SJSU King Library Shines a Light on South Asians in Silicon Valley

Community Engagement Librarian Mantra Roy (left) led a panel discussion that featured (left to right) Jinni Pradhan, Justin Gerboc, Jacob Manaloor and Manju Ramachandran. Photo: Brian Anderson, ’24 MFA Digital Media Art.

On Thursday, June 26, SJSU Community Engagement Librarian Mantra Roy invited members of the San José State community to the second floor of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library to explore how to amplify and enrich an ongoing library initiative, South Asians in Silicon Valley. A special exhibit showcasing South Asian student histories from 1930-1990 is on display at the Jennifer and Philip DiNapoli Gallery in the library through July 11.

Participants were treated to a lunch that featured South Asian foods from Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan and encouraged to brainstorm how to best support and highlight the history, legacy and future of South Asian Spartans.

Roy kicked off the event by sharing the stories of some of the first South Asians to enroll at San José State, including Mary Leela Rao, an Olympian and 1961 SJSU homecoming queen; Ram Bagai, whose parents were among the first families to immigrate from India to the U.S. in 1915; and Hassina Leelarathna, a pioneering Sri Lankan-American journalist. Since 2022, Roy has collaborated with colleagues at the library and with community members to curate three exhibitions, including “The Sounds of South Asia,” which highlighted music from South Asian countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. All exhibits have a digital presence that can be explored here.

“The less we know of each other, the more biases persist,” Roy said in 2024. “The South Asians in Silicon Valley program brings visibility to the lived experiences of the diasporas of South Asians in the wider Bay Area. Community members will experience acknowledgment of their contributions and impact because in spite of their numbers, very little is on record and publicly visible in public spaces such as libraries. Students and faculty of SJSU will gain the opportunity to study the rich complex South Asian diaspora from multiple perspectives, such as food habits, religious practices, music, entrepreneurship and more.”

One major component to the South Asians in Silicon Valley initiative is Roy’s desire to highlight the stories, experiences and accomplishments of South Asians who have attended San José State. To explore next steps, Marketing Communications and Relations Analyst Lesley Seacrist and Roy assembled a panel of campus leaders, among them Jinni Pradhan, program director for SJSU’s Center for Asian and Pacific Islander Student Empowerment; Justin Gerboc, senior director of alumni and community engagement; Jacob Manaloor, director of development of research and innovation; and Manju Ramachandran, development director for the College of Science. 

Together they asked: How can a university cultivate — or better yet, define — a sense of belonging amongst its students, staff, faculty, alumni and greater community? 

Sarab Multani, ’25 Public Health, shared his experience of moving to San José State from Los Angeles. Once he stepped on campus, he felt that he could finally be his authentic self as a South Asian American. Multani, who served as the president of Associated Students during the 2023-2024 year, credited Ramachandran with encouraging him to explore career opportunities in fundraising while still enrolled at SJSU. He shared how powerful it was as a first-generation college student to have role models like her who could share their own experiences navigating higher education.

“The commitment and enthusiasm I witnessed today make me confident that we are laying the groundwork for a lasting, positive impact on South Asian belonging at SJSU,” said Multani. “I appreciate the SJSU King Library for hosting and moderating such a thoughtful conversation about how we can engage our community in every sense.”

Pradhan added that it is important to acknowledge the broad umbrella of South Asia. Within India alone, people speak more than 20 languages.

 “Sense of belonging is unique to each person, rooted in their specific experiences that have brought them to SJSU,” she said. “For many of our South Asian students in the United States (whether they are international students or children of immigrants), a sense of belonging begins with our campus community seeing, valuing, and uplifting their cultures and experiences inside and outside the classroom. South Asia is not a monolith, and each South Asian person’s experiences are incredibly varied and diverse. As a campus community, we can be aware and better advocates to make sure we lean into listening and learning about all those differences to help build an inclusive and welcoming community for our South Asian students and the initiative that Mantra and the library are pushing forward is foundational to this.”

She and Ramachandran also shared that it’s critical to understand both the similarities and differences between the international student, the first-generation and the second-generation experience. Gerboc and Manaloor added that there are many ways to support South Asians at SJSU, whether that be sharing stories with the library, connecting with fellow Spartans via the Alumni Association and related affinity groups, offering professional mentorship or giving back through philanthropic efforts.

Roy also named a major milestone that she and other campus partners are working toward. By 2030, the library hopes to be home to the Center for South Asians in Silicon Valley, a research center offering primary and secondary sources for Spartans to explore and unite students, alumni, faculty, and members of the public for innovative research, exhibits, events and more.

Manaloor encouraged Spartans to get involved to make this dream a reality.

“When we invest in preserving our history and stories, we honor our ancestral South Asian heritage and inspire the next generation to dream even bigger,” said Manaloor. “By philanthropically supporting international scholarships, educational and cultural programs or archival and historical document preservation activities at SJSU, South Asians in Silicon Valley can celebrate our similarities and differences, while ensuring a light is shone on the impact our communities have made within Silicon Valley for the world to see — from agriculture, the hospitality sector, arts and dance to technology and entrepreneurship. Consider making a gift to support our efforts and join us by connecting through a variety of events and programs that will help keep our identities alive, visible and thriving.”

Are you a South Asian Spartan and want to share your experience or join the South Asians in Silicon Valley community? Click on the corresponding links and get connected.

Learn how to support the South Asians in Silicon Valley program at King Library.