Three quick things
Keep sharing your name stories, check out a book event in October and your thoughts on November’s election.
Issue #78
Hi all —
Three things this week:
What’s your name story?
Thanks to all who attended last week’s virtual event around Brown names. (More events around names to come in 2025!)
This is a long-term project, so we still want to hear from you as we chronicle stories about names in South Asian American communities. If you (or anyone you know) is interested in sharing a story about your name, feel free to call or text us at 347-470-0064 or fill out this online form. Nothing will be published until we speak with you and get your consent.
Book event in the Bay Area
This year, author Nina Sharma published her memoir, “The Way You Make Me Feel: Love in Black and Brown,” which is a collection of essays reflecting on her life through the lenses of identity, her interracial relationship and her mental health.
Join Sharma, Indian Matchmaking’s Vyasar Ganesan (from the very first season of the hit Netflix show) and I for a discussion at Books Inc. Palo Alto on Thursday, Oct. 24.
About a month until Election Day 2024
The U.S. election season is in its final stretch and mail-in ballots are beginning to arrive in voters’ mailboxes, depending on the state.
Examining the top of the ticket, AAPI Data and Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) recently released polling results that showed Vice President Kamala Harris leads among Asian American voters (66%) over former President Donald Trump (28%). Harris expands the Asian American lead Biden had over Trump, according to earlier polling.
But whatever the polling shows, across communities, it’s basically still a tie — and of course 2016 showed us polling is never completely a full picture. The choice for the next American president is coming down to just a few battleground states that will tip one candidate to at least 270 electoral votes (unless there’s a rare tie). NBC Asian America’s Sakshi Venkatraman recently reported how South Asian Americans could have an outsized influence in Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
This map from NBC News shows the gray states that will basically decide the next president:
I’m working on a story for an online magazine about Indian American voters, in particular, and how Indian Americans are thinking about voting now and into the future. If you have thoughts about politics in the U.S., suggestions to look into things you’ve noticed or a recommendation for an Indian American to talk to, I’m all ears: Vignesh@VigneshR.com or text/Signal me at 773-599-3717.
Thanks for reading,
Vignesh
P.S. Happy Navaratri season, to those who celebrate.
Red, White and Brown Media facilitates substantive conversations through the lens of South Asian American race and identity — via journalism, social media and events. Please tell your friends and family to subscribe to this newsletter.