India Association of Minnesota

June 2025 Newsletter

52 Years Supporting the Indian Community

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IAM News & Events

IAM Consular Camp Coming in June to the Twin Cities

Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025

Time: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm

Venue: Normandale Lutheran Church

6100 Normandale Rd, Edina, MN. 55436

Registration: Click here or the QR code on flyer

For more information https://iamn.org/event/chicago-consulate-general-visit/

Thank you to our sponsors and partners.

LifeMap * India Spice House * Tanishq USA * Vaz Harwood * Suba Ram

Bengali Assn of MN * MN Punjabi Society * MN SIKH * SEWA AIFW

SILC * MN Telangana Assn * TCTamil Assn * Vidya Gyan

IAM Safety Forum

India Association of Minnesota has been conferring with the Edina Police Department regarding recent incidents of Asian Indian hate, robberies of community members homes and the current climate. Please join IAM and representatives from the Edina Police Department on Monday, June 2, 2025 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the Ridgedale Library for an interactive event. Refreshments would be provided.

Event is free, but registration is required. Register here.

Events Sponsored by IAM

IAM - MTBC Cricket



On Saturday May 24, 2025, a perfect Minnesota spring day, IAM and MTBC collaborated for a cricket tournament at Bryn Mawr Meadows Park cricket field in Minneapolis!

With the Minneapolis skyline in the background, serious cricket matches between experienced players were the main event. Eight teams played. The winners were MTBC Bahubali. Awards were presented to the winning team and the runners up. All the kids who participated in the kids match were awarded with medals.

Cricket Utsav, in it's inaugural presentation was a success, for reaching some non-cricket playing communities. Some watched and many held a cricket bat for the first time. Young children were especially enthusiastic and with great patience volunteers tossed many balls for them to hit. Special thanks to Harish Acharya for working tirelessly with the kids.

Other activities included bouncing on Inflatables. Raffles, music and face painting took place throughout the day. Bombay Pizza Kitchen's food truck was on hand when the players needed sustenance. It was enjoyed by all.

The event received coverage on KSTP Channel 5 and IAM President Srividya Vaidyanathan and MTBC President Arun Vinayan were interviewed about the significance of the event.

The IAM team was represented by President Srividya Vaidyanathan, Mangala Acharya, Sunitha Pillai, Uma Venkat, Analabha Dutta, Anurag Saurabh, Rashmi Jindani, Madhulika Gaur, Reena Raichur, Nithya Mathad and Muniesh Khandelwal. IAM past presidents cheering on the players were Stefan Peterson, Shanti Shah, Meena Bharti, Kusum Gosain and Kiran Bandi. Many other board members volunteered and enjoyed the experience.

IAM Participating in the Community

Flint Hills & Asian Fair

India Association of Minnesota has participated in Ordway's Flint Hills Family Festival for many years and in the Asian Fair since its inception in 2023.

IAM will again have a booth at both events on May 31, 2025. Due to them being on the last day of May, pictures and a review will be in the July issue of the IAM newsletter.

Metropolitan Council AAPI Event

Marking May as the AAPI Heritage Month, the Metropolitan Council planned a council-wide internal AAPI month event, which was held at the Metro Transit North Loop garage on May 5th from 2-4 PM.

This year, had a special focus on the 50th anniversary of Hmong communities in Minnesota. But they also invited IAM to highlight the larger AAPI diaspora in the state through tabling, share their mission, and provide information on how to get involved.

Srividya Vaidyanathan, the current president of IAM participated at the event, to educate the attendees about IAM and the Asian Indian diaspora in Minnesota. She invited the attendees to IndiaFest, which will be held on August 16th on the State Capitol grounds.

Edina Asian American Alliance Event (EAAA)

The third annual EAAA event took place at Rosland Park on Saturday, May 17, 2025. The cold weather did not deter the attendees from enjoying the community event celebrating the vibrant Edina Asian culture. The theme was "Cultivating Growth!"

IAM President Srividya Vaidyanathan spoke about IAM, what the organization does and upcoming events. Other local dignitaries and community members addressed the attendees. Cultural performances were performed throughout the afternoon. In between visiting the booths of various organizations, everyone enjoyed visiting the food trucks.

Twin Cities R!SE to the Occasion Gala

The R!SE to the Occasion Gala was held on Sunday, May 18th. It was a beautiful celebration of everything Twin Cities R!SE stands for—resilience, opportunity, and the unstoppable power of community. 

The stunning Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis was the scene of a record-breaking attendance, with hundreds attending the annual event. The guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres while bidding on silent auction items during the social hour. The formal program took place in the Ballroom where dinner was served.

It was a moving evening. Emcee Nicole Pillow introduced R!SERS who told their inspirational stories. Honorees Greg Page and Kathleen Blatz were recognized for their extraordinary impact on Twin Cities R!SE. The room rocked when the Grammy Award winning Sounds of Blackness took the stage and introduced an original song just for the occasion. A live auction and livelier Fund-A-Future raised just under $400,000.

Indian community member, Emma Corrie is the President & CEO of Twin Cities R!SE. IAM's Ram Gada, Dr. SK Dash, Ashoke Mandal, Jyoti Checka and Alice Northrup attended the gala, along with other Indian community members.

https://twincitiesrise.org

Join India Association of Minnesota

Exclusive membership benefits from our local businesses and banks for IAM Members! Offers are valid only in May and June. Hurry up and sign up with IAM for your membership! Visit: https://iamn.org/memberships/

Upcoming IAM Calendar of Events

Event/Date/Venue

• IAM Safety Forum, June 2, Ridgedale Library
• Consular Camp - June 14, Normandale Lutheran Church
• International Yoga Day - June 21st
• Indiafest - August 16th, Minnesota State Capitol Grounds 
• Non-Violence Day - October 4th, TBD
• Cancer Awareness Event - October/November TBD
• Dhanyawaad - December 6th

Watch for upcoming events in future newsletters, on Facebook and the IAM website www.iamn.org.

Government Relations & Community Engagement

Immigration Town Hall for Students

Sponsored by

India Association of Minnesota & India Chamber of Commerce, MN

George Maxwell, an experienced immigration attorney from Borene Law, provided valuable insights to help students understand and navigate the continually evolving immigration and SEVIS records. The presentation included tips for how to be safe when on a visa. The informative session was held on Thursday evening, May 15th at the Hampton Inn in Bloomington, MN.

Pictured above: Attornery George Maxwell, the IAM Team and ICoCMN President Shajive Jeganathan.

Minnesota Compass Annual Meeting

IAM participated in the 2025 Minnesota Compass Annual Meeting held at the Wilder Center on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. Resuming the annual meeting after a hiatus of 5 years, the theme “Place Matters” attracted a room full of participants and more than 100 online attendees.

Representing IAM was Board Member and Co-Chair of Government Relations Committee, Shruti Joshi and IAM Vice-president Mangala Acharya. Hosted by The Minnesota Compass and Wilder Research, the event kicked-off with a presentation on the latest data on quality of life across the state by Compass Project Director, Allison Liuzzi. She shared the new 2025 Compass Points dashboard which was followed by an engaging panel discussion with panelists from Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, LSIC Twin Cities and The Center for Rural Policy and Development. This event focused on how relevant data can help non-profits make tough decisions, and how important it is to back our decisions and programing with data, The program concluded with small group deliberations centered around prompts provided and an opportunity for the many organizations present in the room to meet and greet one another.

In 2024, IAM established a new partnership with The Minnesota Compass, a project of Wilder Research. Through this partnership, IAM hosts demographic data specific to Minnesota’s Indian community on our website (link: https://www.mncompass.org/topics/demographics/cultural-communities/indian). This data is updated as new trends emerge. Visitors to IAM’s website are welcome to check out the extensive data that informs IAM’s work and the community that we represent. We are grateful to the Minnesota Compass for this partnership.

SAARI

South Asians Against Racial Injustice

Pride Month

The 53rd annual Twin Cities Pride Festival and Parade will be held on June 28-29, 2025, in Minneapolis. The festival will take place at Loring Park, while the parade will begin at 3rd and Hennepin and proceed down Hennepin to Spruce. Additional events like the Beer Dabbler and the Rainbow Run 5k are also scheduled around Pride weekend. 

Key events and details:

• Twin Cities Pride Festival: June 28-29, 2025, at Loring Park. 
• Twin Cities Pride Parade: Sunday, June 29, 2025, starting at 11:00 AM at 3rd and Hennepin, proceeding down Hennepin to Spruce. 
• Twin Cities Pride Youth Night: June 27, 2025, at 4:00 PM. 
• Beer Dabbler: A kick-off event to the Pride weekend with craft beer sampling. 
• Rainbow Run 5k: A race with a "Pride in Every Stride" theme, including a best race outfit contest. 
• Additional Pride events: Various events are hosted by organizations like the Minnesota People of Color LGBT Pride and OutFront Minnesota. 

For more information and links Click Here

In the News

AshaUSA Merges with SEWA-AIFW

Katha Dance, Flying Foot and Zorongo Flamenco seek a sense of timelessness in ‘Time Piece’

The world premiere of a collaborative piece titled “Dandelions” included separate works by the three companies.

Three long-running dance companies in the Twin Cities teamed up for a production called “Time Piece,” bringing together different traditions of rhythm-rooted movements.

From Katha Dance Theatre’s North Indian kathak dance style to Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theatre’s furious rhythmic structure to Flying Foot Forum’s theatrical and percussive innovation, the show highlighted the best of all three companies and the fruits of a new collaboration titled “DandeliTons.” “Time Piece” was performed for two consecutive weeks at St. Paul’s Park Square Theatre.

Artistic directors Rita Mustaphi (Katha), Joe Chvala (Flying Foot) and Susana di Palma (Zorongo) are all veterans of the Twin Cities dance scene. “They’re family,” di Palma said. “We just have so much fun.”

To read StarTribune article Click Here

Singing Surya Dreams to Dance

Suchi Sairam releases second book

Suchi Sairam is passionate about Bharatanatyam ... but it has much more to do with young kids, courage, challenging gender stereotypes, and what it means to follow your heart.

Surya likes to sing. But he LOVES to dance.

There’s only one problem.

Surya is a boy. And boys don’t dance.

Or do they?

Available on Amazon

You are invited to an in- person gathering with Sandhya Gupta, 2007 IAM President and founder, along with her husband Sarit Sharma of Aavishkaar. Sandhya will speak about the current challenges & accomplishments.

Re-Imaging STEM Education: Aavishkaar's core belief is that evidence backed content that is rigorous and relevant can fundamentally transform the classroom experience for the child. Aavishkaar's mission is to enable, equip and empower educators and students to rekindle their creativity, curiosity and critical thinking in Math and Science.

Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2025

Time: 6:30 - 9:00 pm

Venue: Bay Leaf Indian Cuisine

1260 Town Centre Drive, Eagan, MN

$80.00 per person ($45.00 tax deductible)

For dinner & fundraiser, mail checks to Aavishkaar USA,

c/o Karen Moore, 1350 Rosemary Ct, Hastings MN 55033. Please include the number of people attending and their names.

If not attending and you want to make a contribution to support the education and careers of youth and women in underserved areas of India, please click on the QR Code or send a check to the above address.

The Aavishkaar USA logo includes the Hindi and English languages, plus the colors of the Indian and US flags. This reflects Aavishkaar's collaborative work in ensuring eh well-being and future success of your and women currently in need.

In English, Aavishkaar means "invention". Aavishkaar is about better ways to reach and educate underserved children and women in India.

Ananya Dance Theatre

Our Shawngrām Institute for Performance & Social Justice is our gathering place, where we practice (train) together, rehearse, lead workshops and community events, and teach weekly classes and our Summer Intensive. 

For tickets Click Here

https://www.ananyadancetheatre.org/

Nritya Kalakshetra Academy

Bharathanatyam Fundraiser for Feed My Starving Children

Join Nritya Kalakshetra Academy for an evening of classical dance and giving back! Our talented young dancers will perform a captivating Bharatanatyam performance to support Feed My Starving Children.

All proceeds will go towards feeding children in need. Your support will make a meaningful difference!

Details provided in the flyer here.

The Antarnaad Center for Hindustani Music (Minneapolis, MN)

Experience a delightful evening of soulful Hindustani vocal music by Dr. Shailendra Goswami (Prof. of Music – Delhi University), followed by a scintillating Tabla solo recital by one of the all-time greats of Tabla, Maestro Pandit Anindo Chatterjee. Surely - an evening of music not to be missed. 

Date: Saturday, June 28,

Time: 5:00PM

Venue: Plymouth Playhouse Theater, Plymouth, MN

More Info: tabaliya@gmail.com / 612-508-3716

BAPS Charities : In the Joy of Others Walk | Run | Yoga 2025

Celebrating 25 years of Walkathon in the Twin Cities

Date: Sunday June 1, 2025

Time: 9 AM to 1 PM (Walk followed by Lunch)

Location: Lake Rebecca Park Reserve

9831 Rebecca Park Trail, Rockford, MN 55373

Register | Sponsor Here

https://www.bapscharities.org/usa/minneapolis/walkrun2025minneapolis/

For more information contact Kalpesh Hingu at or.mp.admin@usa.baps.org

India Philanthropy Alliance

The 2025 IPA Youth Essay Competition is Now Open!

Are you passionate about changing the world for the better? This is your chance! Join the IPA Youth Essay Competition and shine a light on an issue that is important to you. This is a great opportunity to find your voice, and be a force for good in the world! Now in its 6th year, the IPA Youth Essay Competition is a great way to hone your analytical skills and put your research and writing to the test.

This year's theme is #FutureByYou and encourages youth to take an active part in crafting their future through writing.

The deadline to participate is July 1, 2025.

The essay competition is open to middle and high school students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. You do not need to be Indian American to participate.

For details Click Here

Katha Dance Theatre will offer Kathak classes

for new beginners

during an eight-week session beginning June 10!

This summer, KDT is excited to announce a new class format: Parent & Me, a parent-child recreational dance class for children ages 3-5. The Parent & Me class will allow preschool-age kids and their caregivers to explore how to tell stories creatively and in a fun way through games, basic Indian dance movements, hand gestures, music and rhythm.

Children ages 6+ and teen/adult dancers will discover the fundamentals of Kathak dance in a welcoming and supportive environment. This eight-week series introduces key techniques such as basic movements, footwork, spins and storytelling techniques helping students build confidence, coordination and creative expression. The session will culminate with an informal in-studio showing for students’ family. 

All new beginner classes will be taught by KDT instructor and Company member Shilpi Chatterjee.

Learn more and enroll here: https://www.kathadance.org/our-school/classes/

Minnesota Malayalee Association (MMA)

 The Minnesota Malayalee Association (MMA) is thrilled to announce two exciting cultural events in June. These events aim to celebrate our shared heritage and traditions.

Experience the Magic of Kathakali – A Live Demonstration in Minnesota! 

For the first time, Minnesota Malayalee Association (MMA) & Kerala Hindus of Minnesota (KHMN) proudly present a rare cultural experience — a live Kathakali demonstration by renowned artist Natyakesari Kottakkal Kesavan Kundlayar. Kathakali, a 300-year-old classical art form from Kerala, is known for its vivid costumes, expressive storytelling, and deep cultural roots. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience this tradition up close.  

Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025

 Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

 Location: Wescott Library 

********************

The MMA Eid celebration is a vibrant gathering that brings together families and individuals from across the community for an evening of joy, unity, and cultural appreciation. The event offers a festive atmosphere where guests can enjoy a rich variety of traditional foods, soulful music, and engaging activities like Mehandi booths and a rocking DJ that truly reflect the spirit of Eid.

This year, MMA is excited to introduce a Biryani Mela — bringing authentic Kerala biryanis to the Twin Cities like never before! If you’ve been dreaming of that perfect plate of mouthwatering, spice-infused biryani… your wait is almost over. Come hungry and celebrate Eid with a feast that’s as flavorful as it is memorable!

 Eid Celebration – Biryani Mela

 Date: Saturday, June 21, 2025

 Time: 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM

 Location: Maple Grove Community Center

https://mnmalayalee.org/

Theater MU

This July is the fifth annual Mu Explorations Summer Camp for elementary and middle school students.. All classes take place in St. Paul and Pay As You Are. While Theater MU prioritizes enrollment for students who identify as Asian and Pacific Islander, the classes are open to all students who have an interest in learning more about Asian American theater and history.

Mu Explorations Summer Camp for 3rd-9th Grade

Theater Mu’s week-long summer camps dive into everything theater while centering Asian American identity and history. Students learn powerful skills in creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, storytelling, and self-expression. Choose between morning and afternoon modules or combine them for a full day. At the end of each camp, you’ll perform a showcase, so come explore what’s possible! Learn more at theatermu.org/mu-explorations.

THEATERMU.ORG

Ragamala Training Center

Registration is now open for all levels of Bharatanatyam

at the Ragamala Training Center + 2nd Location at Chinmaya Mission

Led by highly-skilled company members, Ragamala Training Center classes are enriching, fun, and foster cultural awareness. At the Ragamala Training Center, students receive classical training in the style of Bharatanatyam, carefully created by the internationally renowned Padma Bhushan Smt. Alarmél Valli. Co-Artistic Director Ranee Ramaswamy and Executive Artistic Director Aparna Ramaswamy are dedicated to preserving and carrying on their guru’s tradition and passing it on to the next generation of dancers. Ragamala Training Center’s unique program stresses artistic excellence and a professional level of training while fostering cultural awareness.

Ragamala Training Center offers classes for beginners ages 7 through adult, as well as experienced dancers.

To register for classes Click Here

For questions or more information, please email jothika@ragamaladance.org 

https://www.ragamaladance.org/training-center

LMT SEVA and Pro Dental

Proudly Presents in Association with Raj Bahl from Remax

Kumar Sanu & Sadhana Sargam Live in Concert

Date & Time: June 14^th @ 7:00 pm

Venue: Minneapolis Convention Center

To buy tickets https://lmtseva.eventbrite.com or click on the QRcode in flyer.

For more details please reach out to Shashi Tiwari at 612-978-3040 or send an email to lmtseva@gmail.com

https://lmtseva.com/

June

Father's Day

Sunday, June 15, 2025

Each year on the third Sunday in June, we celebrate those special men in our lives who provide, guide and love us.

Although Mother's Day became an official holiday in 1915, it wasn't until 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson signed an Executive Order recognizing Fathers and six years later in 1972 President Richard Nixon signed an official proclamation making Father's Day an official federal permanent holiday.

Remembering with love and appreciation the fathers who are no longer with us.

IAM wishes the great father's in our lives a HAPPY Father's DAY!!

Stay Connected with IAM

Visit the IAM Website IAM Facebook Instagram@iamnorg

IAM is on X (twitter) too!

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.