We began 2023 with Aarambh - our annual inaugural event. After a hiatus of three years, this was a well-received program held at UALR Stella Boyle auditorium. The show was replete with a rich variety of performances, showcasing several regional styles of Indian dances including, classical and semi classical dances, a fun filled skit, and song medleys. The 2022 Committee handed over its responsibilities to the incoming 2023 committee led by Aarti Kanaskar. FOI youth volunteers were awarded certificates for their community service efforts in 2022. 

Valentine’s Day

FOI also hosted Valentine’s Day event at Highland Valley church,  in February. As always, this was a fun filled event with games, dinner, and dancing, presenting a wonderful opportunity for new and existing members to mix and mingle. 

Charity Events

FOI supported tornado relief efforts in the community by collecting non-perishable food items and hygiene products and delivering them to those in need at the Little Rock city center. FOI members in partnership with the Mayor’s tornado relief team also volunteered to help distribute food boxes to those in need.

Mother’s Day Picnic

Mother’s Day outdoor picnic was a resounding success with nearly 150 people gathering in Maumelle Park, and enjoying a special day with the wonderful mothers of Little Rock.

The men’s cooking contest was a hit again with several men displaying the highest level of their creativity to impress the women. 

Families had the opportunity to show mom how much they loved her with beautiful red roses, and capture memorable moments from the lens of a professional photographer. 

The highlight of the event was several new families that attended the event and participated in fun family games. Food vendors freshly prepared and sold several delicious street food items such as chaat, pakoda, mirchi bhaji, and a yummy dessert to keep everyone cool.

Making your Mark in the Am- Rican Culture

By Avinash Thombre

We, as Friends of India members, are uniquely tied to each other in a multitude of ways. One of our main shared experiences relates to leaving our home country, India, to achieve a better life for our family and us. Each one of us has a story to tell about our immigration journey – it is etched in our memory--all the efforts we went through to first get the US visa and then going through the long-drawn naturalization process. Even under the best circumstances, immigration is a traumatic experience that cuts a person’s life into two: the life before and the life after. 

It is challenging to leave our home and set up a home in a new place. Most of us do not care much now. Still, once we entered the United States, we were declared “resident aliens” – almost someone from another planet. Personally, I did feel like an alien when I set foot in Albuquerque,  New Mexico, in 2001 as someone who had big ears, eyes, and long nose as depicted in the Hollywood movies. I had no sense of the culture, its norms, and customs and no social networks to rely on. However, we rolled back our sleeves and got to work immediately to become part of this culture.

Getting a Green Card and eventually getting a blue passport to become an Am-rican citizen is only a start and one thing. However, we overachievers are not satisfied with this. There is a desire to climb the ladder and seek coveted positions in business, education, and politics in this society and culture. This is where it gets trickier. Most of us are tired and say to ourselves – “well, I made it here. Isn’t that a big achievement,” and hope and expect our children to climb the ladder further. Add to this are the stories that we hear about immigrants being considered ‘conditional citizens .’The term is coined by Moroccan author Laila Lalami who eloquently argues that immigrants are almost always embraced with one arm and pushed away by the other arm by America.

However, things are changing, and we have the Sunder Pichais or Nadelas at the national level who have made it to the upper echelons of this society. Also, there are quite a few examples here in Little Rock of some of us making waves and getting into leadership positions. One example that comes to mind is our own Rajesh Chokhani, who managed to secure the chairmanship of the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce. Others have done remarkably well in business – be it the hospitality industry or medical field and even the software field. 

As a communication professor, I get asked what tools will make us successful in climbing up the ladder in this society and making a mark here. Well, one of the first things to do is to quickly understand the workings of the dominant American culture by being a keen observant. Next, establish networks with the local community and build bridges by showing genuine interest in what is happening in the community and working hard to contribute to the welfare of our community. Then, of course, serving in any capacity at times of need – a crisis or an ordinary event. Exercising the right to vote and getting involved in local politics strengthens that resolve. Winning the trust of the majority takes time and sustained effort. 

While assimilating quickly with the dominant culture is good, it is even more challenging to maintain your original Indian culture and the core values of our culture. We are good at achieving this balance, which will eventually help us create the multicultural landscape we initially came for. We do believe in vasudev kutumbham. So I say to y’all– Go get them. Onwards.