Our vision for a national Desi newspaper

This summer, I had the opportunity to spend time in two major meccas of Desi America: Chicago and Houston.

In each city, I found gems such as late-night chai cafes, indoor cricket pitches and ornate wedding halls designed specifically for the South Asian community. And in both instances, I felt that these cities were bubbling with stories that should be told.

Often, I get the question, “Why just New Jersey?” Why not create a newsletter about Desi Americans that focuses on the community as a whole?

In a recent appearance on Beehiiv’s Creator Spotlight podcast, I tried to answer that question. I also shared a vision I’ve been ruminating on for some time: rolling out Central Desi to other major Desi hubs around the country, so that each one has its own local news outlet covering the unique aspects of that community, and a national news site that captures all of them—a picture, essentially, of what Desi America looks like from the ground up.

I fundamentally believe that a local news model is crucial to the success of such a venture. There are plenty of publications already writing about Desi culture at large: They focus on big cultural trends, such as news about Bollywood celebrities, and they write general stories about what it feels like to be a Desi in the U.S.

But that’s different than on-the-ground reporting about how Desis are moving into traditionally white suburbs of New Jersey, or how New Jersey schools and towns are adopting Holi traditions into color runs.

These are stories rooted in the Desi community of New Jersey, yet they are interesting to a broader diaspora audience. How cool would it be if we had stories like these emerging out of every Desi hub in the United States? Wouldn’t you want to know how Desi communities are assimilating, evolving and innovating to redefine culture wherever they may be?

I’d love your thoughts on this vision (you can reply to this email to chat!), and I’d appreciate your support: A paid membership is just $15/month. For the price of a Netflix subscription, you can help support what we are building here and demonstrate that there is value in covering our communities.

For more on the business side of Central Desi, check out the podcast.

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