The New South Asian Power Brokers in the United States Zohran Mamdani’s win reveals how Bangladeshi, Pakistani and other working-class organizers are reshaping the region’s diaspora politics in America

The rising political power of South Asians can be compared to that of the Irish at the turn of the last century, who went from being outsiders to dominating the Catholic Church, politics and labor unions in New York @asadfromnyc.bsky.social tells @yashicadutt.bsky.social 

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The New South Asian Power Brokers in the United States Zohran Mamdani’s win reveals how Bangladeshi, Pakistani and other working-class organizers are reshaping the region’s diaspora politics in America

NEW: Zohran Mamdani’s rise in New York City signals a new kind of South Asian power broker: working class, coalition-driven and no longer defined by the Indian-American tech elite — or the politics of Modi’s diaspora lobby, writes @yashicadutt.bsky.social newlinesmag.com/argument/the...

I’ve covered the South Asian diaspora for over a decade. Zohran Mamdani’s election not only thrust South Asian Americans as a formidable political force but also reshaped the equation of who gets to define that label — the new South Asian Power Broker is here

I learned SO much from you! Thank you for sharing your invaluable insight 🫶

Incredible session at @indiejournalists.bsky.social panel today with Alicia Kennedy, @mattkiser.bsky.social and @marisakabas.bsky.social about the revenue secrets of creator journalists.

Everything they talked about was invaluable! So thrilled I got to moderate this amazing panel 🫶🏽🤌🏽🫡

Check out first three episodes of The Caste Pod with Suraj Yengde and Anupama Rao (#1), The Feminist Critical Hindu Studies Collective (#2), and Yashica Dutt (#3)! thecastepod.org

Journalists have more platforms than ever at their disposal where they can build audiences on their own terms. Learn the secrets of successful creator journalists with author @yashicadutt.bsky.social at this year’s IIJ Freelance Conference: theiij.com/sessions-26

Yashica Dutt Independent journalist Author and founder of Featuring Dalits Speaking at the IIJ's 2026 Freelance Journalism Conference The IIJ's annual conference includes 14+ hours of entrepreneurship, learning, and community for independent and creator journalists Sign up at TheIIJ.com Institute for Independent Journalists

Journalists have more platforms than ever at their disposal where they can build audiences on their own terms. Learn the secrets of successful creator journalists with author @yashicadutt.bsky.social at this year’s IIJ Freelance Conference: theiij.com/sessions-26

INSTITUTE FOR NDEPENDENT URNALISTS 2026 IIJ Freelance Conference - March 5 and 6, 2026 – live, online Revenue Secrets of Creator Journalists Register at theiij.com Alicia Kennedy Publisher of From the Desk Marisa Kabas Publisher of The Handbasket Matt Kiser Publisher of WTF Just Happened Today? Yashica Dutt (Moderator) Publisher of Featuring Dalits

Hear the inside secrets of successful creator journalists Alicia Kennedy, @marisakabas.bsky.social, @yashicadutt.bsky.social and @mattkiser.bsky.social!

Learn more and register for just $69: theiij.com/sessions-26

From the Shadows to the Stars: Honoring Rohith Vemula Event in NYC YouTube video by Yashica Dutt

@yashicadutt.bsky.social An important event of our times

youtu.be/eOpWagqvOXM?...

Are South Asians New York's Latest IT-Girl Minority? With the incoming Zohran Mamdani administration, pop cultural buzz around Tyla's Mumbai concert and a resurgence of chai as the drink du-jour, all signs point to a resounding "haan jee" (yes!)

Perhaps because so much of the narrative tone of the conversation was set by the Zohran Mamdani campaign. Known for its intentionality in messaging, the Zohran Mamdani campaign set the tone for media and cultural publications and their coverage of the South Asian community in New York.

In a year marked with immense visibility for the South Asians (along with rising ‘anti-Indian’ hate, the desi diaspora has emerged as the ‘It-girl’ minority of the moment.

While the American cultural machine routinely pits one minority against another, this time the attention feels different.

The South Asian Juror in the Diddy Documentary and the normalization of domestic violence in our spaces Juror 75 has everyone scratching their heads with his cavalier reactions to Cassie Ventura's gut wrenching testimony of the abuse she faced from P Diddy

Folks, like the juror blame the woman facing the violence for 'not leaving' even it's shown multiple times in the doc that Diddy physically threatened when she attempted to

It shows the normalization of DV in our spaces and how we support abusers no matter what.

open.substack.com/pub/yashicad...

It breaks my mind that domestic violence and abuse are some of the most pressing issues in our South Asian communities, one which have been discussed nonstop for decades, yet the understanding around how coercion, manipulation and abuse of power works in such relationships remains extremely low.

There so much to be appalled about the Diddy documentary on Netflix but the cavalier attitude of Juror 75 (who us desis immediately recognized as a South Asian uncle) towards the trauma and abuse of Cassie is truly staggering. He blames her for 'enjoying the luxury and then complaining'!

Thanks for sharing it, Anjana!

Zarna Garg and the myth of the Indian American monolith What the latest comments by one of the most popular Indian American stand up comics reveal about our culture

Loved this piece from @yashicadutt.bsky.social

I belong to IIT educated Indian diaspora. At the same time, I lived in a small village in South India in my high school years which gave me a window into a different set of life experiences

yashicadutt.substack.com/p/zarna-garg...

years ago. And American media...just tends to rely on similar views as even some Indian media analysis. Yashica Dutt is right that IAs aren't a monolith, nor can we simply dismiss the Garg gang as an anomaly. I just wish more folks (including IAs) actually studied our history

or, as Yashica Dutt notes, kind of refuse to acknowledge how similar many IAs backgrounds (including myself) are to the Garg's.

For American and Indian media, honestly idk how often they actually consult with IAs...actually fail to consider us as "American".

So glad to see this piece doing well! Thanks for sharing it Hari.

Read the entire post here

open.substack.com/pub/yashicadutt/p/zarna-...

Zarna Garg and the myth of the Indian American monolith What the latest comments by one of the most popular Indian American stand up comics reveal about our culture

Good piece by @yashicadutt.bsky.social on the Garg's recent statements and the reaction from Indian Americans, especially given the former's support for figures like Usha Vance and Trump. A few thoughts (hopefully I'll write something later)...
yashicadutt.substack.com/p/zarna-garg...

This is SUCH a thoroughly reported story. Covers every aspect of the thing most reporters don't even know to write about.
Great job, @yashicadutt.bsky.social

Amba! High praise from you takes me back to 2016 when you were among the first big accounts to repost my Coming Out as Dalit essay! Thank you 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽

What Zohran Mamdani’s Campaign Says About the Quiet Erasure of Caste in US Politics As temples become key sites for candidates’ visits, New York’s mayoral race has revealed broader tensions between Dalit advocates and the rising Hindu right

Despite Zohran Mamdani's coalition-building among South Asian New Yorkers, caste barely figured in the campaign. @yashicadutt.bsky.social spoke with Dalit canvassers and parsed his legislative record on an issue that animates both supporters and his critics on the Hindu right.

I’m extremely proud of this piece — an immigrant South Asian mayor’s campaign reported and written by an immigrant South Asian journalist 🫶🏽✨🌹

Read for everything you need to know about how Zohran Mamdani won this historic election 🗳️

How Zohran Mamdani Made History The election of New York City’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor was built on record voter engagement, progressive promises — and a new idea of who could lead the city

Zohran Mamdani’s historic election as New York’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor has energized the city and could reshape progressive politics across America, writes @YashicaDutt.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social in New York.

How Zohran Mamdani Made History The election of New York City’s first Muslim and first South Asian mayor was built on record voter engagement, progressive promises — and a new idea of who could lead the city

“Even though Mamdani is yet to take office (which will happen in January), his campaign seems to have already transformed the city’s political establishment.”

@YashicaDutt.bsky.social explores the reasons for Mamdani’s victory, for @newlinesmag.bsky.social

What Zohran Mamdani’s Campaign Says About the Quiet Erasure of Caste in US Politics As temples become key sites for candidates’ visits, New York’s mayoral race has revealed broader tensions between Dalit advocates and the rising Hindu right

“The question of caste would ordinarily not come up in a local election in the United States.” As Hindu temples become key campaigning sites, @YashicaDutt.bsky.social covers tensions between Dalit advocates and the influential Hindu right in the U.S.