Suno 87.7 FM is a Bay Area–based South Asian radio station broadcasting Bollywood, Tollywood, and multicultural South Asian music. The station offers a mix of Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu, and English programming, featuring celebrity interviews, entertainment updates, and local community news.
Operating on 87.7 FM and online streaming platforms, Suno serves as a hub for South Asian listeners across Silicon Valley and Northern California. Its tagline, “Apni Dhun, Apni Baat” (“Our music, our voice”), reflects its focus on uniting diverse South Asian audiences through shared culture, language, and music.
Since its launch in the late 2010s, Suno 87.7 FM has collaborated with local organizations, artists, and businesses, providing an inclusive media space that connects new immigrants, students, and long-established diaspora communities.
Tabla are a pair of hand drums played in multiple countries, including Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan. The higher-pitched right-hand drum is also known as the daya, while the left-handed drum, also called the baya, is lower-pitched. Tabla are a foundational instrument in Indian classical music.
Tanay Gokhale is a Bay Area print and video journalist whose reporting connects local issues to the experiences of immigrant and diaspora communities. A UC Berkeley Journalism graduate, he served as a Community Reporter and California Local News Fellow with India Currents, covering South Asian community stories across California. His work focuses on community voices, cultural identity, and public-interest storytelling.
Targeted: Homeland Security and the Business of Immigration by journalist Deepa Fernandes. The book investigates the post-9/11 expansion of the U.S. homeland security apparatus and its impact on immigrants, civil liberties, and communities of color. It reflects Fernandes’s long-standing focus on immigration, surveillance, and social justice reporting.
Thavil/Tavil is a traditional instrument from Tamil Nadu in south-eastern India. It is a percussion instrument that is barrel-shaped and commonly made from jackfruit wood and animal skins. It is also popular in Sri Lanka.
A long-form investigation published by The Morning Context on October 15, 2019, this essay by Anahita Mukherji offers a deep dive into the professional challenges and personal lives of Indian workers navigating the complex and precarious H-1B visa system in the United States. It uses vivid storytelling and individual narratives to show how the legal and economic frameworks intended to facilitate high-skill migration can also create emotional strain, uncertainty, and structural barriers that stand between immigrants and the so-called “American Dream.” The piece blends reporting on labor conditions, immigration policy, and community experience with intimate moments that reveal the hopes, anxieties, and contradictions faced by H-1B holders and their families.
The California Report Magazine is a weekly radio and podcast program produced by KQED. The program focuses on in-depth reporting on California’s people, politics, culture, and social issues and represents a flagship example of public media journalism in the state.
Vandana Kumar founded India Currents in 1987 from her living room, creating what would become one of the most influential South Asian publications in the Bay Area. What began as a “labor of love” to connect newly arrived immigrants quickly grew into a vital cultural resource, documenting community events, arts, politics, and the everyday experiences of Indian Americans.
Under her leadership, India Currents became known for its thoughtful storytelling and its role as a community connector, a place where families found music and dance teachers, local celebrations, small businesses, and the voices and perspectives missing from mainstream media. Vandana guided the magazine through its transition from print to digital, ensuring that its mission endured as the South Asian community evolved.
Today, she continues to steward India Currents as a platform for dialogue, identity, and community journalism, sustaining a legacy that spans nearly four decades.
Carrying Forward a Legacy of South Asian Media
Vansh Gupta is the Managing Editor of Siliconeer, one of the longest-running South Asian magazines in the Bay Area. Founded by his family during the Y2K tech boom, Siliconeer, short for Silicon Valley Engineer, was created to serve the growing community of Indian and South Asian professionals working in technology, business, and innovation.
Under Vansh Gupta’s leadership, Siliconeer has evolved from a niche print publication into a dynamic multimedia platform that bridges generations. His vision emphasizes quality journalism, diverse voices, and meaningful community dialogue. Gupta has helped expand the magazine’s reach to include younger readers, encouraging high school and college students to contribute stories and perspectives on identity, culture, and technology.
Through a blend of traditional storytelling and modern digital engagement, he has revitalized Siliconeer’s role as a cornerstone of South Asian media in Silicon Valley. His commitment to mentorship and authenticity has inspired a new generation of writers and readers to see journalism as a vital connector between culture, community, and innovation.
