Indian Student Association UMN

ISA-UMN was founded as Indo-Am as a way to provide professional and social support for students on campus.

ISA-UMN was founded as Indo-Am in 1986 as a way to provide professional and social support for International Students from India and South Asia, Local Students of Indian and South Asian Decent, and the University community interested in experiencing Indian Culture. ISA celebrates all South Asian cultures through food, music, dance, movies, and festival celebrations. We encourage everyone, regardle

Photos from Indian Student Association UMN's post

06/27/2022

Happy Pride Month! Swipe to read about recent wins for the LGBTQ community, work that still must be done for equality, & ways you can support the pride movement as an ally. 🏳️‍🌈❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

05/17/2022

Happy Mental Health Awareness Month! Swipe for Part 2 of how mental health manifests in different ways. (2/2)

04/12/2022

Hello, my name is Anu (she/they), I'm a second-year master's student, going on for a PhD in Water Resources. Recently, I’ve started to think more about unanswered questions about my history and identity. I am mixed, Punjabi and white, so growing up a lot of Indian people would say I was not ‘actually Indian’. I faced rejection and struggled with that for a long time, but now I feel more secure and want to explore who I am more openly. I joined the Twin Cities Bhangra team, and that has been a true joy. Doing Bhangra with my family at events has made me feel closer to my roots, and dancing more often has helped that grow.
My grandfather had to cross the border during Partition and passed away when I was younger, so I never heard his story. While driving to Duluth last summer, I called my mom and finally started a conversation about it. I asked, “Mom, Nanaji had to move during Partition right?” She said yes and then talked about how she heard that they faced violence during their journey, but didn't know many details. No one talked about it much. I had heard a little about Partition growing up, but it wasn't until recently that I internalized its violence and how it affected my family. I wish to know more of that history.
Last summer, I came out as genderq***r and bisexual. Most of my family was supportive, but there were some relatives I hid this from, as I didn't know if they'd understand. I had this moment where I was being more open and confident in who I was than ever before, but still partially concealing myself. I’m the only openly q***r person in my family, so I’ve never heard if I have q***r ancestors. I feel like because of colonization it is so taboo to talk about, and we miss out on a lot because of that. I’m the eldest child out of all my cousins and siblings, so I feel it’s important for me to show them that even though we don’t talk about this as a family, it is okay to be open about it. I hope to explore q***r histories from the subcontinent to fill in this piece that's been missing. I'm glad that I've stepped a little out of my self-consciousness so I can dig into what being q***r and Punjabi means to me, and I'm excited to continue that journey.

04/08/2022

It is Public Health Awareness Week. Swipe to read about access to healthcare in India.

04/05/2022

Come and join us this Friday, 6-8 pm in Bruninks, for our Indian Perspectives discussion on VISA and immigration issues in the South Asian community. Pizza and hot chocolate will be provided! Hope to see you there soon 🗣