By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on National Public Radio

Disability can be difficult to talk about sensitively because of how embedded ableism is in our language, biases and perceptions of disability. Conversations about disability are slowly increasing, especially when it comes to ableist language and how disabled people are represented in the media. Disability advocate Talila A. Lewis' working definition of ableism is a "system that places value on people's bodies and minds based on societally…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on National Public Radio

Growing up, I always used crutches to get around, and only would use a wheelchair for school field trips or vacations that involved long-distance walking; ableism and issues of inaccessibility are part of the reason why.
In the moments when I did use a wheelchair, I noticed that I was restricted in terms of where I could go. I remember facing barriers in accessing some shops and restaurants, especially in older buildings.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on National Public Radio

Beth Kenny is immunocompromised but found a routine that worked for their family during the pandemic, leaning into safe protocols to protect themselves from COVID-19.
Kenny's wife could pick up the groceries, and social distancing measures and vaccines allowed their family to do activities together outside safely. And the precautions helped Kenny's wife safely ride the bus and go to the library with their child Vyla without putting their family's health at risk.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on National Public Radio

Two-time Wimbledon champion Rafael Nadal has pulled out of the tournament due to an abdominal muscle injury. The decision was made a day before he was scheduled to face Nick Kyrgios in the men's semifinals.
"Unfortunately, as you can imagine, if I am here, it's because I have to pull out from the tournament," Nadal said during a news conference. Nadal had been experiencing discomfort in his stomach muscle for about a week, but the pain became nearly unbearable during the first set of his…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on National Public Radio

Mike Grier has been named the general manager of the San Jose Sharks, making him the first Black GM in National Hockey League history. "I am extremely proud and grateful to be given the opportunity to be the general manager of the San Jose Sharks," the 47-year-old hockey veteran said in a statement. "Along with my staff, I look forward to the challenge of building a fast, competitive, and hardworking team that Sharks fans will enjoy watching and be proud of."

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on National Public Radio

About a quarter of Americans live with a disability, but nearly a third of the most popular federal websites are difficult for disabled people to access. It has been 10 years since the Department of Justice filed a biennial report on the federal government's compliance with accessibility standards for information technology, a bipartisan group of concerned senators say. The reports are required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on National Public Radio

In 2008, around eight weeks into her second pregnancy, Robin Wilson-Beattie began experiencing hyperemesis gravidarum, which caused her to have severe episodes of vomiting. She had gone through this condition as well as other complications, such as preeclampsia, during her first pregnancy four years prior and knew that she would likely become bedridden, but this time she didn't have the support to help her through it…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on National Public Radio

When singer-songwriter Lizzo's new single, "Grrrls," sparked a heated online discussion over the weekend about ableist language, Black disabled activist Vilissa Thompson noticed that the conversations were dominated by certain people within the disability community.
White disabled people in the U.S. and the U.K. were calling out the singer for using the word "spaz,”…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on National Public Radio

Starbucks Workers United community members and partners gathered at the entrance of the Starbucks on College Avenue in Ithaca, New York, on June 8 to protest the company's decision to permanently close the store this Friday. This decision has left workers with less than a week's notice and resulted in them calling for a boycott of other Starbucks stores around the city.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on The Boston Globe Magazine

The vast majority of this year’s college graduates belong to Generation Z, the group born between 1997 and the early 2010s. Growing up in a fully digital world, this cohort came of age during the pandemic and all that it upended. As they enter the workforce, they’re bringing their unique blend of skills — and some of their own requirements, too. Here are five priorities new grads are searching for in their future jobs…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on The Boston Globe Magazine

When the pandemic first brought Zoom learning to my college education, I had no idea how much I’d come to value it. Starting in fall 2020, my junior year at Emerson College, I took hybrid classes, attending virtually one day a week and in person a second day. For a physically disabled person like myself, the format made the college experience far more accessible — and far more…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Neurodivergent-U

On January 31, Quinn O’Connor was one of the many students participating at a UCLA sit-in to advocate for remote (digital) access to classes. O’Connor, a co-founder of the UCLA Disabled Student Union, recalls a special moment on the second day in which protesters shared photos of their companion animals. It was a moment of balance; she recalls savoring the feeling of shared…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

Jennifer Lee had suspected that she had a chronic illness for a long time, but was often told that it was all in her head. Despite undergoing several genetic panels in 2020, her doctors struggled to diagnose her. After several weeks, Lee received…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

Actor Parvesh Cheena fondly remembers being cast in third grade as King George III in his elementary school play. He recalls making the audience laugh at one point, and in that moment he realized he wanted to become an actor…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu released a statement tonight declaring victory in the primary for Boston mayor.

Later, interim Mayor Kim Janey conceded defeat and congratulated Wu and Councilor…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

Sameer Desai always thought about going down a path that deviated from conventional South Asian careers. A few years ago, he began looking for South Asian podcasts that focused on this topic, and when he couldn’t find anything out there at the time…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

Indian American Divyesh Jani, 32, remembers his parents telling him that marriage is one of the most important decisions that a family—rather than just him alone—has to make, and that he should get along…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

Seven weeks after the Indianapolis shooting that killed eight people, four of whom were Sikh individuals, Sikh Americans refuse to forget and are finding ways to support each other-all while continuing to strive for justice by pushing the shooting investigation…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

Nearly 30 years after the film’s release, the cast and writer of The Joy Luck Club reunited on the live-streamed series Stars in the House in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islanders on Friday night.

Hosted by SiriusXM host Seth Rudetsky and his husband….

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

The increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in the news over the past few year spurred a sense of fear in Purdue University student Rachel Zhang, especially after hearing about incidents occurring on college campuses…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

The Dharma Into Action Foundation held a virtual event on Sunday to address the misinformation and disinformation surrounding the virulent wave of the COVID-19 pandemic that is devastating India and its neighbors.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

Marriage and family therapist Ulash Dunlap has always considered herself a part of the Asian community, especially having grown up in the United Kingdom where there was a large South Asian community. But when she came to the United States, she was…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

Every now and then, author Christine Paik jotted down potential story ideas for a book, but nothing struck a chord. In April 2019, she took her children to South Korea for the first time and was inspired by the way her daughter connected with their cultural heritage.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

AP Stylebook Editor Paula Froke announced Friday recent updates to the Associated Press Stylebook, the grammar and usage guide used by newsrooms around the United States. The update included an expansion of Asian American terms and revisions to the entry on…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

United States Secretary of State Tony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan are expressing U.S. solidarity and assistance to India as the country set a new global record for the most number of coronavirus infections in a day.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

People from all over the world gathered on Thursday night for a virtual multiracial interfaith vigil to stand in solidarity with the Sikh community and honor…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, disabled Korean and transracial adoptee Mia Ives-Rublee would leave the house in North Carolina wearing a mask to protect others as well as herself due to her reduced lung…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

At the beginning of April, two Bangladeshi American brothers in suburban Dallas killed four family members before turning the gun on themselves. One of the brothers had been battling depression, which he detailed in a letter about their suicide pact.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

Celebrities ranging from Grammy winner H.E.R to actor Simu Liu and US Figure Skating champion Michelle Kwan joined a star-studded town hall Thursday on anti-Asian hate.

The 90 minute virtual event sponsored by CAA, a talent and sports agency, featured moderated discussions…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

Actress and activist Nikita Chaudhry grew up very observant of the ways in which people are made to feel different and inferior, which drew her to advocacy work. Now, she serves as a Board Member of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), which advocates…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

Inderjot Hansra has been speaking out on the new farming laws in India because of the failure of the country’s democratic system. However, the motives of the Ohio State undergraduate run deeper: She comes from a family of farmers.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

On January 16, 1983, Harpreet Singh Toor moved to the United States. As an immigrant from Punjab, he struggled to find a job in Cleveland. Later, he decided to move to Richmond Hill, New York, where he currently lives as a community activist.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on AsAmNews

The U.S. Postal Service honored Chinese American nuclear physicist Chien-Shiung Wu today with a Forever Stamp to commemorate her influential work in her field.

“It is a privilege to represent the United States Postal…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Overachiever Magazine

When I was a freshman in high school, I referred to myself as Asian in a conversation with a classmate, prompting her to respond with “You’re Asian? I thought you were Indian!” I explained to her that India is a part of Asia, thinking it would help her understand, but she didn’t believe me.

Throughout my life, I’ve always hesitated when using the term Asian to identify myself, not because I didn’t want to but because I knew that others might…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Overachiever Magazine

When the first season of the TV series Never Have I Ever came out on Netflix a little over a year ago, I was immediately excited to see Indian-American representation. The coming-of-age comedy-drama created by Mindy Kaling follows Indian-American high school student Devi as she tries to navigate her culture and life while dealing with her father’s sudden death.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Overachiever Magazine

Towards the end of May, Korean-Peruvian educator and anthropologist Ren Fernandez-Kim (she/they) remembers seeing many white members of the LGBTQ community deciding that it was already time to celebrate Pride Month, even though there was one more week left in AAPI Heritage Month.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Modern Luxury Boston Common

With restaurants on every street corner of Boston, a taste of Latin culture isn’t too hard to find. In celebration of Hispantic Heritage Month…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Modern Luxury Boston Common

With long winter movie-watching nights and weekends upon us, it’s time to beef up your queue for some of Hollywood’s best—including films either shot in…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Modern Luxury Boston Common

Sometimes all you need is to turn your brain off, escape the stress of everyday life and be one with nature. Bundle up, we’ve assembled the best winter walks to clear your mind.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Modern Luxury Philadelphia Style Magazine

Locals know Chestnut Hill for its cobblestone streets and mom-and-pop businesses, and from September 4-13, there’s even more reason to visit. In 2014, Chestnut Hill Business District began hosting a biannual Restaurant Week…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Modern Luxury Philadelphia Style Magazine
It’s no secret that the past few months of quarantine have led to a plethora of creative projects. And from redecorating your at-home office to picking up a few new hobbies, we’ve all been in need of some inspiration. Here, we highlight six talented women artists to inspire your social (and creative) feed.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Modern Luxury Philadelphia Style Magazine

The Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is appealing to Philly foodies for Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) with the inaugural Dine Latino Restaurant Week. From September 30-October 4, explore…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Modern Luxury Philadelphia Style Magazine

It’s no secret that we’ve all been jumping to decorate our homes over the past few months of quarantine. And now, with Autumn in full swing, it might be time to slightly switch things up. Here, we caught up…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Modern Luxury Philadelphia Style Magazine
It’s official—the Linc is back, and tickets are for sale. But if you’re not comfortable with returning to the stadium just yet, here’s a few ways to watch the 2017 Super Bowl Winners with the…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Modern Luxury DC

Nothing encapsulates the fall feeling more than curling up in a cozy sweater with a hot drink that evokes scents of cinnamon and maple. Here, we highlight the best places to visit for pumpkin spice treats and other fall flavors.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on Modern Luxury DC

Winter’s big chill can make our skin look less than perfect. To protect it from the elements, treat yourself to a spa day and de- stress from the wild year we’ve all experienced. Here are some of our favorite treatments at local venues for the solstice and beyond.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on The Intersectionalist

Within Indian culture, there is a strong value placed on studies and a successful future, resulting in a high expectation for Indian kids to do well in school and join as many extracurricular activities as possible. Due to this, my parents pushed me to take piano lessons…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on The Intersectionalist

On Feb. 14, 2021, rapper and producer Ademir Monteiro released “Lovesick”, his first single since the release of his debut album in May 2020. The song, which was mastered by senior John Talbot, is available on all streaming platforms including Soundcloud and Bandcamp.s here

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on The Intersectionalist

Junior Santana Coste was drawn to Emerson because of its LGBT+ friendly campus. But, during her freshman year, she realized the lack of intersectionality within the LGBT+ cultural organizations on campus made her feel out of place as a gay Latino. In September, she created Spectrum, a cultural organization dedicated to fostering a space for BIPOC LGBT+ students who may have felt…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on The Intersectionalist

As the 2020 presidential election approaches, anticipation and political vocalness have been rising. While voters preach the importance of voting in this year’s election—which has been deemed by many to be one of the most important elections of this century—the harsh reality of voter suppression remains in the foreground of these…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on The Intersectionalist

This summer, Access: Student Disability Union’s executive board members pondered the idea of bringing a Black disabled activist to speak on the importance of intersectionality in racial and disability activism. While deciding on the different speakers, the first and obvious choice for Access was writer and activist Imani Barbarin.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on The Intersectionalist

In early February 2020, TikTok star Charli D’Amelio profited off the “Renegade” dance that was originally created by Black teenager Jalaiah Harmon. While D’Amelio apologized to Harmon and eventually gave her the full credit she deserved, profiting off of Black creators is a common example of the anti-Blackness that thrives on TikTok…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on The Intersectionalist

Reduce, reuse, and recycle are the three steps most people were taught in grade school to help the environment. But with the increasingly pressing issue of the climate crisis in the past decade, environmental education has evolved from these three mere words to bans on plastic straws without thoughts of accessibility or the disabled community.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on The Berkeley Beacon

Businesses neighboring the bustling Emerson campus usually overflow with students, tourists, and commuters in early September. But this year, several nearby restaurants and bars remain eerily empty inside—void of crowds that will likely not return until the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on The Berkeley Beacon

On June 26, men’s lacrosse team co-captain and recent graduate Austin Franklin posted a statement on Instagram ending with the words “I’m back.” It indicated his return…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on The Berkeley Beacon

Months before the Black Lives Matter movement received a nationwide push in May, senior Naomi Jones stepped into…

By Shruti Rajkumar

Published on The Berkeley Beacon

After being rejected for a job at Staples three years ago, rising junior Ademir Monteiro did what any rejected applicant would do—write a diss track about the company…