Hindu Women’s Network Webinar

Imagine leaving everything behind and going to a country where you don’t know anybody, are unfamiliar with the customs, don’t speak the language fluently, and have very little money. For many Indian Immigrants who came to USA in the 1960s and early 70s, that was the situation.

This was the subject of the webinar hosted by Hindu Women’s Network (HWN) on Nov 1, 2026, from 2 to 4 PM EST. The title of the webinar was “Roots, Resilience and Rise: The Indian American Journey.”

The webinar was inspired by the thought that the history of Indian American immigrants should be documented and known by the youngsters of today. There are several books written about the early years when Indians arrived at these shores, but in talking with the teenagers and young adults, we found that almost all of them had never read these books and were mostly unaware of the history of the early pioneers and of the struggles that their forefathers went through. Towards that goal, 9 high school and college students were selected to interview 9 pioneer Indian families and document their journey, from their arrival in USA to the present day.

The webinar opened with a welcome by the Secretary of HWN,  followed by opening prayers by the youngest class of VHPA MetroWest Bal Vihar in Massachusetts. Sejal Patel, who was the Moderator, led the audience through afternoon, calling upon the students one by one, introducing them and guiding them as they spoke about their chosen families. Some of the students were as young as 15 years old.

As they spoke, their families were highlighted along with them. The students spoke about their pioneer families, their arrival in the US, their financial status, the places they landed in and the circumstances under which they found their first footing. A large majority came for higher education. Almost all said they came to find better opportunities for themselves and their families. Many did not know anybody in their new country, and had to struggle alone. They spoke about the difficulties in keeping in touch with their families back home, how difficult and expensive even a phone call was. Finding employment when they struggled with the language was a big stumbling block, but everyone persevered in spite of it and managed to overcome it. Maintaining their cultural identity was another source of stress for them, because there were no Hindu temples or even a community to which they could belong. 

Though there were many common threads in the stories of the pioneer families, each journey was very different and inspiring. In an age where even communication was extremely difficult, these people managed to find like-minded people, establish their own identity and bring up their children in their own culture, teach them their heritage and traditions, and did their best to raise confident Hindus in spite of all odds. They not only built a sense of community, they managed to establish temples and places where the community could gather and celebrate their common heritage and pass on the traditions to the next generation. The energy, dedication and hard work stood out as a testament to their courage, determination, perseverance against all odds, in the spirit of giving back.

Today, most of these pioneers are retired, but continue to actively give back to the community and are involved in social service, in guiding the present generations and being role models. Due to their hard work and sacrifices, they are now leaders of the richest and most prosperous minority in the USA.

The students all agreed that this was more than just a webinar. It has been a meaningful journey of connecting generations, celebrating our roots, preserving our heritage, and inspiring our youth. They learned so much from this exercise and went away with a new appreciation of how determination and hard work can move mountains.

The panel discussions followed by a lively question and answer session, in which the Pioneers answered questions put to them by the viewers, and continued to pass on their wisdom to the younger viewers.

The webinar ended with a vote of thanks and the closing prayer.

Hindu Women’s Network (HWN) is an initiative of world Hindu Council of America (VHPA). It gives a voice to the Hindu women’s perspective on contemporary issues affecting all women.  HWN develops programs for holistic physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual development. HWN’s goal is to form a vibrant network of Hindu women to promote collaboration and communication at local, national, and international levels.

For more information or to start a chapter of Hindu Women’s Network in your area, please visit https://hinduwomennetwork.org/

If you missed the program, the video is available at the link below:

https://tinyurl.com/HWN-Nov1-Webinar