Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 7 CITY VIEWS May 27, 2022 -Arlington, Virginia T hirty-year-old Latino-Indian American candi- date, Victoria Virasingh, is contesting for United States Congress fromVirginia’s 8th district, with a dream to make “the American Dream,” accessible for all. Her perspective is that there should be an equal opportunity to succeed, and that the fundamental responsibility of the government lies in the creation of those opportunities that enable every individual to flour- ish here in America. Virasingh’s story resonates with millions of first-gen- eration Americans, and immigrants who have come to this country with hopes of a better life. “My parents are refugees and immigrants. My parents worked in a wide variety of jobs and taught me that the American dream is available to all. But what has happened to this American dream? It’s become harder and harder for our families to reach,” Virasingh told News India Times in an exclusive interview at her house in Arlington on May 17th. Virasingh’s mom is from Ecuador, South America, and her father was born in Bangkok, Thailand, to Punjabi Sikh refugees. They met in Arlington and married in the County as well. Her parents, like most immigrants, struggled to overcome language and cultural barriers and experienced discrimination. Virasingh, who was born in Arlington, received her undergraduate and master’s degree from Stanford in international relations, and Latin American studies. In Virginia, early voting began as of May 6th, and the primary will be held on June 21st. Virginia’s 8th congres- sional district encompasses Arlington County, the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, and some areas of Fairfax County. She said, “early voting has already started and it’s the first time we have early voting in a congressional primary. Voters are excited to participate since I am the second woman ever to make it on the ballot. I am the first Indian-American, and first Latina. I’m the first working class, and the youngest to represent Virginia at the federal level.” About issues, Virasingh said, she will work to address a wide range of relevant issues ranging from affordability of housing, and equitable approaches to housing owner- ship; improvement of minimum wages; immigration reform, including a pathway to citizenship; protecting DACA and ensuring dreamers have access to higher edu- cation; enacting federal level legislation to help transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy; creating affordable and accessible health care, including lowering the price of prescription drugs; supporting the John Lewis Voting Rights Act; investing in the local workforce; supporting establishment of STEM schools; opportunities for the veterans; addressing gun violence; and protecting the community against the rise of hate crimes. In addition to these issues, Virasingh acknowledged the intersection of technology in the shaping of the economy and workforce. She went on to say the incumbent congressman, Don Beyer, her Democratic contender and veteran in Demo- cratic politics, lacks experience in the technology sector and is out of touch with today’s reality. “I am confident that we will be victorious in this primary. Don Beyer is someone who’s been around for a very long time. In certain ways, that gives him political experience, but in other ways it blinds him to the realities of today,” Viras- ingh said questioning his experience, “he hasn’t had the experience of being on the ground with families who are working class and middle class today. That’s an experi- ence that we need in Congress. Look, we’ve got enough millionaires in Congress. Let’s put in some more every- day people.” Stating that voting day should be a federal holiday, Virasingh also questioned the impetus behind low voter turnout in Virginia despite the fact the State has open primaries. In order to address the issue, she said, “we must reach out to people. When I knock on doors, I’m oftentimes the only candidate they’ve ever seen. We’re going into communities that have never been invited to participate. They have a voice, and their voice deserves to be heard.” About the rise in hate crimes, she said, “we need to create more stringent laws that protect our communities. Gun violence is something that we’re extremely focused on and making sure that we have red flag laws and policy structure that help protect communities against hate crimes.” Virasingh pointed out, “I believe that a lot of people are attracted to our campaign because we’re bringing a fresh perspective. That is what’s going to help us win over these voters and create a wide coalition of groups that are com- ing together,” she added. She said that voting is so important but getting people out to vote is one of the biggest challenges. Her message to voters is, “nothing will change if we don’t vote, and if we don’t encourage our neighbors, family, and busi- ness partners to vote. If you stay home, then nothing will change. The only way that I will win is if you vote.” By T.Vishnudatta Jayaraman Latino-Indian American Virasingh To Contest Against Beyer In Virginia’s Congressional Democratic Primary Virginia 8th district Democratic congressional candidate Victoria Virasingh on May 17th in Arlington, Virginia. Photo:T.Vishnudatta Jayaraman,News IndiaTimes LAXMI Brand Announced As Official Partner Of The Silicon Valley Strikers -SAN FRANCISCO, CA (May 13, 2022) T he Silicon Valley Strikers (SVS) announced today that Laxmi, the number one South Asian food brand, will join the team as an official partner for its second season of play in the 2022 Toyota Minor League Cricket (MiLC) championship presented by Sunoco, America’s first and only nationwide T20 com- petition. Laxmi joins the Strikers’ family following a remark- able inaugural season for the Bay Area team in 2021, who claimed the MiLC championship last October. The Strik- ers, captained by Indian star Unmukt Chand, defeated the New Jersey Stallions at the final held in Morrisville, North Carolina on October 3rd. Laxmi, the oldest and most loved South Asian brand in North America, is celebrating its Golden Jubilee year in 2022 with Bollywood celebrity Ms. Shilpa Shetty as the face of their upcoming campaign. Over the past five decades, Laxmi has become synonymous with deliver- ing uncompromising quality and authentic ethnic foods for not only South Asian consumers but the mainstream market as well. “We are proud to support the Silicon Valley Strikers, the inaugural champions of Minor League Cricket,” said Ms. Suhasinee Patil, VP of Marketing at House of Spices. “We have been proud to serve the South Asian com- munity across America for 50 years and marking that anniversary by supporting cricket’s growth in America – a sport that we know means so much to our consumers – is a perfect fit.” “We are thrilled to welcome Laxmi to the Silicon Valley Strikers family,” said Jayanth Chakravarthy, co-owner of the Silicon Valley Strikers. “Fifty years of service distrib- uting South Asian foods in the United States has made it one of the best-known names in the community, and we’re proud to help Laxmi mark that special anniversary throughout the 2022 Minor League Cricket season.” The Toyota Minor League Cricket Championship pre- sented by Sunoco features the strongest cricketers across the country with each team roster including a selec- tion of marquee professional players, priority domestic players, and a required number of U21 and U19 players to support the development of emerging talent for the United States National Teams. The second season of MiLC begins Saturday, June 25 and will run for eight weeks of regular season action na- tionwide this summer. The Toyota Minor League Cricket championship will conclude with Conference semi-finals held Aug. 20-21 and FinalsWeekend over Aug. 27-28. ABOUT THE SILICON VALLEY STRIKERS The inaugural champions of the Minor League Cricket (MiLC) championship, the Silicon Valley Strikers play home games at Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Complex, approximately 25 minutes south of San Jose. MiLC is a national Twenty20 cricket competition for city-based teams from across the United States, launched in 2021 with 27 teams taking part. The most extensive competi- tion in American cricket, MiLC provides a foundational structure as a pathway to Major League Cricket and the United States National Team for the nation’s best players. ABOUT HOUSE OF SPICES AND LAXMI In 1972, G.L. Soni started House of Spices (India) Inc. in NewYork City with his wife and brother as a stand- alone store to meet the basic food needs of South Asian immigrants. It was the first store to pioneer Indian food distribution in the United States. Since then, House of Spices (India) Inc. has grown exponentially and has be- come the symbol for authentic quality, ensured by each of its 200 plus employees across 12 distribution centers throughout North America By a StaffWriter Photo:MiLC Strikers bowler Saurabh Netravalkar delivers.

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