Author Archives: Nithin

About Nithin

Nithin Coca is Californian by birth, his parents are from South India, and he was infected with the travel bug at the age of of two months when his mom took him halfway across the world to India to meet his family. 30 years and 44 countries later, he is now sure that there is no cure. Nithin has taken his international upbringing to the maximum, having lived and worked in the United States, France, Spain, Nepal, and Indonesia. He believes that travel is a way to bring good to the world, by connecting people, issues, and building a global community, and he hopes that his writing helps make a difference, even if it’s small, in tackling the world’s problems. As an Asian-American with a unique perspective, he hopes his articles here inspire debate and discussion on challenges our community faces, and perhaps, ideas too. He can be reached at [email protected] and blogs at www.nithincoca.com.

Indians Who Love Steak and The Rise of Meat Consumption in Asia

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Nithin

“I actually didn’t eat beef growing up,” he said, with a sly smile, “because of my parents.” The thought – that perhaps he believed the silly religion of his Indian parents – was brushed away like dust off his shoulder, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Food & Drink, Health, Observations, Religion | Tagged | 6 Comments

Asia, Not the West, Leading the Way for Female Leaders

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Nithin

Modern mainstream thought places “progress” in the hands of the west. After all, human rights, Democracy, the Enlightenment, Philosophy, English, and soccer all came from Europe and spread around the world. Ignoring the atrocity of colonialism, the modern world of … Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, Education, History, Observations | Tagged , | 26 Comments

The Resiliency of Food and Culture

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Nithin

When slaves were kidnapped and forced into servitude in the United States before 1808, in an extreme case of involuntary assimilation, they were forced to give up their culture. Speaking in African languages was forbidden, everyone was converted into Christianity, … Continue reading →

Posted in Food & Drink, History, Observations | 2 Comments

Double Minority: South Indian in a Predominantly North Indian Minority Community

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Nithin

As an incoming Freshman at UC-Irvine, I was amazed to see that more than half the tables at the student activities fair were ethnic, not interest, organizations. There were three Chinese groups, a Korean students association and a Korean Christian … Continue reading →

Posted in Observations | 9 Comments

Freedom from Assimilation: Be More Like Einstein

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Nithin

“The undignified mania of trying to adapt and assimilate, which happens among many of my social standing, has always been very repulsive to me.” Albert Einstein Einstein – a celebrity among Asians – is the most famous scientist in modern … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Observations, Politics | 4 Comments

I am South Indian, Hindu, Buddhist, American… But Am I Asian, Too?

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Nithin

Let me start my first article on a lighter note–an anecdote from my freshman year of college, more than 10 years ago. I was at the In-N-Out across the street from the dorms sitting on a bar stool along with … Continue reading →

Posted in Discrimination, Entertainment, Lifestyles, Observations | 22 Comments