsA new history dataset shows the impact of immigration restrictionsDec 4, 2022Dec 4, 2022
Published inSecret Desi HistoryThe Oriental Students Association of 1907 — a new Asian American origin story?Students from India, China, Japan, and Siam came together in 1907 BerkeleyOct 3, 2022Oct 3, 2022
Published inSecret Desi HistoryA Rajasthani servant in 1910s BerkeleyUncovering Natio’s journey from India to CaliforniaApr 3, 2022Apr 3, 2022
Published inSecret Desi HistoryHow did South Asian Americans respond to 9/11?I discovered these original emails from September 2001Sep 10, 2021Sep 10, 2021
Published inSecret Desi HistoryBerkeley’s first Desi fortune teller was weirder than you thinkBoor Singh took on cops, dog breeders, and clairvoyantsMar 12, 2021Mar 12, 2021
Silicon Valley man launches a hunger strike…against housing the homelessConcerned neighbors ignore him, and keep working to solve local homelessness crisisSep 6, 20193Sep 6, 20193
Published inSecret Desi HistoryThe first South Asian to die at San Quentin Prison?Traveling preacher Babu Bheem Roy committed a terrible crime in 1910s California. His Indian-American daughter survived, and told her…Jun 29, 2019Jun 29, 2019
Published inSecret Desi HistoryA lonely South Asian in 1850 San FranciscoWas he the first South Asian in Northern California?Apr 20, 2019Apr 20, 2019