Updates and new directions
Welcome to Export Quality, home of news from and about South Asian Americans and Canadians, my writing and art, and other random things
I think I’ve started and stopped this newsletter issue several times in the last few weeks. If you run a newsletter yourself or have ever sat down to write an essay of some kind, you know how horrendous the process of writing can be and have lamented that it is one of your few talents and such a large part of your chosen career.
Speaking of career, that is as good as any of an explanation as to the infrequent nature of Export Quality in your inbox and on your socials. I have been looking for a job for the majority of 2026 in what has to be one of the worst job markets we’ve seen in the U.S. since the housing crisis. I’m sure some “well actually” economist will say otherwise but for today we’re going on how terrible so many people feel right now.
One positive observation from the past six or so months is that a. everyone has joined me in my hatred of the black hole of mental health, genuineness, and dignity that we call LinkedIn, an unfortunately necessary evil and b. people are being more honest online about what this job market is doing to their careers and lives.
For me, it seems that honesty has paid off. After some professionally crafted Internet Life Complaining™️ on Threads, I caught the attention of a woman who has been following my work for several years and I now have a literary agent. Now comes the part where I have to think of a book to write that people will actually buy and read. So, uh, that’ll be easy, right? Right?!?!
Another positive of under- and unemployment: you truly do find out who is rooting for you, or at the very least, willing to think about your perspective. The answers have been heartwarming and heartbreaking.
I’ve also been doing a lot of thinking about Export Quality thanks to the lovely folks at Project C, a community of journalists and others who are trying to make their way through the new economy of substantive creators and influencers (think more: niche news reporting rather than makeup tutorials or unboxing videos. Less shopping, more learning).
There’s very little support in the desi community for ventures like this one unless you’re doing interviews with people who are financially successful or created a great beauty product. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy both! And, while I’m sure the lack of support is true across various landscapes, I’m qualified to say it about our community in particular and about what EQ could be.
Nevertheless, I think there’s a certain power in being real about that and still believing that there are a lot of important stories about South Asians in the diaspora that no one else is really telling, especially when it comes to our role in politics.
If I’ve been learning one thing this year it’s that I don’t get very far trying to walk in shoes that weren’t made for me. So while I’m going to endeavor to find and share stories about our communities, I also want to incorporate my artwork more and illustrate some of the news stories I’m finding while I talk about them. It’s actually something I’ve done in the past but never thought to film it.
For a while I was happily and deeply distracted with the World Cup, particularly how many of us vowed to only root for the formerly colonized in protest of the Euro/Argentina-centric corruption of FIFA. Every four years I tend to let it consume my life and what a summer to let it happen again. I couldn’t go to any matches, but I could pore over every detail and improve my Spanish while I watched the Telemundo broadcasts.
And in the middle of that were the curse-breaking Knicks. Seeing Patrick Ewing, yet another example of what immigrants in NYC can do, at the edge of the court after that final buzzer made me feel like some old wounds and disappointments are capable of healing. I was flooded with the nostalgia and that special brand of hope-against-all-odds that embodied the Cavs chip back in 2016.
Along the way this spring and summer, I got reminisce with old friends in DC, explore Philly, spend time with family in Cleveland, and worked on a few one off projects:
I was once again an editor for the Asian American Journalist Association’s VOICES Fellowship program. My colleagues and I selected 12 students from around the country to go through an intense training program and produce a feature story. These kids were lovely and here’s some of their wonderful reporting:
How a California primary split the Asian American vote - Krish Dev
From nail salons to the Met Gala, Mongolian Americans are on the rise - Indra Dalaisaikhan
As matcha sweeps global markets, other parts of Japan’s tea industry are disappearing - Sena Chang
Japanese Americans seek affordability in a country growing wary of foreigners - Emilie Takahashi
Chinese memorial at Portland cemetery makes community confront a troubled history - Charlie Bloomer
I also did my own reporting on a two-part investigation about how federal budgets cuts are affecting Newark residents from under-funded communities of color, their health, and the environment thanks to a grant
And I had a chance to be the editorial lead for a new app that allows voters to rate their elected officials based on news stories, essentially real-time, more inclusive polling. Once the app is out of beta, I’ll share more
Now though, we’re squarely in that time of year when I can either lean heavily into the Guardians baseball season and/or figure out what to do with my time in between navigating job portals, justifying my lengthy resume, and just simply waiting on people to make decisions. The creative block that unemployment causes is visceral, but I’m working on moving past it. I’ve just never found myself in this type of lull before.
Experimenting with and getting back into a groove with EQ is helping though and thank you for sticking around! More to come soon…
Loved this update, and congrats on the agent!!